Who was the forgotten hero?

WHO was the heroic little St Helens soldier decorated for defusing a bomb which threatened to blow up St Paul's Cathedral during the London Blitz?

This particular blast from the past is raised by my old chum Gus Atkins of Haresfinch, a survivor of those horrendous bombing raids during the 1939-45 world war.

"I remember reading of his heroism," says Gus, now well into his eighties, "but his name and the exact details now escape me." He is not now sure what form his bravery medal took.

Gus himself endured some traumatic times aboard a small minesweeper on the Thames. His skipper was the famous A.P. Herbert, an independent MP, best-selling author of his day and creator of the hit musical 'Bless the Bride.'

And Gus can recall the Thames looking like a river of fire as its surface reflected the terrifying impact of German bombing raids at the height of the London Blitz. His worst nightmare moment came when a 'doodle-bug' flying bomb hit St Thomas's Hospital. Gus was among those who rushed to help and found a young nurse dying, her uniform turning crimson with blood.

He recalls: "I knew immediately that, like me, she came from the North, because of her accent as she gasped out her last words: 'Mammy, daddy, please help me . . .'"

Gus believes the flying bomb had been destined for the Houses of Parliament but that it diverted from its path at the last moment. The impact was still intense enough to blast out the windows of the Commons and to shatter the face of Big Ben.

But all his memories of war service are not grim ones. During those dark days, when comradeship and the British spirit was at its bulldog best, Gus was able to rub shoulders with top showbiz stars of the era. "I was a stoker, one of seven men aboard the 'Water Gypsy' under Lt. A.P. Herbert's command," he recalls. Having such political, literary and showbiz talents, the famous skipper could open any doors for himself - and for his crew.

One of the most exclusive haunts to which Gus was introduced was the Savage Club down Pall Mall, where A.P. would introduce members of his little crew with his customary call to the barman: "Give 'em wallop!"

There, at any one time, you might bump into real superstars of their time - singer Evelyn Laye, band leader Jack Hylton, radio comedians Tommy Handley and Jack Train, together with their ITMA gang.

Then there was the irrepressible Robert Newton, a terrific actor who was the silver screen's definitive Long John Silver and who is still imitated by showbiz mimics to this day, decades after his death.

Newton, recalls Gus, was a perfectionist when stepping into an acting role. "He came aboard our little sweeper over a period of three weeks, getting to know the various features of the river and its banks for a play he was to star in which was about the Thames."

When A.P. wrote about his experiences aboard the 'Water Gypsy' and as an Independent MP, Gus gained a mention as "the Lancashire lad Stan" (Gus's real Christian name).

FASCINATING stuff! Now, can anyone help out with details about that bomb-defusing hero from St Helens? If so, please drop me a line at the Star.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.