McCracken S – 1933
BB Gazette Vol.42 No.1 – The Boys’ Brigade Cross for Heroism has been awarded to Private Samuel McCracken, aged 15, of the 3rd Portadown Company, for his gallantry in attempting to save the lives of two Boys from drowning in the River Bann on the 16th of April 1933.
A party of Boys, fully dressed, were in a rowing boat when two of them fell into the water. One of them, Samuel McCracken’s elder brother, tried to support the other who was unable to swim, and both went under, struggling. Samuel quickly undressed and, diving in, made repeated efforts to seize hold of the drowning Boys, who had sunk in deep water. The riverbed at this point is thick with weeds, and ultimately Samuel had to give up the attempt to find the Boys, both of whom were drowned.
