In 1942, Marion Patterson was working as a hairdresser in Aberdeen and volunteering as a fire guard. During an air raid, she entered a bomb-damaged building in South Market Street. After putting out a small fire, she crawled deeper into the wreckage to help free a sailor whose legs were trapped under a heavy beam.

Marion was awarded the George Medal for her bravery. Robert Sivell painted her portrait that year as part of Britain’s wartime record.

Read more about Marion Patterson’s remarkable story in The Press and Journal.