b. 10/04/1905 Manchester. d. 07/10/1997 Rochdale, Lancashire. (this is still being investigated as whether its the correct man)
DATE OF EM ACTION: 30/01/1924 Smedley Bridge Dye Works, Manchester.
James was born on 10th April 1905 in Manchester, the son of Frederick and Alberta Porter. He had a younger brother Arthur, and they grew up in Pendleton, Manchester. He gained employment at the Smedley Bridge Dye Works, where he worked as a machine minder. In 1945, he married Ada Beattie in Manchester. Little else is known about his life other than he lived to the age of 92, dying in a care home in Rochdale on 7th October 1997.
EM CITATION:
On January, 30th, 1924, during bleaching operations at the Smedley Bridge Dye Works, near Manchester, two boys named Bamford and Marriott were plaiting down cloth running into a large two ton ” kier ” which was filled with a mixture of water, caustic soda solution and tetralene. It was observed from the platform above the kier that the boys were not visible, being covered by the cloth, and, as a matter of fact, they had been overcome by the tetralene fumes. Two machine minders and bleacher’s assistants named Porter and Ingham were summoned and Porter immediately descended into the kier to look for the boys but was unable to see them and was forced to return to the top, being overcome by the fumes. He recovered, however, and again descended accompanied by Ingham and they eventually succeeded in bringing out Marriott, who was quite unconscious. Porter too was badly gassed,; and both men were taken to hospital. The other boy Bamford was eventually pulled out by a rope but was unfortunately already dead. Porter and Ingham undertook the rescue quite voluntarily and but for their efforts there is little doubt that Marriott too would have lost his life. Both men behaved very gallantly but Porter showed exceptional courage in twice entering the dark enclosed vessel without any artificial light and his action was a very brave one. He is only 18 years of age.
BURIAL LOCATION: MIDDLETON CEMETERY, ROCHDALE, LANCASHIRE.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
