Tommy Barkas, BEM

British Empire Medal

The Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service, usually known as the British Empire Medal , is a British medal awarded for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown...

 (27 March 1912–1991) was an English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 professional footballer who played in England during the 1930s and 1940s.

Born in Gateshead

Gateshead

Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, Barkas was one five brothers, including Ned

Ned Barkas

Edward "Ned" Barkas was an English professional footballer who played as a full-back. He played in the Football League First Division for Huddersfield Town, Birmingham and Chelsea.Barkas was born in Wardley, Gateshead...

, Harry

Harry Barkas

Henry Brown "Harry" Barkas was an English professional footballer who played centre forward for Spennymoor United before joining Football League Third Division North side South Shields in 1929, making 21 league appearances and scoring 15 goals...

, Jimmy and Sam

Sam Barkas

Samuel "Sam" Barkas was an English football player and manager who played at left back.-Career:Born in Wardley Colliery, England, Barkas had worked in the pits and farm before leaving his junior club Middle Dock to join Bradford City in 1928...

, who all had professional careers. A cousin, Billy Felton

Billy Felton

William Felton was an English professional footballer who played as a full back for a number of football league clubs, including Sheffield Wednesday, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur in the 1920s and 1930s, before a long spell with Altrincham...

, also played for England

England national football team

The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

. He played in the Football League for Bradford City

Bradford City A.F.C.

Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....

, Halifax Town

Halifax Town A.F.C.

Halifax Town Association Football Club were an English football team who most recently played in the Conference National, although prior to that they participated in the Football League for over eighty years...

, Rochdale

Rochdale A.F.C.

Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...

, Stockport County

Stockport County F.C.

Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...

 and Carlisle United

Carlisle United F.C.

Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....

, and he made almost 300 League appearances in total, including 171 for Halifax.

During the Second World War he joined the Royal Air Force

Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...

 and earned the British Empire Medal

British Empire Medal

The Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service, usually known as the British Empire Medal , is a British medal awarded for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown...

 (Military) whilst serving in Malta

Malta

Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...

. The official account of the events leading to the award read "Corporal Barkas, along with Acting Flight Sergeant Hugh Shelly Stammuitz of Ozshott, dealt with numerous fires including those on a petrol bowser and an ammunition lorry while some 50 enemy aircraft were bombing the area".

He retired from football in 1949, having played 14 league games for Carlisle in the 1948-49 season.