About the product

George Medal Disarming Assailant Shot in Eye

George Medal, EIIR, 1939-45 Star, Atlantic Star, Africa Star, Burma Star, 1939-45 Defence and War Medal, William Jebet Walker, Supervising Bailiff for Nottingham County Court, late Chief Petty Officer Stoker with the Royal Navy.

Out of stock

Origin: United Kingdom
Extremely Fine

Description

George Medal, EIIR, 1939-45 Star, Atlantic Star, Africa Star, Burma Star, 1939-45 Defence and War Medal, William Jebet Walker, Supervising Bailiff for Nottingham County Court, late Chief Petty Officer Stoker with the Royal Navy.

 

George Medal officially engraved “William Jebet Walker” in fitted Royal Mint case of issue, the WW2 medals are unnamed.

 

With the following:

 

Original typed copy of emotive letter of thanks from Phylis Argyle whose life he saved.
Admiralty medal issue slip confirming 6 medals issued.
Two original letters from the County Courts Branch, Lord Chancellors Department, one sent to his wife and one to him at the Nottingham Eye Hospital, dated 8th January 1963.
Original letter from the District registry of the High Court of Justice, Bristol County Court dated 25th February 1963.
Original letter sent 8th January 1963 from Guernsey House, Ashgate Road, Chesterfield.
Original letter and papers of his divorce from 1949.
Original navy paper listing the places visited and distances travelled by HMS Norfolk since June 1947.
1933 Christmas Card from HMS Berwick in Hong Kong.
About 20 original photos, quite a few during his time in the Royal Navy in uniform etc.

 

George Medal, London Gazette 28th May 1963, the recommendation:

 

“When Mr Walker went to a dwelling house to execute a Warrant of Eviction (on 7th January 1963), he was well aware that there would probably be trouble as the former owner of the premises had become aggressive and threatening and was mentally unstable. Walker entered the house and with the female occupier went into the front downstairs room. The former owner (Mr Wild) suddenly came into the room holding a revolver with both hands. He pointed the gun at the woman and pressed the trigger but the gun did not fire. The man spun the revolver chamber and again pointed the gun at the woman. Walker pushed her out of the line of fire and ducked. The gun was fired once or twice but did not hit either of them. Walker then jumped at the gunman who was still in the doorway of the room and struggled with him in order to let the woman make her escape from the house. Walker continued struggling with the man who fired the revolver again and shot him in the head. walker fell to the ground bleeding profusely. He managed to regain his feet, knocked the man out of the house and then collapsed. As a result of the wound inflicted upon him Walker lost the sight of his right eye”.

 

For his brave action he was awarded the George Medal, included is a letter from Phyllis E Argyle dated 29th January 1963 sent from 99a Basford Road, Nottingham:

 

“Will you kindly spare a little time to read this note written in simple words, but with a heart full of gratitude to your Mr Walker.

 

No price of words can ever repay the price he has paid in saving my life, but I feel that, should any effort be made towards compensation to Mr Walker I would like to take an active part in this, you known form accounts in your offices I am financially embarrassed through working for Mr Wild, but any active function that my be arranged, I wish you would grant me that pleasure to help in.

 

We all known the value of our eyes, and for someone to lose one to save the life of a person is a courageous thing to do.

 

Although I have been face to face with it many times, I could never bring myself to believe he would use it on any other person, beyond himself and I.

 

Will you please therefore, accept my gratitude for Mr Walker and I trust anything of this sort will never happen again.

 

I have discussed with Mr Wild’s doctor his queer behaviour, but strangely enough this abnormality never showed itself outside my home and it was only after years of mental torture to me, that I was forced to take this action, he it was only after years of mental torture to me that I was forced to this action (of eviction), he put all the furniture together like a junk shop, I was confined to one room to live and sleep and when he went out he would cut off through the boxes in the pantry, the supply of electricity and gas, I have not known that it has been to have warm water to wash, bath or do any laundry, and he would not allow my daughter to come home (she lives in at her hospital training to become a Nurse).

 

Now I feel free to live, my daughter comes home I can make a meal, clean up and have a wash, and to give me my life to start living again, Mr Walker gave an eye, so don’t you see what a lot I owe him, and have only my actions to help to offer in return, so please don’t forget to count me in with anything you choose to do.”

 

After his injury he was sent to the Nottingham Eye Infirmary, where he received a letter sent from the County Courts Branch, Lord Chancellor’s Department on 8th January 1963, another letter included was addressed to his wife by the same department dated 8th January 1963.

 

William Jebet Walker was born in Mansfield, Nottingham on 3rd June 1908, he was the son of William Jebet Walker and Mary.
He was only 8 when his father was overseas in France with the RAMC and he was killed in action as 64350 Pte with 112 Field Ambulance RAMC.

 

It appears Phylis did remarry in 1972 and died during 1998 aged 87 in Rushcliffe, Nottingham.
William was a coal miner by trade when he joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class on Vivid II, 13th August 1926 (Service No KX 76830). His first ship was HMS Empress of India on 5th January 1927, becoming Stoker 1st Class on 15th March 1927. We do not have the rest of his service file which is not in the public domain as of yet but he earned the Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal onboard HMS Kenya as Chief Stoker on 31st October 1945 and would have left the Royal Navy to his pension during 1952.

 

He lived a long life still and died at his home at 150 Coppice Road, Arnold, Nottingham during 1993 at the age of 85.