Norman Tunna
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Norman Tunna GC (29th April 1908 - 4 December 1970), a shunter for the Great Western Railway in Birkenhead was awarded the George Cross in 1941.
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Norman was Birkenhead’s hero, in the blitz in 1940 when he was employed as a shunter at Morepeth Dock working for the Great Western Railway. As per the following detail.
Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood St James’s Palace SW1 24 January 1941.
The KING has been graciously pleased to award the GEORGE Cross to Norman Tunna, Shunter, Great Western Railway, Birkenhead.
Enemy action over the Liverpool Port Area resulted in a number of serious fires involving railway and dock warehouse properties.
A large number of the incendiary bombs fell on and about the goods station and sidings. Amongst the wagons in the Yard were a trainload of ammunition, various trucks of petrol in tins, bombs and ammunition fuses. Mist of the enemy incendiary bombs were extinguished by the prompt action of the staff on duty before damage could be done, but a serious fire developed from incendiaries falling in one section of the section of the station premises.
In the course of these events, Shunter Tunna discovered two incendiary bombs burning in a sheeted open wagon, containing 250lb bombs. With complete disregard for person risk, Tunna extinguished the incendiary bombs and removed them from the truck. The top layer of these heavy bombs was hot.
Tunna’s action displayed courage and very high degree and eliminated the risk of serious explosions, the result of which it would be difficult to measure.
Normans was the only George Cross won on Wirral’s soil. He happily lived into his 70’s and his wife Helena out lived him by 20 years and passed away about 2 years ago.
