Английская Википедия:Charity Bick
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:EngvarB Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Infobox person Charity Anne Bick Шаблон:Postnominals (19 December 1924 – 22 April 2002) was a British civilian dispatch rider during the Second World War, and the youngest ever recipient of the George Medal, the United Kingdom's second-highest award for civilian bravery. She later served in the Women's Royal Air Force.
Biography
Charity Anne Bick was born on 19 December 1924[1] and educated at Lyng Primary School in Horton Street, Lyng, West Bromwich.[2]
At the age of 14, while living in Maud Road, West Bromwich[2] she lied about her age, claiming to be 16, to join the Air Raid Precautions (ARP) service[3] in that town. She volunteered at the office of a brick works near her home, delivering messages between ARP depots, by bicycle.[2] Her father was an ARP post warden.[4]
During a 1940 air raid on West Bromwich, she helped her father to put out an incendiary bomb that had lodged in the roof of a shop. When the roof gave way, she fell through and suffered minor injuries.[3][4] Nonetheless, she then used a borrowed bicycle and made numerous attempts to deliver a message to the control room, one and a quarter miles away, avoiding bombs and shrapnel.[3] She made repeated trips, at least three of which occurred during the height of the raid.[3]
Bick was awarded the George Medal (GM) for her bravery; the official citation, in The London Gazette of 14 February 1941, read:[3][4][5]
Aged 16, she was the youngest person ever to receive the GM.[2] The medal was presented to her by King George VI in a ceremony on 10 September 1941.[2] She also received the Defence Medal[6] and War Medal[7] at the end of the war.
Bick went on to join the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, retiring in 1962 from its successor, the Women's Royal Air Force as a warrant officer, and having earned the Royal Air Force Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.[8] Her service number was 2109222.[8]
Final years and legacy
Later in her life, Bick lived in Inverness, Scotland.[9] She died there on 22 April 2002, age 77.[2][10] Her portrait, in oil, by Alfred Reginald Thomson, RA, is in the Imperial War Museum, London,[2][11] while her medals are on display at the Imperial War Museum North.[4][6][8] A blue plaque commemorating Bick was erected at Lyng Primary School, by the Lyng History Group, on 21 February 2002.[2][9] The school was presented with a replica set of her medals in March 2002.[2] Charity Bick Way in West Bromwich (Шаблон:Coord) is named in her honour.
References
External links
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite report
- ↑ 2,0 2,1 2,2 2,3 2,4 2,5 2,6 2,7 2,8 Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ 3,0 3,1 3,2 3,3 3,4 Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ 4,0 4,1 4,2 4,3 Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:London Gazette
- ↑ 6,0 6,1 Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ 8,0 8,1 8,2 Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ 9,0 9,1 Шаблон:Cite journal
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite news
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- Английская Википедия
- Страницы с неработающими файловыми ссылками
- Recipients of the George Medal
- 1924 births
- 2002 deaths
- Military personnel from the West Midlands (county)
- People from West Bromwich
- Women's Auxiliary Air Force airwomen
- Year of birth uncertain
- Civil Defence Service personnel
- Страницы, где используется шаблон "Навигационная таблица/Телепорт"
- Страницы с телепортом
- Википедия
- Статья из Википедии
- Статья из Английской Википедии
