A rare and important double George Medal group, awarded to F...

Hammer

£16,000

A rare and important double George Medal group, awarded to Flight Lieut George Henderson GM (19/6/1921 - 27/12/1963), Assistant High Commissioner for Aden, comprising the George Medal and bar, the 1935 - 1945 Star, the Africa Star, the Defence Medal, the 1939 - 45 Medal, the George VI General Service Medal with Palestine 1945 - 48 bar, the 1953 Coronation Medal, the Queen Elizabeth General Service Medal with Arabian Peninsula bar, full set of miniature medals, a folder of ephemera including letters from Downing Street, a letter of thanks from Sir Kennedy Trevaskis for saving his life, original photographs, a silver cigarette box containing prize medals, a 1960s Visitors Book from Aden, and the Union Flag which draped his funeral casket. Footnote; in February 1956 Henderson was returning to his Headquarters in Nisab, accompanied by a Tribal guard and driver, when the car was ambushed by a group of tribesmen. The 3 men ran to cover in a ditch and returned fire. With a wounded foot and little ammunition, he charged alone up a hillside at a group of 10 tribesmen and disbursed them, saving his companions' lives as well as his own. For this feat, he was awarded the George Medal in May 1956. Then on 10 December 1963, Henderson, the British High Commissioner of Aden (Sir Kennedy Trevaskis), officials, Arab rulers, and politicians, arrived at RAF Khormaksar, Aden, to fly to London for talks. As passengers were boarding the aircraft, a hand grenade was thrown from a balcony by a member of the National Liberation Front. Henderson pushed Trevaskis out of the way, and threw himself in front of the grenade. 1 woman was killed and 41 others were injured. Henderson died of his wounds several days later, and was awarded a second George Medal, which is a bar to be attached to the first medal. He was informed of his award before his death. Provenance; directly from Henderson's family