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GC HOLDERS

Introduction

This page is concerned with the polices officers that have been award the George Cross; the highest gallantry for a civilian.

The following table lists those police officers that have received the highest gallantry medal. The rank is that at the time of the events which led to their George Cross.

The UK's Police Memorial (Stephen Stratford 2005).

Eric George Bailey

Eric George Bailey was a Sergeant with the New South Wales Police Force. He was born on 14 October 1906 in Tenterfield, New South Wales.

During the night of 12 January 1945 Sergeant Bailey was on patrol in Adelaide Street (Blayney, NSW) when he stopped man whose movements made Sergeant Bailey suspicious. While being questioned, the suspect produced a gun and shot Sergeant Bailey in the stomach. Despite having two further shots fired at him, and profusely bleeding from the stomach wound, Sergeant Bailey managed to hold the man on the ground until assistance arrived. Sergeant Bailey died shortly afterwards from severe shock and loss of blood.

The citation for Sergeant Bailey's George Cross was published in the London Gazette (dated 29 October 1946).

James Wallace Beaton

At the time of the events which led to his George Cross, James Wallace Beaton was an Inspector with Metropolitan Police (Royal Bodyguard). He was born on 17 February 1943 in St. Fergus, Scotland.

On the evening of 20 March 1974, Princess Anne (daughter of Queen Elizabeth II) and her then husband Captain Mark Phillips were returning to Buckingham Palace. During this journey, an armed attempt was made to kidnap Princess Anne. Inspector Beaton was hit twice and fell unconsicous as he and three passers-by managed to foil the kidnap attempt.

The citation for Inspector (later Chief Superintendent) Beaton's George Cross was published in the London Gazette (dated 27 September 1974).

Frederick William Faifax

Click here to read an account of the George Cross award to Detective Constable (later Detective Sergeant) Fairfax.

Anthony John Gledhill

At the time of the events which led to his George Cross, Anthony John Gledhill was a Police Constable in the Metropolitan Police Force.He was born on 10 March 1938 in Doncaster.

On 25 August 1966 Constable Gledhill, accompanied by another officer, were patrolling in the Deptford of London when they were ordered to chase a car that was driving erratically the wrong way down a one-way street. During the chase, some 15 shots were fired at the police car. Eventually the chased car crashed into lorry and a fight ensued between the unarmed police constables and the armed men. Despite receiving injuries, the police officers managed to subdue the men until further assistance arrived.

The Gledhill Medals in the Imperial War Museum (Stephen Stratford 2005).

The citation for Constable (later Detective Sergeant) Gledhill's George Cross was published in the London Gazette (dated 19 May 1967):

Constable Gledhill was driving a police vehicle with Constable McFall as the wireless operator when a message was received that the occupants of a motor car had been seen acting suspiciously at Creek Side, Deptford. As thie officers reached the area the car they were looking for, which contained five men, drove past them.

The officers immediately chased the escaping vehicle which was being driven recklessly through the streets of South London travelling on the wrong side of the road arid against the one-way traffic system. In such conditions Constable Gledhill exercised considerable skill in following, at high speed, and keeping up with, the bandit vehicle. During a chase which covered a distance of 5 miles at speeds of up to 80 miles an hour an attempt was made by the bandits to ambush the police vehicle and no less than 15 shots were fired at the police car by the occupants of the bandit vehicle using a sawn-off shotgun and revolvers, pellets from the shotgun striking the windscreen of the police car on three occasions. Finally at a road junction the escaping car crashed into a lorry.

The five men immediately left the car and a group of three, one with a pistol in his hand, ran into the yard of a transport contractor. The Officers followed the group of three and as the police car reached the yard gates the men ran towards the car and the one with the pistol held it to Constable Gledhill's head and ordered the Officers to get out of the car or be shot. Both Officers left the car and the man with the pistol got into the driving seat
with the obvious intention of using it to make a getaway. Constable Gledhill was then backing away across the roadway and the man reversed away from the gates towards him pointing the pistol at him as he did so.

However, when he stopped to engage a forward gear he momentarily turned his head away and Gledhill immediately grabbed hold of his gun hand and as the vehicle moved off managed to hold on to the car window with his left hand. While this was happening Constable McFall had run along the roadway to a group of men to get a lorry driven across the road to block it when he heard Constable Gledhill shout. He ran back to the police
car and saw him holding on to the car window. He then saw the car gather speed, dragging Gledhill along the road. At this point the front offside tyre burst, the car veered across the road, crashed into parked vehicles and Gledhill was thrown under one of them. McFall opened the front passenger door and as the driver was still holding the pistol began hitting him about the legs and body with his truncheon. Gledhill had then regained his feet and as he went to the driver's door it was flung open knocking him to the ground.

