XN000022-1977-06-24 — Page 2

FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 1977

QUEEN'S GALLANTRY AWARD ****

A SALESMAN AND A POLICE CONSTABLE HAVE BEEN AWARDED THE QUEEN'S GALLANTRY MEDAL, THE FIRST EVER TO BE GIVEN IN HONG KONG, AND THE QUEEN'S COMMENDATION FOR BRAVE CONDUCT RESPECTIVELY,

IT WAS ANNOUNCED IN THE GAZETTE TODAY.

THE AWARDEES ARE MR. YIP LONG-PING, AGED 24, AND POLICE CONSTABLE LO YIN-HOK, AGED 22.

MR. YIP'S BRAVERY HAS BEEN RECOGNISED FOLLOWING A ROBBERY INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED IN A CHEUNG SHA WAN GOLDSMITH'S SHOP ON JUNE 22, 1976 DURING WHICH HE WAS SHOT IN THE ABDOMEN.

AT ABOUT 4.40 P.M. ON THAT DAY, THREE MEN ENTERED THE GOLDSMITH'S SHOP, ONE, ARMED WITH A REVOLVER, GRABBED AN EMPLOYEE WHILE THE OTHERS BEGAN SMASHING THE GLASS DISPLAY COUNTERS WITH HAMMERS.

GRABBED A

MR. YIP, WHO WAS IN THE SHOP WITH HIS BROTHER MELON KNIFE FROM UNDER THE COUNTER AND RAN INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE SHOP, INTENDING TO ATTACK THE MAN HOLDING THE REVOLVER.

HIS BROTHER, MR. YIP BOR-PING, SOUNDED THE BURGLAR ALARM, PICKED UP A STOOL AND ALSO JOINED IN THE RESISTANCE.

THE ARMED ROBBER FIRED THREE SHOTS, ONE OF THEM HITTING MR. YIP LONG-PING IN THE ABDOMEN. DURING THE MELEE HE ALSO MANAGED TO WOUND THE GUNMAN IN THE HAND, BEFORE THEY ALL RAN FROM THE PREMISES.

THOUGH WOUNDED, MR. YIP PERSUED ONE OF THEM ALONG CHEUNG SHA WAN ROAD INTO APLIU STREET, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO APPREHEND THE MAN BECAUSE OF THE EFFECTS OF THE WOUND.

FOUR MEN HAVE SINCE BEEN ARRESTED BY THE POLICE AND A .22 REVOLVER AND AMMUNITION RECOVERED. THEY HAVE ALL BEEN CHARGED WITH VARIOUS OFFENCES.

MR. YIP WAS IN HOSPITAL FOR OVER TWO WEEKS DURING WHICH TIME A BULLET WAS REMOVED FROM HIS ABDOMEN. NO PERMANENT INCAPACITY IS EXPECTED.

THE OTHER INCIDENT INVOLVING POLICE CONSTABLE LO YIN-HOK HAPPENED ON MARCH 24, 1976.

CONSTABLE LO, WHO JOINED THE FORCE IN JANUARY 1974, WAS ON PATROL DUTY IN UNIFORM AT ABOUT 2 P.M. AT THE JUNCTION OF LOK SHAN ROAD AND YUK YAT STREET WHEN HE WAS ATTACKED BY TWO YOUNG MEN.

ONE GRABBED HIM AROUND THE NECK FROM BEHIND WHILE THE OTHER, ARMED WITH A KNIFE, ATTACKED HIM FROM THE FRONT AND SEIZED HIS REVOLVER, CUTTING THE LANYARD WITH THE KNIFE.

/CONSTABLE