BOYNTON BEACH, Florida — I had never heard of Harry Errington until his name was shared with me. I certainly never appreciated the high esteem he was and remains held in London and Britain for his incredible bravery during World War II.
Harry Errington was a London Auxiliary Volunteer Firefighter during World War II. The Firefighters of the Blitz are revered in British society.
As the German Blitz bombs rained down upon British cities to kill and terrorize non-combatants, the Firefighters rushed out into the conflagration to save lives and stop the fires.
September 17, 1940 Errington was in the basement of an Auxiliary Fire Station in London when a bomb crashed through the building spreading death, fire and mayhem. Seven Firefighters were killed immediately.
Once the daze cleared from his head a bit, Errington saw two surviving comrades trapped with him under the burning debris. Errington freed one man, carrying him through the smoke and flames to the outside, saving the injured man.
Instead of saying he had done enough, with the building an inferno in danger of imminent collapse, he plunged back into the flaming cauldron. Making his way to the basement, he found the second Firefighter trapped under burning debris.
Errington unhesitatingly lifted away the burning debris. He picked up the badly injured man. Errington was oblivious to the horrific burns to his own hands and arms. He carried the Firefighter through dense heat, smoke and death at any moment, reaching the surface and bringing the man outside to safety.
300 London Firefighters lost their lives during the eight months long German Blitz; 43,000 civilians were killed and 139,000 injured. Two million homes were destroyed, 60% in London alone. London was the favored target of the German terror campaign. The two Firefighters whom Errington had saved survived.
Harry Errington was born in Westminster in 1910. His parents were poor Jewish immigrants from Poland who came seeking escape from the rabid anti-Semitism of Polish Jewish life. To adjust better to England, as many Jewish immigrants were strongly advised to do, they anglicized their name from its original, Ehrengott.
Six weeks after he save the lives of his two colleagues, in a public ceremony at Buckingham Palace, King George VI presented Harry with the George Cross.
Harry Errington is the only Firefighter in London to have won the George Cross. The George Cross is the equivalent of the American Congressional Medal of Honor granted to civilians. It is only awarded for “acts of the greatest heroism or for most conspicuous courage in circumstance of extreme danger.”
Errington died December 15, 2004. Every major paper in London carried his obituary with honor and respect. Half of them did not mention he was a British Jew.
Martin Sugarman, of the London based Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women, together with the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, together recognized the importance of historical memory in the fight against bigotry and anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism’s ugly head has risen again from the swamp in the U.K. and around the world. Too many believe the lie that Jews are cowards, shirkers, who avoid risk during times of danger, when their countries need them.
The Errington story was an important arrow of opportunity to refute the lie visibly.
On November 3, 2020, a historical marker telling Harry’s story and specifically recognizing his Jewish identity, was placed at the site of the long-ago destroyed Auxiliary Fireman’s Station on 29 Rathbone Street.
The stone engraved marker reads alongside the badge of the Auxiliary Fire Service:
On the night of 17th September 1940, at `Jackson and Allum’ garage – which stood directly on this site Fireman Harry Ehrengott (Errington), son of Jewish immigrants living in Soho, won the George Cross – the highest award for valour alongside the VC – when he saved two firemen colleagues from the ruins of this bombed and burning building.
‘Be strong and of good courage’ (Joshua 1:9)
Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation
Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women, Stamford Hill and Hackney branch
November 11 is Veterans Day in the U.S. November 11 is a solemn day of Memory in Britain too. For all, it is a day of to acknowledge the service and price paid for what we all take for granted, our lives and freedom.
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Jerry Klinger is the President of the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation. www.JASHP.org.
Back in 1977 when I was in London working on a site where I was using big fireman’s ladders. I wasn’t having much luck getting them off the ground and up against the wall of buildings until an old chap came up and showed me and the others with me how to do it. It is quite a skill. I asked him how he knew what to do and he said he was a London Blitz fireman. We all understood what that meant not only because we were working in the East End.
New Zealand and Australia commemorate the two world wars on ANZAC day April 25 each year. ANZAC Day is the day because it relates to the Turks and the Battle at Gallipoli in 1915.That battle over those days were when our two countries became Nations And never let other countries have command over our troops again. The Victoria Cross (Military) and The George Cross are still the top medals of Valour given today even when both nations have there own medal systems that are all awarded by The Queen.
We all know about the 11th Minute of the 11th hour of the 11 day of November.