The man got out of the car and backed away from the Officers. He warned them not to move and at the same time fired a shot The Constables then heard the gun click and both rushed at the man and as McFall struck at him with his truncheon Gledhill grabbed the man's right hand: and took the gun from him. There was a violent struggle and the gunman fell to the ground trying desperately to reach the inside of his jacket. At this stage other officers arrived. The man was subdued and another gun, an automatic pistol, was found in the pocket of his overalls.

Both Gledhill and McFall received injuries and had to receive hospital treatment. They had faced a sustained firearm attack and from the early stages knew the risks they ran of being killed or seriously injured.

For his conduct, Constable McFall was awarded the George Medal.

Roger Philip Goad

Roger Philip Goad was a Captain (Explosives Officer) with the Metropolitan Police Force. He had previously been awarded the British Empire Medal.

On 29 August 1975, following a tip-off from a telephone call, the police went to the front door of a shop. They found a plastic bag, which appeared to contain a bomb. The police then cleared and closed the street. Captain Goad arrived to deal with the bomb itself. After being briefed by officers already at the scene, Captain Goad approached the shop-door area alone. He was observed to be defusing the bomb when it exploded, killing him instantly. Captain Goad was 40 years old.

The citation for Captain Goad's George Cross was published in the London Gazette (dated 1 October 1976).

Stewart Graeme Guthrie

Click here to read an account of the George Cross award to Sergeant Guthrie.

Brandon Moss

At the time of the events leading to the award of the George Cross, Brandon Moss was a Special Constable with the Coventry Constabulary.

On 14 November 1940, during air raids on Coventry, Special Constable Moss led two rescue attempts on houses that had been demolished by a direct hit and completely collapsed.Working in extremely dangerous conditions, with falling rubble and fractured gas mains nearby, Moss worked his way into the house and managed to free threepeople who were trapped inside.

The second rescue, again led by Moss, lasted for some seven hours. Working alone, Moss managed to rescue another person and recovered four bodies. During all this time, Moss was in danger from falling debris and a delayed action bomb which had fallen some 20 yards from the rescue scene.

The citation for Special Constable Moss' George Cross was published in the London Gazette (dated 13 December 1940).

Michael Kenneth Pratt

Michael Kenneth Pratt was born on 13 November 1954 in East Melbourne (Victoria). At the time of the events which led to the award of his George Cross, he was a Constable with the Victoria Police Force.

On 4 June 1976, while off-duty and unarmed, Pratt was driving passed a bank when he saw three masked and armed men enter the bank. He immediately drove his car up the kerb and blocked the entrance to the bank, raising the alarm and telling a passer-by to contact the police. When challenged by one of the robbers to move the car, Pratt refused and removed the ignition key. During the ensuing struggle, Constable Pratt was shot and seriously wounded by one of the robbers.

The citation for Constable Pratt's George Cross was published in the London Gazette (dated 4 July 1978).

Gerald Irving Richardson & Carl Walker

Gerald Irving Richardson was born in Blackpool on 2 November 1932. Carl Walker was born in Kendal on 31 March 1934. Both men were officers in the Lancashire Constabulary: Richardson a Superintendent and Walker a Constable (later Inspector).

On 23 August 1971, an armed gang raided a jeweller's shop in Blackpool. Following the robbery, a prolonged chase occurred involving several unarmed police cars. Superintendent Richardson was shot in the stomach, whilst attempting to persuade one of the robbers to surrender his weapon. Richardson died from his injuries later that day.

The Richardson George Cross (Stephen Stratford 2005).

During the chase, Constable Walker blocked the path of the robber's car with his own police car. However, the robbers reversed their car, smashing into the side of Walker's car. Despite suffering from shock, Constable Walker ran after the robbers until he was shot in the groin.

The citations for the award of the George Cross to Superintendent Richardson and Constable Walker were published in the London Gazette (dated 13 November 1972).

Henry William Stevens

Henry William Stevens was born on 24 January 1928 in Upton Park, London. At the time of the events leading to his George Cross, Stevens was a Police Constable in the Metropolitan Police Force.

On 29 March 1958, while patrolling with another constable, they received a message to investigate a suspected break-in at a house in Bickley (Kent). When they arrived at the scene, Stevens went around to the rear of the house when he saw a man climb over the house's fence. Stevens chased after the man and was only a few yards away when the man turned around and shot Stevens in the mouth.

Despite his injury, Stevens continued to chase the man back around the house and onto the road. Finally catching up with the man Stevens, who was suffering from loss of blood, managed to grasp the man but the man slipped out of his coat. By this time, two other policemen had come to Stevens assistance and the man was finally arrested.

The citation for Constable (later Chief Inspector) Stevens was published in the London Gazette (dated 21 October 1958).