706: George E Lock (medals; watch)

George E Lock was the grandfather of Iain Lock, who contributed these artefacts. George joined the British Army at the start of the first World War. In 1917, at the age of 27, he fought in the Battle of Passchendaele. On the 9th October, he acted as a stretcher bearer, and worked for an incredible seventy-four hours, during which he brought over twenty injured men from shell holes. Three times his fellow stretcher bearers were either killed or injured by snipers, however George kept going bravely. For his actions, he won a Distinguished Conduct Medal, which is just one level down from the Victoria Cross, on the 1st of November 1917. On top of this, when he returned from the war, he was presented with a pocket watch by the tailoring company he worked for as a gift of appreciation.