Flood heroes' George Medals to be reunited at RAF heritage centre

Reis Leming, along with Freeman Kilpatrick, was awarded the George Medal for their heroic actions during the Hunstanton flood in 1953. Now, their medals will be united for the first time after Mr Leming’s family donated his medal, along with his jacket, to RAF Sculthorpe heritage centre.

Mr Leming was just 22-years-old serving as an Aerial Gunner when he was given the award, after he saved the lives of 27 people during the Hunstanton flood on January 31, despite not knowing how to swim.

Dressed in a survival suit and dragging an inflatable raft, he waded through the floodwaters in the darkness and rescued almost 30 people before collapsing from exhaustion and hypothermia.

He has been honoured in the town over the years since his deeds, after the town paid for his wedding, and the footpath which goes through the war memorial in the town, the Esplanade Gardens, was renamed Reis Leming Way.

He was meant to attend the 60th anniversary of the disaster but died a few days before.

He was part of the 67th Air Rescue Squadron, which is now the 67th SOS based at RAF Mildenhall. They will honour him this remembrance day at Hunstanton.

The squad made a special jacket to honour him, but sadly never got the chance to present it to him.

This will also be on display at the RAF Sculthorpe Heritage Centre.

Ian Brown, curator at RAF Sculthorpe Heritage Centre, said: “It's an absolute honour that the Leming family have given this opportunity to the RAF Sculthorpe Heritage Centre to show and tell the heroic deeds of Mr Leming to a new generation.

"We are very proud to now have both George Medals given to Americans in peacetime within our 1953 Floods display.

"There have only been five George Medals awarded to Americans in total since the George Medal was created by King George VI in 1940."

The medals will be on display at the RAF Sculthorpe Heritage Centre from February 2022.