James Stirratt Topping Kennedy GC (1930 – 21 December 1973) was a Scottish security guard for British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) in Glasgow. He was posthumously 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 ...

in 1975 after he was killed by armed robbers who were attempting to steal BREL's payroll. He also received the

Glasgow Corporation Medal of Bravery Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

. Kennedy's ''

London Gazette London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, 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 dow ...

'' citation appeared in a supplement to the issue of 14 August 1975, dated 15 August 1975:

Memorial

On 12 November 1981, at Glasgow Central station, a British Rail electric locomotive no. 86242 was named ''James Kennedy GC'' in his honour. This locomotive has been subsequently withdrawn and sold overseas. On 21 December 2017 James Kennedy's three daughters and the Lord Provost of Glasgow unveiled a plaque in his honour at the entrance to Knorr Bremse's Springburn Works, the site of Kennedy's murder.

References

1930 births 1973 deaths British recipients of the George Cross Deaths by firearm in Scotland 1973 murders in the United Kingdom People murdered in Scotland Scottish murder victims Security guards killed in the line of duty {{Scotland-bio-stub