Six awards for bravery were announced this week

The George Medal has been awarded to Police Constable Bernard Aust, whose parents live at Clovelly, for the heroism he displayed in Australia in grappling with an armed terrorist, and the Queen’s Commendation has gone to three North Devon policemen who confronted a man armed with a double barrelled shotgun in a Bideford street earlier this year.

The three are Chief Superintendent Reginal Goldsworthy, of Barnstaple; Detective Constable Leslie Thornton, of Fordlands Crescent, Raleigh, Bideford; and PC Michael Kivell, of Northview Avenue, Bideford.

The Queen’s Commendation has also been awarded to Mr John Bowden, a shipwright employed by Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd, for his brave conduct at the shipyard in August 1972 after fire broke out in a compartment of a ship under construction.

And the action of a Northam woman - Mrs Shirley Griffey - in jumping fully clothed into a swirling, angry Dartmoor river swollen many times its normal size by days of heavy rain to rescue a two day old foal from drowning has been recognised by the award of the RSPCA certificate of merit.

PC Aust – a telegram to his parents, Mr and Mrs A F J Aust, of Higher Clovelly post office, was the first news they had of the award to their son. “The Queen has awarded me the George Medal – I can hardly believe it. See you soon.” it said. PC Aust – his younger brother Brian is in the Metropolitan Police – had been a probationary constable in the New South Wales Police for only four weeks when he was critically injured as he grappled with an armed terrorist outside the Lebanese Embassy. He disarmed the intruder and eventually managed to break free and shoot him. He has already received three police awards for ‘the most courageous act by a member of the Force in 1972.” Before moving to Bideford County Secondary School PC Aust attended Clovelly Primary School for two terms and the children there invited him to have tea with them when he visits this country on leave in December with his September bride.

PC Aust

Chief Superintendent Goldsworthy – the citation accompanying the award of the Queen’s Commendation to Chief Superintendent Goldsworthy, Detective Constable Thornton and Constable Kivell says the three men acted “without consideration for the grave danger of their own lives.” Knowing that a shot has already been fired, they tried to reason with an “armed and potentially dangerous man.” The incident occurred in Torrington Street last March where a local man on weekend leave from prison, ended a drama just after 3am. For nearly two hours previously the policemen had tried to reason with him – showing, said their North Devon Police chief later, “tremendous courage.”

Chief Superintendent Goldsworthy

Constable Kivell

DC Thornton

Mrs Shirley Griffey – lives at Cross Street, Northam, recalled the rescue which led to her award. It happened while she was staying at Sherberton on Dartmoor with Mr and Mrs John Coaker. She was looking out from a window at the swollen Swincombe when she saw the foal, then only two days old, swept away as it tried to cross. She and Mrs Diana Coaker raced down to the river and waded in up to their waists. “We thought it was impossible for the foal to survive in the conditions, with rocks and boulders adding to the danger, and I remember feeling very upset. But then I suddenly saw its head appear downstream, swimming as hard as it could. I ran down and as it seemed to be swirled in towards me I jumped straight in, managed to get hold of it and drag it ashore. The water was up to my neck and they said afterwards I could have been drowned but I just didn’t think about that at the time.” They took the foal back to the house, the vet was called, and the animal, a pure pedigree Dartmoor, recovered after treatment. Mrs Coaker gave her to Mrs Griffey and now Lucky, as she was christened, is growing fast. “I hope she will be good enough for showing later.” said Mrs Griffey.

Mrs Shirley Griffey, her daughter Wendy, with Lucky

The Queen’s Commendation awarded to Mr John Bowden, who lives at Tomouth Road, Appledore, is the second award made to him for his courage at the Appledore yard when he went into a ship’s compartment to search for a missing man after fire had broken out. Two of his workmates who had also been working inside escaped and in going into the compartment Mr Bowden had shown courage and bravery of the highest order, it was said when he was presented with a certificate of gallantry awarded by the Society for the Protection of Life from Fire. Heat from the fire caused by gas and oxygen igniting was intense but Mr Bowden, without any concern for his own safety, volunteered to try and find the missing man. The fire was still burning vigorously and he called for a hose with which he doused the flames.

Mr John Bowden

Gazette article dated Friday, October 19, 1973