FOR PRESS AWAjRD FOR GALLANTRY
Statement by the Acting Prime Ministerp
The Rt. Hon. John McEwen
The Acting Prime Ministerp The Rt. Hon. John McEwen,
announced today that Her Majesty, The Queen, had awarded the
British Empire Medal for gallantry to Mr. William James
Beadman, of Canberra.
Mr. Beadman, a bus driver for the Department of the
Izterlor in Canberra, hod been responsible for the rescue
of Mr. Bruce David Shields from drowning in Lake Burley
Griffin on November 26 last year.
He had unselfishly placed his own life in danger in
entering the Lake, which had been made rough and ohoppy by
high winds, Mr. McEwen said. Mr. Beadman had shown gallantry
of a high order in entering the rough water.
The official report stated Mr. Beadman had been driving
his bus over Kings Avenue Bridge when he saw three people
struggling in the Lake near an overturned rowing shell.
The three Mr. Shields, Mr. Colin Leslie Panton and
his nine-year-old son, Colin Stuart Luke Panton were
returning from a rowing exercise early in the morning of
November 26 when their boat was swamped in the rough water
which had developed.
All three were thrown into the water when the boat
rolled over.
The report said that Shields managed to cling to the
boat, but Panton let go to help his son.
Shields tried to manoeuvre the boat towards them,
but the force of the wind was too great and he saw father
and son separate.
Shields then saw a man ( Beadman) removing his clothes
on the Lake shore and saw Beadman swimming towards the other
two, but they vanished below the surface before he reached
them. Beadman then came over to Shields at the boat and under
Beadman's instruction, the two managed to reach the shorq
with the boat.
The wind was blowing the waves against the Lake wall,
creating a strong back current.
In the prevailing conditions, it was quite probable
that Shields also would have drowned if Deadman had not gone
to his rescue. / 2
-2-
BACKGROUND Mr. Deadman has been employed at the Department of
the Interior's Transport Section since 1936.
He was at one time a Ministerial car driver, but for
the past fifteen to eighteen years, has been a bus driver
bringing children to school from the Kowen area.
He was also selected, because of his aptitude, to take
handicapped children to and from the Koomarri School in
Canberra. Mr. Beadman was President of the Canberra branch of
the Transport Workers' Union for twelve years until
relinquishing this office about three years ago.
CAiNBERRA February 5, 1965 P. M.