Thomas Alderson

Thomas Hopper Alderson, GC (15 September 1903 – 28 October 1965) was a British Air Raid Precautions (ARP) warden in Bridlington, and the first person to be directly awarded the George Cross (GC) shortly after its creation in 1940.

Born in Sunderland, Alderson was educated in West Hartlepool. After leaving school at 15, he joined the Merchant Navy as an engineer but gave up seafaring in 1935. He worked in Bridlington at the time of the Second World War, where he was an Air Raid Warden. His GC was awarded to recognise his bravery in rescuing civilians trapped in bombed out buildings. After the war, he served in the Civil Defence Corps. He died of cancer in Driffield, aged 62. Provided by Wikipedia