Mine rescue: Council buys hero's George Cross medal to bring it home to Yorkshire

The George Cross, originally as an Edward Medal, was awarded to Charles Smith after the dramatic rescue of a trapped miner at Askern Main Colliery in 1940.

Now, after the bronze medal came to public auction Doncaster Council has been able to buy it for the nation, thanks to a donation from a private individual.

This is a part of the district's heritage, said Mayor of Doncaster Ros Jones. She said: “As the daughter of a miner, I am delighted that this important medal recognising a life-saving achievement at a Doncaster pit, is coming back to the city. This is an important part of our heritage and even more so, given these are so rarely awarded."

Charles Smith, records show, had followed in his father's footsteps to become a miner at the age of just 12. It was on January 3, 1940, that he leapt into action to save the life of a fellow miner who was trapped and buried by a roof fall in the Warren House Seam.

Reports in the London Gazette, dated June 28, said the roof had fallen in at a coal face at 10am.

"A miner named Charles Liversidge was buried by the fall," the clipping reads. "He was extricated some three hours later, without having suffered serious injury, through the gallantry displayed, in conditions of the greatest risk, by a rescue party."

Smith was presented with the Edward Medal by King George. Later, as recipients were invited to exchange this for a George Cross, he was presented with a new medal by Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace in 1972. This medal, which came to auction with Noonans Mayfair on May 14, has now fetched a hammer price of £12,000.

Specialist auctioneer, Oliver Pepys, said Smith was one of just 30 miners who had received the Edward Medal in bronze to exchange his medal for the George Cross.

"Exchanging the medal makes it a much rarer award, which attracted substantial interest," he said.

Smith, serving with 60 Regiment in the Royal Artillery in the Second World War, was to gain quite the collection of medals. Rising to the rank of Sergeant, there was the 1939-45 Star for wartime service; the Burma Star; the Defence Medal; and the War Medal 1939-45.

He returned to the coalface after the war, working on the surface as a banksman at Stargate Colliery in County Durham.

It was here, on February 3, 1953, that he spotted a fracture in one of the main cables on the mine shaft lift, just as the lift full of miners was about to be lowered down the shaft.

He was awarded a gratuity of £10 as a token of appreciation for saving so many lives. Retiring in 1973, he also received the Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977, and died at County Durham, on October 25, 1987.

Now his George Cross medal will find a new home in Doncaster's mining and awards collection, said Coun Jones.

It will be placed on display at Danun Gallery, Library and Museum later this year.