41 replies to this topic

[Graham Clayton]

In 1973, 2 F1 drivers were awarded a Georges Medal
for bravery for their actions in trying to save the life
of a fellow driver.
At the South African GP, Mike Hailwood pulled Clay
Regazzoni from the wreckage of his car, while at
the Dutch GP David Purley made a futile attempt
to save Roger Williamson after his car caught on fire.
Have their been other drivers or marshalls who have
received similar awards for such actions?

[MoMurray]

I am not certain but didn't Guy Edwards receive some form of official recognition for his part in the rescue of Niki Lauda at the Nurburgring in 1976? Also as Lauda and Edwrads are both still involved in the sport, I wonder what their relationship is like given the link in their past?

Mo

[Rainer Nyberg]

Guy Edwards got a medal for his efforts in saving the life of Niki Lauda at Nürburgring in 1976.

[Rainer Nyberg]

Read the Guy Edwards part here :

http://www.racer.dem...w/lmresult.html

Guy Edwards never even got a "thanks" for his help.

Rainer

[MrAerodynamicist]

Didn't Herbert win the '91 Autosport sportsmanship award - at some race some competitor rolled their sportcar and was still inside it (and it caught fire?) Herbert was the only competitor to stop, got their before the marshalls and ran across the graveltrap [first time he'd run since his accident]

[buddyt]

If my memory is correct a american driver name Brett Lunger was also involved in the rescue of Lauda.....and at some award given to him by the Ferrari team. He said tell Mr. Ferrari I want a works ride.

[Dave Ware]

Lunger did assist, as did Edwards and Arturo Merzario.

D.

[FLB]

And don't forget Harald Ertl.

Niki Lauda was saved by a group of people, not just one or two.

[MattFoster]

It's a shame the same thing didn't happen when Roger Williamson had his accident.

[Graham Clayton]

Originally posted by MattFoster
It's a shame the same thing didn't happen when Roger Williamson had his accident.

From what I have read, that accident is one of the
most disgraceful episodes in the history of F1.

Apparently the marshalls made no attempt to either
a) put out the fire, and
b) attempt to rescue Williamson.

Is it true that Purley actually tried to put out
the fire himself?

I was too young to rememember the incident,
but maybe list members who saw the race
"live" or on TV could fill me in.

[oldtimer]

In the 1954 Syracuse GP, Froilan Gonzales stopped his car to help Mike Hawthorn who had jumped out of his car with his jacket on fire after running into some straw bales. No awards given, and two Ferraris lost, one the new Squalo.

[Ray Bell]

In answer to the question:

Is it true that Purley actually tried to put out
the fire himself?

Purley, from what I recall, tried to lift the car on his own, frantically tried to get the marshals involved, was frustrated by it all and finally beaten back by the flames.

[Gerr]

Ten days before the Daytona 500,in 1963,Marvin Panch flipped a Maserati. An unemployed driver,Tiny Lund,waded through waist deep flames and pulled Panch clear of the inferno. The grateful Panch insisted that Lund drive his Wood Brothers Galaxie in the 500. Lund won the 500 and a Carnegie medal for heroism.

[David M. Kane]

The Dutch GP should have been red flagged. Williamson had experienced a tire failure not too dissimilar to Donahue's which
put Max Mosley and Goodyear on a real spin doctor mode. The burning car was lapped several times by the entire field who could clearly see what was going on! Only Purley acted and stop immediately.

Everyone acted poorly, not just the fire marshals.

[fines]

I can't subscribe to that view, David. When Niki Lauda was interviewed after that race, and asked why he didn't stop, he just replied: "I'm getting paid for driving, not parking!" Sure enough he was castigated for that, but he was - right! Simple as that! You can't expect the drivers to rush to help, they have other things on their mind. It's entirely the responsibility of the race organizers to attend to accidents, and they failed. Don't even blame the marshals, they are doing what they're told - and quite rightly so!

Besides, it was anything but clear what was going on, most of the drivers actually thought it was Williamson who tried to upright the car. And some, including Hulme, who was GPDA president at the time, tried to signal to the race director to stop the race. These were different times, only a fortnight earlier had there EVER been a race stoppage, when there were so many wrecks around Woodcote the race director had simply no chance but to stop proceedings.

One of the few good things about accidents is that they start people to think about what they're doing. It's easy to argue with the benefit of hindsight, but you have to acknowledge realities.

