b. 1874 Winterborne-Stickland, Dorset. d. ?
DATE OF EM ACTION: 12/05/1909 Stockingford Station, Warwickshire.
George Cole was born in Winterborne Stickland, Dorset in 1874. He was the son of Edwin and Elizabeth Cole and was baptised on 19th August 1874. Little is known of his early life, until on 18th April 1900, he married Amy Hitchman in Berkeley, Gloucestershire. His wife hailed from Gloucester, and he was working as a railway relief clerk. Within a year, they had a daughter Helga and they were living in the St Chads District of Derby. In 1903, they had a son, Norman George Cole, and shortly afterwards, George became the station master and inspector at Stockingford Station near Nuneaton, Warwickshire. In 1911, he and his family were living at 150 Church Road, Stockingford, near to his station. Little is known about what happened to George after the incident which led to the award of his Edward Medal.
EM CITATION:
On the 12th May last, a little child between two and three years old wandered, unnoticed, on to the level-crossing at the station just as an express train from Birmingham to Leicester was approaching. George Cole’s attention was called to the child’s danger by the whistle of the engine, and, rushing across the level-crossing, he caught hold of the child’s shoulders and swung it out of danger. The train was travelling very fast, and was only about 25 yards away from the child when the Stationmaster saw it, and he showed great promptness and courage in risking his life to save the life of the child. His Majesty personally decorated William Piercey and George Cole at Marlborough House on the 12th October, 1910.
BURIAL LOCATION: UNKNOWN.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
