Henry William Stevens GC (24 January 1928 – 17 November 2018) was awarded the

George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has been ...

for the

gallantry Gallantry may refer to: * military courage or bravery * Chivalry * Warrior ethos * Knightly Piety Knightly Piety refers to a specific strand of Christian belief espoused by knights during the Middle Ages. The term comes from ''Ritterfrömmigkei ...

he showed while serving as a

constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...

in the

Metropolitan Police The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...

on 29 March 1958. Stevens was born in Upton Park, London. Prior to joining the Metropolitan Police Force, he served three years in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

The Bickley burglary

At around 8.00 pm, on 29 March 1958, a local criminal named Ronald Easterbrook, who was armed with a gun, was burgling a house in

Bickley Bickley is a district and a local government electoral ward in South East London, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is located 10.4 miles (16.7 km) south east of Charing Cross, bordering Elmstead, London, Elmstead to the north, Chis ...

in the

London Borough of Bromley The London Borough of Bromley () is the southeasternmost of the London boroughs that make up Greater London, bordering the ceremonial county of Kent, which most of Bromley was part of before 1965. The borough's population is an estimated 332,336 ...

. Police had been alerted to the burglary and dispatched PC Henry Stevens along with two other colleagues to investigate. Stevens went round to the rear of the property and spotted Easterbrook climbing over a wooden fence. Stevens identified himself as a police officer but when Easterbrook ran, Stevens gave chase along St. Georges Road, Bickley. As Stevens was gaining on Easterbrook, Easterbrook turned and pointed the gun at Stevens before saying "Stop, or you'll get this". Ignoring the warning, Stevens continued the chase and Easterbrook opened fire, shooting Stevens in the face. The .22 calibre bullet ricocheted off Stevens' teeth before embedding itself in his tongue. Despite having been shot, Stevens managed to grab hold of Easterbrook and force him up against some iron railings at the side of a railway bridge. During the struggle, the constable managed to twist the gun from Easterbrook's hand, but Easterbrook managed to pull free. Stevens managed to grab the back of Easterbrook's overcoat. Easterbrook who was still running with the constable being dragged behind, suddenly slipped off his overcoat and jacket causing Stevens to fall to the ground. Easterbrook then escaped over the railway bridge. The coat and jacket were later used to help identify Easterbrook. The officer, PC Henry Stevens was also able to identify Easterbrook from photographs shown to him whilst he was in hospital. The case was heard at the

Old Bailey The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey after the street on which it stands, is a criminal court building in central London, one of several that house the Crown Court of England and Wales. The s ...

and on 13 May 1958. Ronald Easterbrook was initially charged with attempted murder but was acquitted due to lack of evidence that he actually intended to kill PC Stevens. Easterbrook was instead convicted of the lesser charge of

grievous bodily harm Grievous bodily harm (often abbreviated to GBH) is a term used in English criminal law to describe the severest forms of battery. It refers to two offences that are created by sections 18 and 20 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861. The ...

and intent to resist his lawful apprehension. He was sentenced to 10 years. In summing up, judge Mr. Justice Ashworth said of Ronald Easterbrook "You are in my view a wicked and dangerous man".

Citation for the George Cross

Henry Stevens received his citation for the George Cross in October 1958. His citation was published in the London Gazette on 21 October 1958. The George Cross is Britain's highest award for bravery. Stevens later attended

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

to collect his award with his wife Andree and his two children, Paul and Lorraine. in 1998, Stevens met with Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir

Ian Blair Ian Warwick Blair, Baron Blair of Boughton, (born 19 March 1953) is a British retired policeman who held the position of Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis from 2005 to 2008 and was the highest-ranking officer within the Metropolitan Pol ...

, at an event to honour winners of the George Cross who had served in the Metropolitan Police Service. In 2001, Stevens attended an event held at Westminster Abbey to honour those had won the Victoria Cross or the George Cross.

Later service

Stevens recovered from his injuries and continued to serve in the Metropolitan Police until his retirement in 1983 with the rank of

detective chief inspector Chief inspector (Ch Insp) is a rank used in police forces which follow the British model. In countries outside Britain, it is sometimes referred to as chief inspector of police (CIP). Usage by country Australia The rank of chief inspector is use ...

Honours and awards

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, Henry William British recipients of the George Cross Metropolitan Police officers Royal Navy sailors 1928 births British shooting survivors 2018 deaths People from Upton Park, London