Orders, Decorations & Medals - British Groups

Lot 5296    SESSION 17 - 11.30AM FRIDAY 16 APRIL    Orders, Decorations & Medals - British Groups

Estimate $15,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au

GROUP OF FIVE: Order of The Indian Empire (CIE) 3rd type neck badge in gold and enamel; Order of the British Empire (OBE Civil) 2nd type; King’s Police Medal (GVR) 1st issue, with Second and Third Award Bars; Jubilee Medal 1935; Coronation Medal 1937. Actg Supt. Frederick William O’Gorman, Indian Police on King’s Medal with first bar date, 1st January 1930, second bar of the subsequent laurel pattern. King’s Medal engraved with minor official correction to unit, all other medals unnamed. A unique and highly desirable group of medals to the only recipient of the KPM and two bars all of which were awarded for gallantry. Nearly extremely fine.

Ex Collection of John Tamplin in the Dix, Noonan Webb Sale of 2 April 2003 (lot 167). Frederick William O’Gorman. Born 08Jul1891. Joined the Indian Police 02Jul1913. Highly decorated during a lengthy and eventful career, O’Gorman was eventually appointed Inspector General of Police, Province of Bombay in 1945. Died 05Jan1949 London. Note that his brother Michael A.O’Gorman was awarded the KPM 01Jan1923 and a Bar to his KPM 01Jan1926. KPM Gazette of India 01Jan1924 ’While serving as District Superintendent of Police in the Bijapur District, Mr O’Gorman was required to undertake operations against a dangerous gang of Berad dacoits which had broken out of jail and for nine months had been terrorising the countryside. Mr O’Gorman initiated a well thought out campaign and it was entirely due to his organising ability and untiring tenacity that his plans ended in success. Mr O’Gorman was himself twice under fire during the progress of these operations and it was in no small measure due to his personal influence that the gang was exterminated. Since his transfer from Bijapur to the District of Kaira, Mr O’Gorman has been successful in breaking up another dangerous gang of dacoits. His services have been recognised by the Government of Bombay on both the occasions’. First Bar to KPM Gazette of India 01Jan1930 ’At the Ganpati celebrations at Surat in September 1928 widespread and frenzied rioting, which lasted for 24 hours and in the course of which numerous cold-blooded murders were committed, took place between Muhammadans and Hindis in spite of the most careful precautions. Throughout these disturbances Mr O’Gorman had numerous personal encounters with infuriated rioters armed with lethal weapons and displayed the highest courage in dispersing them. His spirited action, resource and organising ability were largely responsible for bringing the public disorder in a populous city like Surat under control in so short a space of time. This was accomplished without using firearms except on an occasion when the Police were obliged to fire in their own defence and killed one man’. Second Bar to KPM Gazette of India 01Jan1936 ’On the night of the 23rd January 1935, a Sikh of Poona City shot dead a Mussalman and an Arab woman. Mr O’Gorman was summoned to the scene where he found that the Sikh had ensconced himself with a B.L. gun in a strong position on the top storey of a large building, occupied by a number of men, women and children, from which he commanded the common staircase. The Sikh threatened to shoot anyone who approached and to have rushed the staircase would almost inevitably led to a heavy loss of life. Having drawn a cordon round the building, Mr O’Gorman with a party of armed policemen occupied a room at the top of an opposite house from which rifles were trained on the house where the Sikh was hiding. It was of importance that the Sikh should either be made to surrender or be rendered harmless by shooting; for any ineffective action by Police would probably have resulted in the Sikh firing indiscriminately, and causing several casualties. The Sikh, however, did not expose himself, and subsequent attempts by Mr O’Gorman and a Sikh priest who arrived on the scene, who both addressed the murderer from the front of the house merely elicited a determined reply from the Sikh to the effect that he would never surrender, and would shoot anyone who came near him. Finally however the Sikh told the priest to bring up the ’Saheb’. Mr O’Gorman, thereupon, accompanied the priest to the top storey. There he discovered a passage leading to a room where the Sikh stood with his gun. In front lay the body of one of the murdered persons, and stepping over this, Mr O’Gorman entered the room, calling out that he was unarmed, and asking the Sikh to surrender, which he did. He had six live cartridges in his possession. The cool and patient manner in which Mr O’Gorman handled the situation undoubtedly prevented further loss of life. He displayed admirable personal courage, and power of leadership in himself incurring the great risk of going unarmed up the stairs to confront the armed murderer’. OBE London Gazette 01Jan1941. CIE London Gazette 08Jun1944. Together with extensive research and photographs.