Dunblane massacre hero who was shot six times is 'extremely proud and honoured' by Elizabeth Emblem award

One of the Scottish recipients is Gwen Mayor - the 45-year-old primary school teacher who was shot six times by Thomas Hamilton in the Dunblane Primary School gymnasium on 13 March 1996.

Gwen and the 16 primary one children who died that day are forever remembered in a memorial garden at Dunblane cemetery, which serves as the final resting place for Gwen and thirteen.

A beautiful stone fountain with colourful mosaic basins is engraved with their 17 names and the words “Forever Remembered”, but the tragedy was felt far and wide and support flooded the town from around the world.

Gwen’s husband, Rodney, says their families always thought Gwen’s sacrifice deserved formal recognition.

“We’re obviously extremely proud and honoured that she has been awarded this - the whole family is.

“We’ve always had this feeling she should have got more - and now she has. As far as we’re concerned it’s hopefully the final closure as such, although it will never be closed.”

Rod - who now lives in Cyprus and married to Gwen’s sister Joan - says Gwen loved teaching her children so much she “was almost obsessed with it”.

“She would go to the school at 8 o’clock in the morning,” he says, “though the children wouldn’t come in until nine and it was very seldom she left before 5 o’clock in the afternoon.

“Everything had to be just perfect for the children and other teachers used to come and stand outside just to see what she was doing so they could perhaps do the same with their children.”

Some of the Scottish recipients lost their lives in public service in the middle of the last Century.

William Oliver, of the Glasgow Salvage Corps, died in the Cheapside Street Disaster where a fire engulfed a whisky bond on 28 March 1960.

The warehouse contained more than a million gallons of whisky and 30,000 gallons of rum and as the temperature of the fire increased, some of the casks ruptured.

A boiling liquid vapour explosion killed Oliver instantly, along with 18 others. Oliver died on 28 March 1960.

Others will receive the Elizabeth Emblem for more recent displays of valiant service.

Roderick Moore was a retired paramedic when the global pandemic struck in 2020.

With the support of his family, he stepped out of retirement and back into a full-time role, working “12 hours a day, 7 days a week” according to his wife Clare.

An “immensely patient focussed” Rod used his time back on the frontline healthcare to coach and support fresh faced paramedics through the most gruelling months of the Covid-19 outbreak, but sadly lost his life to the virus after four months in hospital.

“I knew he would go back,” said Clare, “I knew that he wanted to be out there helping - that was what he done and that was who he was. They were glad to see him back and Rod was going to his work every day - he was quite happy going to his work for 12-hours a day seven days a week. He was happy and I was happy for him to do it too.”

Clare, who will collect the emblem on Rod’s behalf, said the Ambulance Service was immensely supportive following Rod’s death, at a time when funeral numbers were limited and family couldn’t even touch the coffin.

“They had a guard of honour outside the ambulance station,” she says, “all the way up to the cemetery, which was wow - it was a WOW moment hen we came over that hill and seen them all lined up.”

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray paid tribute to all the Scots recognised, saying: “No one should go out in the morning and not come back at night, particularly in the public service.

“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.”

The Elizabeth Emblem will be presented to the next of kin at ceremonies to be held later in the year.