Nurse Muriel May Jackson was born in 1923 in Colchester, Essex, England. She trained as a nurse at the Royal Free Hospital in London before later moving back to Colchester to work at the Asylum.
On 11th August 1942, the Luftwaffe dropped three 500lb bombs on Colchester. One of those bombs hit the West wing of Severalls Hospital and damaged a number of buildings including a ward, nurses accommodation and the laundry.
21 year old nurse, armed with just a small torch, removed debris midst the chaos and immediately began to tend to the injured. She would later guide doctors safely through the debris so that they could attend to the wounded.
For her bravery, Nurse Jackson was awarded the George Medal. The George Medal is a British civilian decoration awarded for acts of great bravery not in the face of the enemy. It is the third highest civilian award in the United Kingdom.
Nurse Jackson continued to work as a nurse after the war. She retired in 1978 and she died in 2004 at the age of 80. She is remembered as a brave and dedicated nurse who saved many lives during the Second World War.
Brave Nurse Jackson would later be recommended for brave conduct in Civil Defence, as noted in the London Gazette on 20th November 1942.
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