Kenneth Frederick GILMOUR
WHERE ARE THEY NOW ?
Kenneth Frederick GILMOUR BEM
AKA ?
Late of ?
NSW Police Training Centre – Redfern / Police Training College – Penrith Class # ? ? ?
New South Wales Police Force
Regd. # ????
Rank: Commenced Training at ? Academy on ? ? ?
Probationary Constable- appointed ? ? ?
Constable – appointed ? ? ?
Detective – appointed ? ? ? ( YES )
Constable 1st Class – appointed ? ? ?
promoted to Detective Sgt
Senior Constable – appointed ? ? ? ( NO )
Sergeant 3rd Class – appointed ? ? ?
Sergeant 2nd Class – appointed ? ? ?
Sergeant 1st Class – appointed ? ? ?
Inspector – appointed ? ? ?
Chief Inspector – appointed ? ? ?
Superintendent – appointed ? ? ?
Chief Superintendent – appointed ? ? ?
Final Rank = ?
Stations: ?, Darlinghurst Police Station,
Service: From ? ? ? to ? ? ? = ? years Service
Awards: The Order of the British Empire Medal ( Civil ) / British Empire Medal ( Civil )( Imperial ) – BEM – – granted 4 February 1958 – ( Det Sgt 3/c ) In recognition for apprehending an armed man
No other Mentions on the Australian Honours system – Although:
was awarded the George Lewis Trophy for 1957 ( a trophy presented each year by a Sydney business for the most courageous act by a member of the NSW Police Force ) and
the Peter Mitchell Trust Award for ‘ Most courageous act ‘.
Born: ? ? ?
Memorial / Plaque / Monument located at: ?
Dedication date of Memorial / Plaque / Monument: Nil – at this time ( September 2020 )
MEDAL PINNED ON HERO
Daily Mirror, Tuesday June 3, 1958 page 19
Her of the Spittiri shootings last year, DetSgt Kenneth Frederick GILMOUR, received the British Empire Medal for his bravery from the State Governor ( Sir Eric Woodward ) at Government House today.
On May 24, 1957, Et. Sgt Gilmour went to a house in Darlinghurst where Spittiri had killed a man, shotgun blasted a woman and attempted to fire the premises.
DetSgt Gilmour saw the man at the top of a narrow flight of stairs with a shotgun, yet he climbed towards the man who then fired the gun at him.
Gilmour suffered a shocking injury to his right arm. He is permanently disabled. Gunman Spittiri died from a bullet from Gilmour’s automatic.
Two other policemen, Const’s Neville William BEALE ( # 6924 ) and Ronald Joseph TURNER ( # ???? – Not in the 1968 Stud Book ) were also decorated for bravery at the ceremony.
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Supplement to the London Gazette, 4 February 1958 Page 780
Kenneth Frederick GILMOUR, Detective Sergeant, Third Class, New South Wales Police Force.
A telephone message was received at the Darlinghurst Police Station that a man, armed with a shotgun, had killed another and seriously wounded a woman and then attempted to set fire to some premises.
Detective Sergeant Gilmour, accompanied by two other policemen, arrived at the premises shortly afterwards and went to the basement at the rear.
A steep and narrow stairway led to the ground floor where a person could be heard moving about.
Gilmour, who was armed with his Service weapon, ascended to near the top stair and leaned forward to look around a partition. He saw the man standing in a doorway across the hall pointing a shotgun at him.
Gilmour called out that he was a Policeman and directed him to drop the gun.
The man stepped towards him and in a position above and slightly to the left of the Detective Sergeant aimed his weapon directly at him.
Both discharged their weapons at the same time and the Detective Sergeant was seriously wounded in the right arm.
The gunman was fatally wounded.
Detective Sergeant Gilmour displayed out-standing courage in ascending the narrow and steep stairway, being fully aware that an armed and desperate man was awaiting his approach and that he would be fired upon when he would be at a considerable disadvantage.
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/41302/supplement/780/data.pdf
https://atwonline.com.au/image/atw097
Three detectives ( wearing fedoras ) are photographed on 24 May 1957 outside a residence in Burton St, Darlinghurst in Sydneys inner east. The seated man is Detective Constable Kenneth Gilmour, who had been shot in the arm after entering the home; the police were responding to reports of a gun being fired. Gilmour was later awarded a medal for bravery.
“possibly” Det. D.W. ‘Bill’ NEWALL standing on the right of frame.
The man sitting on the edge of the gutter, injured and bloodied, is Detective Constable 1st Class K F Gilmour from Darlinghurst Police Station, soon to be promoted to Detective Sergeant.
