From the January 14th Northern Daily Leader.
Ellen (Nell) Savage was one of only twelve nurses to survive the Centaur. She enlisted in 1941 and was described as "curly brunette with a dimpling smile. After the sinking, she was honored with the George Medal by King George IV, which is primarily a civilian decoration but can be awarded to serving military personnel for gallant conduct not in the face of the enemy.
The citation reads, "Although suffering from severe injuries...she displayed great heroism while she and some male members of the ship's company were floating in a raft to which they clung for 34 hours before being found by an American destroyer.
"She rendered conspicuous service in attending to wounds and burns sustained by the other survivors.
"Sister Savage's example of high courage and fortitude did much to maintain the morale of her companions. With sharks circling the raft, ships and planes missing them, she organized a singalong to keep up spirits."
Ellen Savage died in 1983.
A Hero for the Times. --DaCoot
No comments:
Post a Comment