Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Police Constable

Unit:

Liverpool Police Force

Awarded on:

June 13th, 1944

Citation:
"Two horses which were harnessed tandem fashion to a lorry loaded with 7 tons of bacon were suddenly startled and set off at a gallop towards the gate leading from a dock to the street.
On one side of the road along which the horses galloped was the dry dock. In front, directly in the. path of the runaways, hundreds of dockers were leaving their work and assembling in queues to enter the canteens.
Constable Williamson, on duty at the Dock Gate, heard the sound of the galloping horses and lorry, ran to meet them, seized the rein of the leading horse and by holding on managed to turn the team to the off side in a southerly direction thus avoiding the gateway and the crowd of dockers who could not possibly have cleared had the runaways continued.
As the Constable turned the leading horse it fell, one of the chains caught round his ankle, he was thrown to the offside and both his feet were trapped between the two horses when the shaft horse also fell., He lost consciousness and was taken to hospital suffering from injuries to the head, body and legs.
Williamson showed great courage without regard for his own safety. In addition to the probability of being trampled on by the horses or run over by the lorry, had the team swerved to the near side he might have been thrown into the dry dock.
His action no doubt prevented serious injury to those present."

Date of action: 26 October, 1943.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)