IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 1924 Daily Herald
Held at: Trades Union Congress (TUC) Library Collections at London Metropolitan University
Title: Daily Herald Order of Industrial Heroism
Date(s): 1923-1964
Level of description: Collection (Fonds)
Extent: 19 items
Name of creator(s): Daily Herald | newspaper
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
The Daily Herald was set up by striking printers in 1911 as a temporary newssheet to publicise their cause. It remained in publication after the end of the strike and was taken over by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Labour Party. It ran as an independent newspaper supporting the workers of Britain. It survived until taken over by Odhams Press in 1929. In 1964 it changed ownership again and immediately changed its name to The Sun.
In 1923 the Daily Herald observed that there `had not yet been established a method of recognising the bravery of the toilers, though scarcely a day passes without some example of valour or self-sacrifice in the industrial field.' In an effort to address this omission, the newspaper took the decision to establish its own award, The Daily Herald Order of Industrial Heroism.
The award, designed by Eric Gill, and popularly known as the `Workers' VC' was always given for the highest levels of bravery, many of the awards being given posthumously. In many cases the recipients also received medals from the Crown, such as the George Medal, Sea Gallantry Medal, British Empire Medal as well as awards by the Royal Humane Society, Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society and the Society for the Protection of Life from Fire.The Order was awarded on 440 occasions between 1923 and 1964, and was discontinued after the sale of the TUC's interest in the Daily Herald.
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Records of the Daily Herald Order of Industrial Heroism, 1923-1964, comprising: Scrap book, covering awards 1-181 (1923-1947), giving details of the recipient, and presentation, Daily Herald and other press cuttings, and photographs of recipients where available; box file, covering awards 182-440 (1947-1964), giving details of recipient and presentation, Daily Herald press notice giving details of award, and press cuttings where availanle [no press cutttings present after 1958]' card indexes to awards by name of recipient and by union; series of 16 box files on awards 17-440, including correspondendce, press cuttings and photographs.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
System of arrangement:
4 items as described in scope and content.
Conditions governing access:
Open to bona fide researchers at the discretion of the TUC Librarian.
Conditions governing reproduction:
At the discretion of the TUC Librarian and subject to copyright conditions.
Physical characteristics:
Finding aids:
Detailed List available.
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:
Accruals:
Archival history:
Immediate source of acquisition:
Transferred to the University of North London with the TUC collections, 1998.
ALLIED MATERIALS
Existence and location of originals:
Existence and location of copies:
Related material:
The TUC Archive at the Modern Record Centre, University of Warwick has correspondence on the discontinuation of the award after the sale of the TUC's interest in the Daily Herald, 1964-1967 (Ref MSS.292B/790/2).
Publication note:
The Order of Industrial Heroism By W.H. Feyver, J.W. Wilson and J.E. Cribb (Orders and Medals Research Society, 2000)
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Note:
Archivist's note: Compiled by Alan Kucia as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project
Date(s) of descriptions: Mar 2002