A SECOND WORLD WAR CIVIL DEFENCE GALLANTRY GROUP OF FOUR TO A FEMALE RECIPIENT WITH THE MECHANISED TRANSPORT SERVICE.

A group of four comprising George V British Empire Medal named to Miss Marsie Eirene Coppock, Defence and War Medals, unnamed as issued, and R.N. Auxiliary Service Long Service Medal to Mrs M.E. Taylor. Mounted as worn. With accompanying miniatures and other badges. Marsie Taylor was born in 1919, she was awarded the British Empire Medal whilst working with the Lambeth Mechanised Transport division of the ARP. On the night of the 15th October 1940, she played a heroic part in the rescuing of people sheltering at Morley College in London which had been hit by a 'huge' high explosive bomb. Tragically fifty-seven people died as the building was being used a shelter by local residents whose homes had already been damaged by bombing. Many people were trapped in the damaged building which remained in a precarious state, 'The Party were working for over ten hours with the knowledge that they might themselves be buried at any moment by the collapse of debris'. Recorded with the Women's Royal Naval Service with number 3501, from 1942 when bombing reduced, working on the invasions of Sicily and Normandy she was clearly highly regarded being commissioned and awarded the R.N. Auxiliary Service Medal, formerly the R.N Service. She was the first woman to be awarded the Legion d'Honneur in 2016 by the French Government for service during the War. At the time she was featured in numerous press and TV features, recalling the planning for D-Day 'That was really hard work. Up to the few months before D-Day we did extraordinary hours because they were running out of time'. She died on the 2nd of November 2020 having recorded a video for the Legasse Veterans Video Archive. With copied records.

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Orders & Medals