大象传媒

My cousin was Barnett Lewis whose original name was actually Barnett Karbatchnick. He was the elder of two boys who had six sisters, the children of Lewis Karbatchnick and his wife Chaya, nee Glickenhouse. Chaya was the sister of my maternal grandmother and both families lived in Luntley Place, a slummy street in the East End of London. They originated in Dokshitsy, a small town, north of Minsk, in what is now Belarus. My maternal grandparents and their two children came to England in the early 1890s, the grandfather dying at the age of 33 in 1895. The sister, Chaya, came a few years later. The husband, Lewis Karbatchnick, was one of 17 siblings, 16 of whom emigrated from eastern Europe to America. I asked why he did not go with them. I was told it was because he was seasick. I remember visiting the family in Luntley Place the early 1930s. I do not recall the details of the house but a family member tells me that it had no running water, no gas or electricity, and it had an earth closet. Luntley Place was across the main road opposite Sidney Street, the site of the famous siege of 1911, which my mother remembered observing (from a distance).

Three of the six sisters married publicans, an important feature of the story. At the start of the war Barnett - who had changed his surname to Lewis, his father鈥檚 forename - joined the ARP and during the London blitz was stationed in east London. He was living with one of his sisters who had a pub in West Ham and during one night-time air raid, when he was off duty, he heard that a pub had been bombed. Thinking it was his sister鈥檚 he went along with the rescue party. He took part in the rescue.
In the event two men were awarded the George Medal for their rescue efforts and this is the citation for their award, published in the London Gazette.

'Barnett Lewis, Leader A.R.P. Rescue Party, East Ham
Allister William Christie, Member A.R.P. Rescue Party, East Ham

A large H.E. bomb fell on three shops, under which were two public shelters containing over sixty persons. The roof of the shelters collapsed. The bomb also caused a water main to burst which flooded them to a depth of approximately 2陆 feet before it could be turned off. Those who were not injured were quickly got out, but one man was trapped and in danger of being drowned, while four other men were pinned by their legs.
Lewis waded through the water to the first man, and finding that he was wedged in with large pieces of brickwork and timber, jacked up the dangerous roof and by sheer strength forced the brickwork away. He then found that the timber was still holding the man down. He crawled back and obtained a saw with which he cut this away, thus freeing the man just as the water reached his head.
Lewis no doubt saved his life.
Meanwhile another member of his Rescue Party, A.W. Christie forced his way through the half demolished party wall of the shelters to the four trapped men, and, finding he could not release them at once, cleared the way so that a doctor could crawl in to them and administer morphia injections. In the confined space Christie could only use a brace and bit and a keyhole saw. He worked like this for over four hours for most of the time in water, and in great danger, owing to the mass of debris lying above the broken roof. Though two of the four men died from their injuries, he managed to release the other two, who were brought out and sent to hospital.'

Later, Barnett was called up to the army. He was told to wear his George Medal ribbon and this caused some considerable interest among his fellow new recruits.
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