A superb saving life from fire Queen’s Commendation for Brave Conduct and Police Long Service pair awarded to Constable Ronald H.L. Gore, Bristol Constabulary later Avon and Somerset Constabulary who on the night of Sunday 27th October 1968 entered a house at 8 Newfoundland Street, Bristol when he noticed it was on fire whilst on patrol nearby. Entering the burning house he rescued 13 year old Andrew Talbot from the landing, who had been overcome by smoke. Attempting to re-enter the house he was unsuccessful and thus running through the house next door he attempted to enter from the rear to rescue Mrs. Talbot and her 7 year old son Colin. However, as he got to the window, it was smashed from the inside by Station Officer John Roe of the Bristol Fire Brigade who had found the by then unconscious mother and child on a bedroom floor upstairs in the property. Ron and the Talbot family all attended Bristol Infirmary, and Mrs. Talbot was admitted due to burns, all however, successfully recovered from ordeal. His Queen’s Commendation for Brave Conduct would be noted in the London Gazette of 9th May 1969 and would be awarded to him by the Lord Lieutenant of Gloucester in a ceremony at the Police Sports Ground in Bristol.
Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, EIIR, Dei.Grat; (CONST. RONALD. H.L. GORE.)
Along with a ribbon bar consisting of a Police Long Service Medal and Queen’s Commendation for Brave Conduct.
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine
Also with:
Helmet Plate for Avon and Somerset Constabulary
Bristol Constabulary Badge.
Photograph of the recipient in Police Uniform wearing his LSGC medal and Queen’s Commendation for Good Conduct.
Ronald Henry Lewis Gore was born on 13th May 1931 at the St. Michael Hospital, Clifton, the only child to Emily and Augustus who lived at The Paragon, Clifton, Bristol where his father worked as a cabinet maker, but having previously served during the WW1 in the King’s Royal Rifle Corps.
Ron would grow up in Clifton during WW2 attending the Christchurch School and in 1947 he would train as an apprentice blacksmith. Between 1/9/49 and 30/8/50 Ron was called up for his National Service and served his time with the R.E.M.E.
On 9th October 1953, aged 22 and 5’11”, Ron was accepted for the Bristol Constabulary and started his training at No.4 District Police Training Centre, Mill Meece, Staffordshire. Whilst there in December 1953 he obtained a St. John Ambulance certificate and a Royal Life Saving Society bronze medal.
On 14th January 1954 after his initial training, he was posted to Trinity Road Police Station, A Division, Bristol Constabulary, as Police Constable 116’A’. There he obtained the nickname ‘Tiger’ and commenced a long career as a uniformed beat bobby serving in the heart of the St. Pauls and St. Agnes communities, which at the time were poor and difficult areas to live, with a very high unemployment rate.
On 3rd April 1954 Ron married Brenda People, a Civil Servant from Bristol, they married in the Parish Church, Christchurch, Clifton. At this time Ron was living in Gloucester Row, Clifton, but soon after they moved together to Fussell Court, Kingswood, South Gloucestershire. His appointment as Constable was confirmed on 9th October 1955, and his pay was increased to £455 p.a. On 15th March 1955 failed his first attempt of many, at the Sergeant exam, scoring only 207 marks, the requirement being 400.
At the time Bristol was divided into 8 Division (A-G and W), A Division had three stations, being Trinity Road, River and Central, Ron remained at Trinity which was the lesser of the three stations.
In 1956 Ron and Brenda’s daughter, Elizabeth, was born.
Having served some considerable time at Trinity, Ron along with his friend and colleague, Pete Langley, was rewarded with a 12 month secondment to the Vice Squad operating out of Central Station. After that they were posted for a short time to River Station together, which consisted of foot patrols at night and boat duty during daylight hours.
Ron returned to Trinity Road, and between 23/10/1961 and 25/11/1961 he successfully passed a Standard driving course held at No.7 District Driving School.
During the early 1960’s Ron was accepted as a member of the Mace Escort Group, which meant he conducted ceremonial duties on all state occasions. For 600 years Bristol was a City and County in its own right, and on occasions like Palm Sunday etc the Lord Mayor would have a full mounted escort of 9 men, together with the Mace Escort Group, and two City trumpeters. The city of Bristol was unique and probably the last city in the country to have a full time coachman and sate coaches.
Ron also became an active member of the Bristol Police male voice choir throughout his service.
At 2200hrs on Sunday 27th October 1968 Ron commenced night shift at Trinity Road Station, and was assigned motor patrol in the number 4 Unit Car by the nights officer, Acting Inspector 24 ‘A’ George Mann.
At 2319hrs Ron was on patrol in Newfoundland Street, when he passed the junction with Dermot Street, St. Agnes, Bristol 2, he noticed number 8 was on fire. A the same time the operations room at Central circulated a ‘Call of Fire’ to the address, he informed them of his location and went to number 8.
It was a two storey terraced house, which at the time was occupied by the Talbot family, smoke and flames were coming from the ground floor front room, which were readily spreading into the passageway. Ron was told by the neighbour, Mrs Blackburn, that there was a woman and her children upstairs. He removed his tunic and pulled it over his head, he then crawled under the flames along the passageway, continuing to crawl up stairs. On the landing he found 13 year old Andrew Talbot, overcome by smoke. He turned Andrew on his back and supporting him crawled back the way he had entered with him between his legs, during which Ron received burns and cuts to this hands and leg. He then attempted to re-enter the house but was unable to do so due to the flames, at this stage witness describe PC Gore’s tunic as ‘burning’ due to the heat.
Hr ran through number 9, being doused in water by neighbours as he did so, and climbed onto the kitchen roof of number 8. He tried to open a bedroom window, and as he did it was smashed from the inside by Station Officer John Roe of the Bristol Fire Brigade, the room was full of dense smoke and the fireman was struggling to breath. Stn Off. John Roe and his crew had just arrived with a pump and pump escape from the No.1 Central Fire Station, Bridewell. He had run straight into the premises, and upstairs had discovered Mrs Marion Talbot and her 7 year old son Colin Talbot on a bedroom floor unconscious. He passed Colin out of the window to Ron, who then passed him down to persons on the ground.
He then returned with Mrs. Talbot who was unconscious and barely breathing, he was unable to pass her out of the window, son Ron held her head and shoulders out over the window sill and administered what first aid he could, whilst the rest of the house was searched. Other firmen arrived and removed her through the front of the house where the fire was being tackled by the Bridewell crew. Nobody else was present in the house, and the fire was extinguished. Ron and the family all attended Bristol Infirmary for treatment, and Mrs. Talbot was admitted due to her burns, but all recovered from their injuries. Due to PC Ronald Gore’s actions that evening he was firstly awarded the Certificate of the Society of the Protection of Life from Fire. Then on 9th July 1969 he attended a ceremony held at the Police Sports Ground, Kings Weston, Bristol, where he was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery (a silver laurel leaf emblem) by the Lord Lieutenant of Gloucester. His award was published in the London Gazette of 9th May 1969.
Ron continued to work at Trinity Road until he moved to Central Station as a collator, then in 1974 he witnessed amalgamation, a very sad day for many officers of the Bristol Constabulary, when they became members of the Avon and Somerset Constabulary. A year later Ron, then PC 1456, was awarded his Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, he retired on 31st December 1979 whilst serving with Special branch.
Following his retirement Ron and his wife lived in Barton on Sea, near Bournemouth, but sadly on 17th January 2001, Ron passed away aged 70.
