The medals of a WWII bomb disposal hero who defused 15 bombs in 18 months and saved Charing Cross station at the age of 19 during the London Blitz are being sold by his family for £3,000.
Charlie Halls from Shoreham, West Sussex, was 101-years-old when he died in March 2023.
When he was 19 he was presented with the prestigious George Medal by King George VI, who looked at him and said: ‘You are only a boy!’
Charlie’s commanding officer jumped in and told the King ‘the boy who stands with me is a man, not a boy.’
Charlie Halls from Shoreham, West Sussex, was 101-years-old when he died in March 2023
When he was 19 he was presented with the prestigious George Medal (pictured) by King George VI
Charlie with his brothers in their Navy uniforms (Left to right: John, Charlie and Fred)
Charlie sprung into action when a deadly three ton German parachute mine landed next to platform four at the London train station on April 16, 1941.
Miraculously, it did not explode on impact despite hitting the ground at 40mph.
Charlie ripped off cushions from some of the train carriages to pack round the live device.
As he returned to it he saw his comrade dive off the bridge after the mine began ticking with just 22 seconds before it went off.
Charlie later recalled: ‘I went back to get the tools and I see him dive off the bridge into the bank, so I ran the other way because I was halfway there, and I got behind the wall of Charing Cross station and waited, and nothing happened.’
After five minutes the pair returned to the device and spent several hours making it safe.
His family are now selling his wartime medals at auctioneers Tennants of London.
Oonagh Drage, a military speciast at Tennants,, said: ‘The medals we are privileged to handle before sale often come with moving stories of bravery and sacrifice, but Charlie Halls’ story really stands out.
‘The extraordinary courage and heroism of his actions in the face of such grave dangers is remarkable.’
Charlie was born in 192 and joined the Royal Navy aged just 15.
He was serving in the Aden when the Second World War was declared and escorted North Sea convoys on HMS Manchester in late 1939 and early 1940.
Charlie trained as a bomb disposal expert and was very busy during the Blitz tackling unexploded ordnance across the capital.
Amazingly, Charlie survived the war without suffering any major injuries and eventually returned to the sea.
He served on corvette class ships HMS Cyclamen and HMS Hyderabad, escorting convoys to Gibraltar and in the Mediterranean.
His final wartime assignment was on board the submarine HMS Satyr and he left the navy in 1948.
Charlie’s medal group consists of the George Medal, 1939-45 Star, Atlantic Star and War Medal.
The sale takes place on Wednesday.