[oldtimer]

Who didn't tell Gonzales there were more important things to do?

[Don Capps]

Originally posted by Gerr
Ten days before the Daytona 500,in 1963,Marvin Panch flipped a Maserati. An unemployed driver,Tiny Lund,waded through waist deep flames and pulled Panch clear of the inferno. The grateful Panch insisted that Lund drive his Wood Brothers Galaxie in the 500. Lund won the 500 and a Carnegie medal for heroism.

Marvin Panch was NOT entered to drive the Maserati in the 1963 Daytona Continental, a 3-Hour FIA GT race. There were three 'sports car races that year. The USRRC event on 3 February, which was won by Jim Hall; the Continental -- won by Pedro Rodriguez in the Mamie Reynolds Ferrari GTO; and, the race Panch was entered in, a 100 lap/ 250 mile bash -- the Challenge Race -- for "GT and 'Classified' cars" which was a sort of formula libre for fendered racing cars. Panch was entered to drive the Briggs Cunningham Tipo 151, No. 21, for the event. The Tipo 151 was powered by a Holman-Moody prepared Ford 427 (7 litre) engine. It was a rocket and actually seemed to be a good pick to win the race -- which was run on the OVAL, not the road course.

On 14 February 1963, however, as Panch was entering the Third Turn with the Tipo 151, he lifted and the Maserati got 'loose' and wrecked. As the May 1963 Car and Driver reported, "...the car went sideways, over, up, down, and exploded into a ball of fire. The first three men to reach him tried to turn the car over to release Panch, but couldn't quite make it." At this point, Tiny ('DeWayne Louis' to his Momma) Lund ran over and lifted the burning car so that the others could finally free Panch.

Tiny Lund, drivers Ernie Gahan and Bill Wimble, mechanic Jerry Raborn, and Firestone tire engineer Steve Petrasek were the men who risked their lives to save Panch. All five later received the Carnegie Medal for Heroism.

Paul Goldsmith won the Challenge race in a Pontiac Tempest Le Mans which had a 421-cubic inch monster engine jammed in it. Second place was two laps back. Goldsmith averaged 145.161 mph for the race, part of which was in the rain.....on an oval..... Little wonder so many of us thought so highly of Goldsmith!

In the Daytona 500, at the insistence of Panch, the Woods Brothers gave the ride in the No. 21 car to Lund. Glen and Leonard Wood originally were looking for someone else, but at botht he insistence of Panch and other drivers, Lund got the ride. In his 100 mile Qualifying Race, Lund started second and was in sixth at the finish. What was important was to bring the home in one piece because Lund and the Wood Brothers discovered that they could go 42 laps on fuel and that they were getting excellent tire wear from the Firestones they were using. Tiny didn't get much notice until well into the race. He took the lead for the first time on lap 158. However, Fred Lorenzen was soon past Lund. Everyone assumed that Lund would have to pit one more time just like Ned Jarrett and Lorenzen ended up doing, the latter on lap 193. However, Lund moved into the lead and held it until the checkered flag.

Every once in awhile, Virtue is truly rewarded....

PS: I had to the pleasure to work several times on the cars Lund drove in both the Grand National (today's Winston Cup cars) and Grand American ('Grand Am') series. He never once mentioned the Carnegie Medal. His other passion in life was fishing and his fish camp just outside Cross, SC on Lake Moultrie, was a professionally run operation. When he died at Talledaga in 1975, it was one of my worst days.

[David J Jones]

In addition to the appalling action by marshalls who failed to save Roger Williamson the actions of the Brands Hatch marshalls were just as bad when 'Seppi' died in his crashed BRM.


I remember seeing both incidents on TV and was moved almost to desparation by both

[oldtimer]

Maybe my comment about Gonzales was a little too cryptic, but I was saddened by Nicki Lauda's reaction to the events (or non-happenings) around Roger Williamson's death. Gonzales was also paid by Mr. Ferrari to drive, but he did park his car. In fact, he didn't do a very good job of it, because while he ran off to save his teammate, it rolled into the other car, which was well ablaze.

When I read of the events of that Dutch GP, I thought of the chubby Argentinian. More than a big racing heart, that one.

[fines]

Yes oldy, of course you're right! That's why we speak of bravery (awards), not of duty. I still maintain it's not the duty of the DRIVERS to look after crashed colleagues, but if they do so, they are TRUE heroes. I don't want that to be misunderstood!

