Auction Catalogue

4 & 5 March 2020

Starting at 10:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

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Lot

№ 75

.

4 March 2020

Hammer Price:
£7,000

A well-documented G.M. group of five awarded to Major J. C. Rhodes, Royal Australian Army Medical Corps, for his gallantry in coming to the aid of a dying Police Constable, and subsequently helping to capture an armed man, during a ‘gun battle’ at a house in Brisbane, Australia, 19 February 1962

George Medal, E.II.R., 2nd issue (Lieutenant John C. Rhodes, (35853) R.A.A.M.C.); Vietnam 1964-73 (35853 J. C. Rhodes); Defence Force Service Medal (35853 Rhodes J. C.); National Medal (35853 J. C. Rhodes); South Vietnam Medal 1964, 1 clasp, 1960- (35853 J. C. Rhodes.) mounted for display, generally very fine or better (5) £5,000-£6,000

G.M. London Gazette 23 April 1963:

‘On the 19th February, 1962, Lieutenant Rhodes was passing a house when a shot was fired through the door killing a Police Constable. He hastened to the assistance of the fallen policeman and then saw a rifle fired from a side window. Soon afterwards when ordered by Police Sergeant S. A. Walker to drop his weapon, the man in the house again fired through the window. Sergeant Walker returned the fire and the man, evidently wounded, moved away from the window. Lieutenant Rhodes who had remained by the side of the stricken Constable, then approached the front door with Sergeant Walker and, and in spite of the fact that two more shots were fired through it kicked the door in. In spite of a further shot through the open door an entry was effected and the demented man was overpowered.’

The official statement provided by Rhodes immediately after the incident adds further detail:

‘I am a married man, 39 years of age, and am a Lieutenant in the Army attached to 3 R.A.R., Enoggera.

At about 9.50am on the 19th February, 1962, in company with a Sergeant and Driver, I was proceeding from Enoggera Army Camp to the City via Kelvin Grove Road, in a Jeep Ambulance.

When opposite a house at No. 214 Kelvin Grove Road, Kelvin Grove, I heard a shot and I immediately looked to my right and I saw a uniformed Policeman [Constable G. J. Olive] staggering backwards from a door and after taking a few paces along the footpath in Kelvin Grove Road and towards the outbound side of the house, he collapsed on to the footpath. The Policeman moved sideways and clutched his chest with one of his arms. Whilst the Policeman was staggering I observed a glint of light which I think was the front door of the house being closed.

I told the driver something and the vehicle in which we were travelling stopped. I alighted from the vehicle and I told the Sergeant and driver something. (I instructed the Sergeant to call the Police and I told the driver to stop any pedestrians from coming near the area).

I then ran to where the Policeman was lying for the purpose of rendering First Aid as I am attached to the Medical Corps of the Army. Upon examination I ascertained that he had a sucking wound in the upper chest and there was a blood stain at the rear in the centre of the upper back. He was bleeding profusely from the mouth, nose, and chest. I examined his pulse and found that it was very rapid and very weak and about after a minute there was no pulse beat at all.

I then looked along the side of the house and I saw a .303 calibre rifle pointed out of the window. I could see the barrel of the rifle back as far as the rear sights. The rifle was then discharged.

A civilian then arrived and I told him something (I told him to watch the house on the City side and to tell me if the rifle was displayed through a window). I then told my driver something (I told him to watch the other side of the house).

A uniformed Police Sergeant [S. Walker] then arrived at the scene, and he spoke to me and I told him something. (I told him that the Constable had died and the man with the gun was still inside). The Police Sergeant then went to a gate which leads to the side of the house and he called out in a loud tone of voice, “Peter, throw out that gun.”

At this time the .303 calibre rifle was again extended through a side window on the outbound side of the house and the barrel was pointed towards Kelvin Grove Road and the rifle was again discharged. The Police Sergeant then fired a shot from a revolver at the window from which the .303 rifle had been discharged.

The Police Sergeant again called out in a loud tone of voice, “Peter, throw out that gun.”

The person inside the house called out something but I did not understand what he said. The Police Sergeant called out, “If you throw out your gun, I’ll throw mine down.”

The person inside the house then replaced the gun on the window sill and pointed the barrel towards Kelvin Grove Road and again discharged same. The Police Sergeant fired another shot towards the window. I then saw the barrel of the rifle twist sideways and it was slowly withdrawn into the room. I told the Police Sergeant something. (I told him that I thought that he had hit the person inside).

The Police Sergeant and I then went to the front door and at the same time I heard the bolt action of the rifle being manipulated. I then told the Police Sergeant something (I told him that I had heard the person inside manipulate the bolt action of the rifle).

The Police Sergeant called out in a loud tone of voice, “Peter, drop the rifle and come out.”

I then heard two shots from inside the house and the bullets passed through the front door. I then kicked the front door in and moved away from the front of the door. The person inside the house then fired another shot through the open door and the Police Sergeant fired a shot from his revolver.

I accompanied the Police Sergeant and other Police into the house and I there saw a male person lying in the passageway. His feet were towards the front door and his head towards the inside of the house. The .303 rifle was lying near his right arm. I assisted the Police to carry this person to the footpath. This person was wearing a light blue T-shirt and grey shorts. I could see that he had been injured on the left shoulder.

I did not see any other person enter or leave the house during the shooting.’

John Cecil Rhodes enlisted in the Australian Military Forces in April 1955, and was commissioned Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps in September 1960. He advanced to Captain in March 1964, and to Major in August 1970. Rhodes served in South Vietnam, 16 April 1968 - 16 April 1969. He retired 8 July 1975, was awarded the National Medal in August 1977, and Defence Force Service Medal in December 1984.

Both Rhodes and Walker were awarded the George Medal for their gallantry during the ‘gun battle’ in Brisbane.

Sold with the following original items and documents: Brass Wall Plaque, engraved ‘This plaque was presented in recognition of the part Lt. J. C. Rhodes played in succouring a fatally wounded constable and the subsequent capture of the armed man responsible.’; Copy of Citation on Government House, Brisbane paper; Australian Army Statement of Service; Letter of appreciation to recipient from the General Secretary of the Queensland Police Union of Employees, dated 14 March 1962; Letter of congratulation on the occasion of the award of the G.M. from Major General A. J. Clyne, C.B.E., Director-General Medical Services, dated 9 May 1963; Letters of appreciation upon recipient’s retirement from Major General C. M. Gurner, C.B.E. and Colonel W. J. Watson, M.B.E., dated 3 July 1975 and 17 July 1975, respectively; photograph of recipient in uniform; other ephemera and photocopies of recipient’s Record of Service in the Australian Army and newspaper cuttings.