First Minister marks lives given in public service
First Minister John Swinney has paid tribute to the eight Scottish recipients of The Elizabeth Emblem.
The emblem is awarded posthumously to family members of those who died in public service. It is the civilian equivalent of the Elizabeth Cross, which recognises members of the UK Armed Forces who died in action or a terrorist attack.
The First Minister said: “I warmly welcome the awarding of The Elizabeth Emblem to these individuals and their families.
“This recognition enables us to remember their sacrifice and their lives dedicated to public service. They made Scotland a better place for us all and we continue to honour their memory.”
The Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray said: “I pay tribute to all of those Scots who have been recognised today. Every one of these brave public servants gave their life to protect others. They are people who stepped forward when most of us would step back, and they paid the ultimate price.
“I am particularly pleased that Dunblane teacher Gwen Mayor has been recognised. No-one will ever forget the horror of the shooting at Dunblane Primary School in 1996, when Mrs Mayor was killed trying to protect her pupils.
“I hope that the families of all those recognised will take some comfort in knowing that their loved ones, and their service, has not been forgotten.”
The family of Dunblane Primary School teacher Gwen Mayor including her husband Rodney Mayor said: “As a family we are extremely proud and honoured to be receiving this award on behalf of Gwen. We always believed her actions that day deserved more recognition.
“You would have to have known Gwen to know that she would have done whatever trying to protect the children in her care. She paid the ultimate price for that commitment. Finally we now feel that she has been honoured for what happened that day.”
The full list of Scottish recipients of The Elizabeth Emblem are:
- Joseph Stewart Drake, a Constable with Stirling and Clackmannan Constabulary. He died on 11 August 1967 when a stolen lorry intentionally struck his car at Dennyloanhead as he tried to intercept it.
- Gwen Mayor, Primary 1 teacher at Dunblane Primary School died on 13 March 1996 alongside 15 of her pupils when a gunman entered the school.
- Rodney (Rod) Moore, a retired NHS paramedic from Falkirk with 40 years’ service, rejoined the Scottish Ambulance Service to support its Covid-19 response and died on 21 November 2020 having contracted coronavirus.
- Roderick Nicolson, a Scottish Fire & Rescue Service firefighter died at Perth Harbour on 4 December 1995. He was attempting to rescue workers who became trapped in a silo filled with five tonnes of sodium carbonate ash.
- Richard Paul North, a Constable with Tayside Police died on 17 March 1987. He was on duty driving a marked police patrol car when it collided with another vehicle. The driver of the vehicle was under the influence of drink and drugs.
- William Oliver of the Glasgow Salvage Corps died at the Cheapside Street whisky bond fire on 28 March 1960. He was instantly killed alongside 18 others when some casks ruptured causing a massive boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion.
- Ewan Williamson, a Scottish Fire & Rescue Service firefighter with Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service. He became trapped in a fire at the Balmoral Bar public house in Edinburgh and died on 12 July 2009.
- Alastair Soutar, of HM Customs and Excise died of his injuries on 29 July 1996 after he was crushed between ‘The Sentinel’ HM Customs and Excise vessel and the ‘Ocean Jubilee’ smugglers vessel. Mr Soutar, from Dundee, was participating in Operation Balvenie to apprehend drug smugglers.
