A K.P.M. for Gallantry group of three awarded to Police Sergeant W. Oliver, Metropolitan Police, for his gallantry in arresting two thieves, one of whom was brandishing an Enfield Service Revolver, in Croydon on 4 February 1942

King’s Police Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue, for Gallantry (Sgt. W. Oliver. Met. Police Force) in Royal Mint case of issue; Defence Medal; Police L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R. (Sergt. William Oliver) good very fine and better (3) £800-£1,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of David Lloyd.

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Provenance: Sotheby’s, March 1995 (when sold without the Defence Medal).

K.P.M. London Gazette, 11 June, 1942.
The original Recommendation states: ‘Police Sergeant Oliver, in company with a P.C., stopped two men walking along South End, Croydon at 12.15 am on 4 February 1942, and asked them for their identity cards. After being questioned the men were found to be carrying a box of stockings for which they could give no satisfactory account. The officers arrested them for being in unlawful possession of a box of stockings and took them to a police box with the idea of telephoning the Station for a car. One man was left outside the box with the P.C. and the other, Peter Catford, was placed between the door and the blast wall. As the Sergeant finished telephoning to the Station, Catford, standing in the doorway of the phone box, drew a revolver from underneath his overcoat, pointed it at the Sergeant and said. “Stick them up you Bastard! I have got one in the spout and I am going to put day- light through you!”
The Sergeant shouted to the P.C. “Look out, he has got a loaded revolver”, and jumped at Catford, forcing him to the ground. During the struggle that followed Catford stuck the revolver into the Sergeant’s ribs, saying “You are going to get the lot this time you Bastard.” With the help of the P.C. the Sergeant managed to overpower Catford and take the revolver away from him. Although the revolver (a .38 Enfield Service weapon) proved to be unloaded, five cartridges were found in Catford’s overcoat pocket. The space between a police box and the blast walls round it is very narrow, so that there was no possibility of Catford missing if he fired during the struggle. The Sergeant had no reason to believe that the weapon was unloaded. He not only faced without hesitation what he must have thought to be a very high risk, but had the presence of mind to warn the P.C. of the danger.’

William Oliver was born at Grange Villa, co. Durham, on 22 November 1906, and joined the Metropolitan Police on 18 February 1929. He was promoted Sergeant on 23 September 1940, and for his gallantry in arresting two thieves in Croydon on 4 February 1952 was awarded the King’s Police Medal for Gallantry. He was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 3 January 1952, and resigned to pension on 14 March 1954

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