 William Simpson " Bill " McAloney , GC , OBE ( 12 May 1910 – 31 August 1995 ) was a senior engineering officer in the Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF ) and an Australian exchange recipient of the George Cross , the highest civil decoration for heroism in the United Kingdom and formerly in the Commonwealth . Born in Adelaide , he worked as a mechanic before enlisting in the RAAF as an aircraft engine fitter in 1936 . In August the following year , he attempted to rescue the pilot of a crashed Hawker Demon aircraft engulfed in flames at an airfield in Hamilton , Victoria . The first on scene , McAloney rushed into the wreckage in an effort to extract the unconscious pilot . The pilot 's leg was trapped , however , and while struggling to free it one of the wing tanks burst , knocking McAloney unconscious . McAloney was pulled from the aircraft suffering severe burns and spent the next month in hospital . He was subsequently awarded the Albert Medal for his actions in the rescue attempt . 
