Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Association of Chief Police Officers, The Provincial Police Award for Brave Assistance to the Police, 9ct. gold medal, 51mm., 67.97g., hallmarks for London 1971, unnamed, in John Pinches, London case of issue, extremely fine £800-1000

Attributed to Miss Dorothy Louisa Davis.

Miss Davis, a 5ft 1in 68 year old lady, managed to grapple with a demented knife-wielding 6ft tall man who having stabbed his wife was attempting a further attack. For her courageous action in preventing the man from killing his wife, she was awarded the Association of Chief Police Officers Gold Medal for ‘outstanding acts of bravery in support of law and order’.

With framed citation, 395 x 318mm. presented by the Association of Chief Police Officers, reading:

‘Miss Dorothy Louisa Davis. At 9.45 a.m. on Thursday, 13th May, 1971, Miss Davis, who was in her living room, heard a scream and on looking out of her window saw a lady whom she recognised as a near neighbour lying on the pavement in Gillott Road, Edgbaston.

She went out to assist and finding that the woman had been stabbed, immediately arranged for the police and ambulance service to be informed. She then returned to the scene and while comforting the injured woman, the woman’s husband came from his home brandishing a knife, clearly intent on causing his wife further injury. Being six feet tall and proportionately built, clad only in pyjamas and bleeding from self inflicted wounds to his abdomen and private parts, he presented a forbidding sight. Despite the man being in a demented condition, Miss Davis bravely struggled with him but was unable to prevent him again stabbing his wife. She continued to struggle with him but fortunately, when she realised her position was hopeless, the assailant left.

Miss Davis by her courageous conduct diverted sufficient of the man’s demented fury to prevent him killing his wife and her bravery is worthy of the highest commendation.’

Additionally with a framed photograph of Miss Davis being presented with the medal by Lady Knights; another related framed photograph; a newspaper cutting, dated 13 April 1972, relating to the incident and the presentation of the award and a letter from Sir Philip Knights, C.B.E., Q.P.M. relating to the presentation.