It was the morning of ‘cracker night‘, 24 May 1957 and Gilmour was later awarded the British Empire Medal in recognition of his bravery on that day.
A man named Charles Spiteri had shot two people, killing a man and wounding a woman.
Detective Constable Gilmour ‘went to the premises with other police; he climbed the stairs to the room in which Spiteri was sheltering and saw Spiteri standing in a doorway pointing a shotgun at him.
He called to Spiteri that he was a policeman and told him to drop the gun.
Spiteri then aimed his gun at Gilmour and fired, Gilmour firing simultaneously with his service pistol.
Gilmour was seriously wounded in the right arm and had to retire, and it was subsequently found that Spiteri had been killed by the bullet from Gilmour’s pistol’.
The NSW Police Department annual report for 1957 declared that ‘in going up the stairs to the room after Spiteri, knowing that he was armed and had already shot one person, Detective Sergeant Gilmour displayed courage of a very high order.’
(Report of the Police Department of New South Wales for 1957, Sydney, Acting Government Printing Office, 1958 p.18).
Gilmour also received two other awards for bravery:
the George Lewis Trophy for 1957 (a trophy presented each year by a Sydney business for the most courageous act by a member of the New South Wales Police Force);
and the Peter Mitchell Trust Award for ‘Most courageous act’.
The injury to Gilmour’s arm resulted in a permanent disability.
Caroline Simpson Library & Research Collection | Sydney Living Museums – Full Record
Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 – 1995),
Tuesday 4 February 1958, page 7
Decoration For Police Gun Battle Hero
SYDNEY, Monday.
The Queen has awarded the British Empire Medal to Detective Sergeant Kenneth’ Frederick Gilmour, hero of the gun battle between police and crazed migrant, Charles Spiteri, last May.
Gilmour‘s right arm was permanently disabled by one of Spiteri’s shots.
The Governor, . Lt.-Gen. Sir Eric Woodward, has been advised that the award was made for civil gallantry.
The citation stated that police were called to a residential in Burton Street, Darlinghurst, on May 24 last year.
Det. Gilmour, followed by two other police, ascended steps at the rear, of the building.
He saw Spiteri, armed with a shotgun, standing in the doorway, and both fired at once.
Spiteri was fatally wounded and Det. Gilmour‘s right arm was shattered.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/91256892
August 1986: Former Liverpool Police Officer – Detective Chief Inspector D.W.(Bill) Newall, retires from the New South Wales Police Force, aged 60, after 35 years of dedicated service to the community of NSW.
During his Police career he received three Commendations – i) Highly commended for his courage and devotion to duty displayed at Darlinghurst in 1957, on the occasion of the wounding of Detective Constable 1/c. K. F. Gilmour by a well-known criminal.
Detective Gilmour was seriously wounded in the right arm, which caused him to retire. The offender had been killed by Detective Gilmour discharging his service pistol.
Earlier that day the offender had shot dead a male person and wounded a woman.
Cited: Liverpool ( NSW ) Police Time Line ( 1788 – 2016 ) P324
July 2011: Former Liverpool Police Officer – John (Jack) Ryder passed away aged 79. He had been retired for some years.
During his Police career in 1953, he was presented with a Queen’s Commendation by His Excellency the Governor of NSW on the 21.5.1954 for ‘Brave Conduct’ when grappling with an offender armed with a knife at Yennora in February, 1953.
In 1957, he was ‘Highly Commended’ for the courage and devotion to duty displayed at Darlinghurst in May,1957, on the occasion of the wounding of Detective Constable 1/c. K. F. Gilmour by an offender who had previously murdered John Brooks and wounded Ruby Brooks.
In 1959, he was commended for powers of observation and good policemanship displayed on four occasions between April, 1958 and January, 1959, including one occasion when he was off duty, in the detection of stolen motor vehicles, resulting in the arrest and subsequent conviction of the offenders concerned.
Signed C. J. Delayney.
Commissioner of Police.
In 1966, he was commended for the role he played in the apprehension at Concord in January, 1966, of two notorious armed and desperate criminals, who had escaped from Pentridge Gaol Victoria, in December, 1965.
Both criminals were subsequently extradited to Victoria and charged with murder and escaping from lawful custody.
Signed N. T. W. Allen.
Commissioner of Police.
He was also a member of the Police Emergency Squad. EXAMS. In 1957, he was awarded the Peter Mitchell Award for obtaining the highest marks in the Constable 1/c. examinations. In 1964, he obtained the second highest marks in the Sergeant 3/c. examinations. In 1980, he obtained the second highest marks in the examinations for the rank of Inspector.
Police Service Card State Archives Werrington.
Cited: Liverpool ( NSW ) Police Time Line ( 1788 – 2016 ) P420
