HOME
GUARD MEMORIES AND
INFORMATION - WARWICKSHIRE, BIRMINGHAM
ASTON
HOME GUARD and ITS HEROES:
ALFRED BRUNGES
and CHARLES TOZER
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The London Gazette of 30th September
1941 announced the award of the George Medal to two
members of the Aston Home Guard: Section
Leader Alfred Henry George BRUNGES and
Patrol Leader Charles William
Lovelace TOZER for their work during an
air raid on 26th October 1940. These two men were
members of the 2nd Birmingham Battalion, later known
as the 22nd Warwickshire (Birmingham) Battalion. (The
George Medal was awarded "in recognition of conspicuous
gallantry in carying out hazardous work in a very
brave manner". Just thirteen were awarded to
Home Guard members and these were two of them).
On the day following the announcement
The Times reported the citation for this award as
follows:
During an air raid on Birmingham,
Brunges and Tozer went to the aid of a large number
of people trapped under the debris of a basement
shelter which had been destroyed by a bomb. The
basement was rapidly filling with water and a gas
main had also been broken. The trapped persons were
either buried or held down by parts of the structure.
The raid was still in progress and heavy bombs were
falling near. Brunges and Tozer gained access to
the shelter with great difficulty and began to remove
loose beams and debris with their hands. Rescue
work was carried out for about three hours and a
number of people were extricated.
Another description states that the
work of rescue seemed hopeless as the basement with
all its trapped people was rapidly filling with water.
Loose beams had to be removed where possible but this
was very dangerous because of the risk of dislodging
large blocks of concrete from the floor above. Section
Leader Brunges and Patrol Leader Tozer took the risk
of moving these beams with no regard for their own
safety, removing the debris with their hands and for
most of the time kneeling or lying half- immersed
in water. Heavy bombs were falling in the vicinity,
but work was carried on until between fifteen and
twenty people had been extricated, about half of them
still alive. The two men only stopped when it was
impossible to discover any further victims.
The incident is reported in the book
"Heroes of the Birmingham Air Raids" by
Michael Minton, (published by Brewin
Books ISBN 1 85858 211 3). The location
is variously described as a public shelter located below
a fruit & veg. shop owned by a Mr. Willetts or
one on the corner of Barker Street, Lozells opposite
the Villa Cross picture house.
The same book describes the effect
that this incident had on Patrol Leader Tozer, in
the latter's own words from 1983:
I was a skilled man and had
been turned down from the forces because of this,
but in that shelter I made a vow that somehow I
would get into the forces and kill every German
I could get near to. I changed from a nice fellow
to a bitter one, who needed revenge, as I was only
young and I thought this way. Eventually I got into
the Army and became a Sergeant Major, but that's
another story.
This is a newspaper report of the award of the
George Medal which appeared many months later.
These two brave men saved
the lives of many people that night but the casualty
levels, in this location and nearby, were still appallingly
high.
Notes
The rank of Section Leader and Patrol Leader were
those of the original organisation, before the introduction
of army ranks into the Home Guard was announced in
November 1940 (see Home
Guard Timeline). The two men then probably became
N.C.O.s.
Alfred Brunges
and Charles Tozer were not the only men to display
conspicuous gallantry during the Birmingham Blitz
and be awarded the highest honours. Other Birmingham
awards included:
George Cross (posthumous)
Section
Commander G. W. INWOOD, 15/16th October 1940
George Medal
Volunteer A.W. BAILEY,
night of 19th November 1940
Platoon
Commander T. SIMPSON, night of 11th December 1940
Platoon Commander R.
HAIGH, night of 22nd November 1940
Platoon Commander R.
E. COOKE, night of 28th October 1940
Other acts of bravery by Birmingham Home Guard members
were rewarded with the British Empire Medal. Many
others no doubt went unrecorded and unrecognised.
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