[oldtimer]

Yes Michael, and of course you are right about the duty thing.

[FLB]

There are a few pages on the 1973 Dutch GP in Lauda's To Hell and Back. In them, he says that it's possible that smoke obscured what was going on. Purley had parked his car in a safe spot. It could have been unclear that he was trying to save a driver's life and not trying to save his own car. Other drivers made gestures to the marshalls (I have a picture of Hulme passing by the flaming wreckage with his arm raised), but didn't stop. By the time everybody had figured it out, it was too late.

Anyway, Lauda said that Williamson was a well-liked character. The drivers were shocked, but then again, fire-related fatalities weren't that uncommon at the time. The Austrian's press reaction post-Zandvoort was a typical Lauda thing (about Bergwerk: "Ah yes. The Grill Room..."), but in another post here, someone reported he was disturbed by Bert Hawthorne's death in a F2 race. Nobody rushed as Hawthorne's car burned slowly and Alan Henry wrote that the Austrian came back to the pits very disturbed.

As for Merzario saving Lauda despite hating him, I read somewhere (unfortunately, I don't recall where) that the diminutive Italian was very deeply marked by Ignazio Giunti's death at the 1971 Buenos Aires 1000km. Guy Edwards had had a similar experience, having been close when Hans Laine was burned to death during practice for the 1970 Nürbürgring 1000km.

[fines]

Yes, it was Merzario who pulled Giunti from the burning Ferrari wreck, still he didn't survive.

[David McKinney]

Sorry Michael, I have seen a macabre photograph of Giunti’s car, covered in foam, in the aftermath of the tragedy. The remains of the unfortunate driver are still at the wheel, and I can assure you neither Merzario nor anyone else got him out.

[fines]

Memory, or what it used to be! At least he tried, I'm sure...

BTW, please DON'T post that pic!!!

[Gary Grant]

The 'Grand Prix Who's Who' staes that Giunti died in hospital 2 hours after the crash. Is this therefore wrong?

BTW, does anyone know whether the suspension Beltoise received for this incident was justified? If so, I am surprised he was not tried for manslaughter...or maybe I have just been brought up in a more litaginous world?

As for Niki Lauda, the fact that he has never thanked those that saved him from his own fiery crash tells you all I believe you need to know....

[fines]

Well, Beltoise certainly did a very stupid thing, pushing his car in the middle of the road (to avoid a slight slope), but I read somewhere that Giunti passed him at least once before, so he should have known! Maybe they stopped displaying yellow flags there, the marshalling in the Argentine being always below par.

[David McKinney]

I promise not to post the pic, Michael. It was in a book, and I wish I hadn't seen it.
Didn't Beltoise temporarily lose his licence over the incident?

[Ray Bell]

More than that, he copped the wrath of the Italian (and other) press, and many of his contemporaries turned on him.

[FLB]

Beltoise was banned from international competition for the rest of the year.

[FLB]

Originally posted by fines
Well, Beltoise certainly did a very stupid thing, pushing his car in the middle of the road (to avoid a slight slope), but I read somewhere that Giunti passed him at least once before, so he should have known! Maybe they stopped displaying yellow flags there, the marshalling in the Argentine being always below par.

Giunti was trying to lap Mike Parkes. The Englishman went on the inside of the corner to avoid Beltoise's stationnary Matra. Giunti turned to the right. It's possible he thought he was being let through by Parkes. At the last second, he saw the Matra and the 312PB veered to the left. He hit the Matra neerly at full speed and the Ferrari slid a further 200m before catching fire in front of the main grandstands.

[Graham Clayton]

Fellow NFers,

In 1973 David Purley received the Georges Medal for bravery after his valiant attempt to
try and save fellow driver Roger Williamson from the flaming wreck of his car.

Have there been other examples of drivers receiving such awards or medals for other
similar attempts to assist an injured driver or official?

[Doug Nye]

The George (no 's') Cross is Great Britain's highest civilian award for valour. George Medal ranks just behind it as Ensign corrected my original post below. Mike Hailwood was awarded a GM for his part in rescuing Clay Regazzoni from his burning BRM early in the 1972 (?) South African GP at Kyalami. Leslie Brooke of Brooke Special and ERA fame had been awarded the GM - I believe - for his courage in rescuing survivors during the wartime Coventry blitz. But I've yet to find a confirmed GC or GM list including 'Brookie's name...largely 'cos I've never looked, perhaps that would do it.

