Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine post-War 1952 B.E.M. group of four awarded to Woman Chief Inspector Lily Dawes, Metropolitan Police

British Empire Medal, (Civil) G.VI.R., 2nd issue (Miss Lily Dawes); Defence Medal; Coronation 1937, unnamed as issued; Police L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R. (Ch. Inspr. Lily Dawes) in named card box of issue, good very fine (4) £200-£240

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Norman Gooding Collection.

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B.E.M. London Gazette 30 May 1952:
‘Miss Lily Dawes, Lately Woman Police Inspector, Metropolitan Police Force. (Tooting S.W.17)’

Lily Dawes was among 194 United Kingdom recipients of the British Empire Medal in the first ‘Queen’s Birthday Honours’ list of 1952. Her strength of character as a young policewoman was detailed some 27 years earlier by The Daily Herald on 15 August 1925:

‘Policewoman No. 1: Arrested by a constable at the insistence of Miss Lily Dawes, “Woman Police Constable No.1,” Harry Durant, a florist, of Shepherd’s Bush, was sentenced at Marylebone yesterday to two months hard labour for grossly insulting Miss Dawes while she was on duty.’