The heroic work of Constable Edward Crann, which resulted in the rescue of four men in an air raid, brought him the award of the George Medal “for unselfish and brave efforts which were carried out in the worst possible conditions”

A Terrific explosion

Constable Edward CRANN, already had the Police Medal for twenty years good service, and been four times commended by the Watch Committee. In 1933 he was awarded the Bronze Medal of the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society for diving into the Mersey to rescue a youth.
 
Constable CRANN was on duty during a heavy raid at night in 1941 when a large number of incendiaries were dropped, causing fires in several buildings on his beat. He extinguished several fires, and while he was helping members of the Auxiliary Fire Service there was a terrific explosion caused by a very powerful bomb falling in the centre of a fire.
 
A large building collapsed and became a raging inferno. Though severely shaken by the blast, he realised several A.F.S men had been working close to the building, and found two lying injured and unconscious on the footpath. Assisted by a police sergeant he carried the men to an air raid shelter.

Constable CRANN then found a man buried to his neck in debris. Though there was grave danger from falling timbers and the possibility of walls collapsing, he set to work to release the man, moving the debris with his hands, and carrying the man from whence he was removed to hospital.

Knowing that Driver ROBERTS of the fire brigade had been in the vicinity at the time of the explosion, Constable Crann returned and conducted a thorough search, though the fire was still burning fiercely and walls were collapsing. He stumbled upon Driver Roberts lying injured and unconscious, and obtaining assistance from two A.F.S men he carried him to safety. He showed complete disregard for his own safety and though in a distressed condition, with his clothes saturated, he remained in the vicinity assisting and directing fire-fighting and rescue operations.

When interviewed Constable CRANN said, “There was nothing in it. I am no stranger to bombs, because, after being wounded at Ypres in the last war, I was blown out of a hospital bed by a bomb.”

Constable CRANN was mentioned in despatches in WWI for re-establishing communication lines under fierce enemy fire.

“I would go through a barrage of shells any time, but these bombs are a different proposition,” he added.

Sadly the family did not keep his medal. It was sold at auction in 1992.