Lot 493

Description

Royal Humane Society Of Australasia, bronze medal with buckle suspender, reverse inscribed, 'William Davies/4.4.19', in case of issue with gold blocked details on lid, 'Presented By/The Royal Humane Society/Of Australasia/To/William Davies/4-4-19'. Case with some damage, ribbon damaged, medal heavily toned and with a few small oxidation spots, otherwise good very fine.

With copy of the Society's Annual Report award page.

Case 3381: William Davies, Lambton, N.S.W., Grocer, aged 22, who risked his life in stopping two bolting horses, attached to an ambulance wagon, in Elder St., Lambton, on the evening of April 4, 1919. There was a crowd in the street, and as the horses dashed towards them Davies ran out and caught the near-side horse by the rein, and brought the pair to a stand-still after a hard struggle. Awarded a Bronze Medal.

At the Lambton Council meeting on 8 April 1919 a number of residents drew attention to the courageous action of William Davies, who was the means of preventing an accident to the ambulance and a patient in Elder Street. The ambulance had been sent from Newcastle to remove two influenza patients to Waratah and after one person was placed in the ambulance the driver left his seat to open the ambulance door for the other person who was being brought from a house on the other side of the street. Something startled the horses and they took off down the street until the intervention of William Davies. The residents asked that his actions be brought under the notice of the Royal Humane Society. The Council decided that the Town Clerk obtain the necessary papers and forward particulars to the society.