DCN

[ensign14]

I think the George Cross (GC) 'outranks' the GM, as a civilian equivalent of the Victoria Cross, but I don't think it has been awarded for about 10 years (other than a collective one to the Royal Ulster Constabulary); Malta was awarded the GC in the 40s for withstanding siege and it appears at the top left of its flag.

Was Merzario awarded anything for his involvement in Lauda's rescue at the Ring in 76?

[scheivlak]

Earlier thread about this:
http://www.atlasf1.c...ghlight=bravery
Hey Graham, you started that one as well!

[Graham Clayton]

Schievlak,
Thanks for reminding me that I have already covered this topic.
I will go to the back of the room and write 1000 times:

"I will check the threads I have started before starting another one"

[Lutz G]

Originally posted by fines

Besides, it was anything but clear what was going on, most of the drivers actually thought it was Williamson who tried to upright the car. And some, including Hulme, who was GPDA president at the time, tried to signal to the race director to stop the race.

If my memory serves me well Jackie Stewart told a different story. Does anybody know of an interview with him or other drivers about the incident? I only got a column of Chris Amon with a few words about Zandvoort '73...

Lutz

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Graham Clayton
Schievlak,
Thanks for reminding me that I have already covered this topic.
I will go to the back of the room and write 1000 times:

"I will check the threads I have started before starting another one"

How about rephrasing that?

"I must not ask the same question again on one of my threads without first checking."

That's right... Schievlak has pointed you to this very thread!

[lanciaman]

Originally posted by Graham Clayton
Fellow NFers,

In 1973 David Purley received the Georges Medal for bravery after his valiant attempt to
try and save fellow driver Roger Williamson from the flaming wreck of his car.

Have there been other examples of drivers receiving such awards or medals for other
similar attempts to assist an injured driver or official?

The film of this is ghastly because of the inaction of the course marshals. Purley is clearly frustrated as he tries a firebottle, tries to lift the car, pleads with the marshals, then when Williamson is obviously beyond help, Purley turns in what appears to be despair and anger at the frightened and slow moving course workers. The slowness and ineptitude of the marshals ought have got them and the organizers banned from ever again setting foot in a racetrack. The slow and confused inaction of the marshals beggers description, especially as we have become used to such greater competence.

I once precipitated a first lap accident in an SCCA national when I tried to grab the lead too soon, spun in the marbles and collided with another car; he was punted off course and into a chainlink fence, which wrapped around his cockpit; I pulled to the side-- damage to my car was minimal-- and shut the engine off to see if he needed help- it was a natural instinct. The other driver got out of his well torn up car before I got my belts undone...so I restarted and continued (and actually drove like the hammers of hell and made up considerable time, but lost any chance of a win), but I was extremely embarrassed at the event. I was grateful the fellow wasn't injured and sorry for the damage. Still, the first instinct was to help, so I cannot fathom the course marshals standing by while Williamson perished so horribly.

[Manfred Cubenoggin]

Somewhat OT but nonetheless of some relevance here.
It was just a week after the Williamson incident that I took the Jim Russell School, normally held at St. Jovite but for that particular week only, at Watkins Glen. I had purchased a Kelly FV earlier in the year and wished to get some track experience before launching my motor racing career(!?!)in 1974. With the news still very fresh in mind of Williamson's fate(can't really recall whether I'd seen the video of the shunt or not), I found it somewhat bizarre that I was now prepared to step into a single seater race car(Lotus 51 FF)to perhaps meet the same end. After all, sh*t does happen, doesn't it? Obviously, I survived the school but had further cause for concern as but a few months later, Francois Cevert was sectioned on the very road I'd travelled shortly before. As race car drivers, we really do have to suspend stark reality to pursue this, don't we?

[Graham Clayton]

Chauncey "Jocko" Maggiacomo received an award from the Milan Automobile Club after pulling Consalvo Sanesi from his flaming car during the 1964 12 Hours of Sebring race.

[Clark Watson]

Great thread guys, it's a subject that really interests me. I put together a bit of a piece on Dave Purley and Roger Williamson on my own website a while ago as I wanted to put together the story with all the interesting tid bits included. For what it's worth you can read it here
http://vfr.net.au/nostalgia

Cheers
Clark Watson