Harry Errington GC (20 August 1910 – 15 December 2004) was the only

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

firefighter to be awarded the

George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has been ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He was born in Westminster on 20 August 1910 to a family of Polish Jewish immigrants, previously named Ehrengott. He first trained as an engraver and later as a tailor. When war broke out he volunteered as an auxiliary fireman at a station on

Shaftesbury Avenue Shaftesbury Avenue is a major road in the West End of London, named after The 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. It runs north-easterly from Piccadilly Circus to New Oxford Street, crossing Charing Cross Road at Cambridge Circus. From Piccadilly Cir ...

, near the business where he worked. On 17 September 1940 during

The Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

, a bomb demolished a three-storey garage being occupied by the London Auxiliary Fire Service. The basement of the building was being used as an air raid shelter and took the full force of the collapsing floors. Twenty people, including six firemen, were killed. Errington recovered consciousness to find the basement shelter consumed by fire. He rescued a trapped colleague and battered his way through the debris to safety up a stone staircase. He returned to the conflagration to rescue another trapped man and, despite his badly burned hands, also carried him to safety. Errington was later active in basketball administration (particularly during the London Olympics of 1948) and served as treasurer of

The Victoria Cross and George Cross Association The Victoria Cross and George Cross Association is made up of holders of the Victoria Cross (VC), Britain's highest military award for bravery in the field, and the George Cross (GC), the equivalent award for civilians and military personnel who ...

until 1990. His George Cross is on display in the collection of the

Jewish Museum London The Jewish Museum London is a museum of British Jewish life, history and identity. The museum is situated in Camden Town in the London Borough of Camden, North London. It is a place for people of all faiths to explore Jewish history, culture, a ...

. Errington died in London on 15 December 2004. 2020, the

Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation The Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation (JASHP) is an American non-profit 501(c)(3) volunteer historical society. The society locates sites of American and Jewish historical interest and importance. It works with local community org ...

, with support from AJEX (the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women), placed a historical marker in the City of Westminster at the site of the bombing. In August 2022 two new fireboats joined the

London Fire Brigade The London Fire Brigade (LFB) is the fire and rescue service for London, the capital of the United Kingdom. It was formed by the Metropolitan Fire Brigade Act 1865, under the leadership of superintendent Eyre Massey Shaw. It has 5,992staff, in ...

, one named after Errington, and the other after fellow Second World War firefighter Gillian Tanner GM. Harry Errington marker

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Further reading