The 'female searcher' ( Alice Gray), who was a member of the ambushed convoy, was recognised by the British authorities for her role in the incident. The Home Office had been informed that the Civil Division of the Order would be available to members of the ‘Irish Constabulary’. This decision, allowing the award of the BEM (Civil Division) to the Royal Irish Constabulary and Dublin Metropolitan Police, was brought to the attention of Sir Hamar Greenwood (1870-1948) in January 1922, at which time it was noted that only one award – that to Alice Gray – had so far been made under these provisions
London Gazette 20 January 1922, : ‘In recognition of gallant conduct’. The recommendation for the award, dated 21 November 1921, stated: ‘I am directed by the Lord Lieutenant to state for the information of the Secretary of State that His Excellency desires to recommend for the Medal of the Order of the British Empire, Civil Division, Miss Alice Grey [sic], at present employed under the Chief of Police in Ireland. This lady, who is an experienced nurse aged about 55 years, was employed during the recent troubles in this country as a searcher of women suspected of acting as agents of the so called Irish Republican Army.On the 4th March 1921, she accompanied a party of military and RIC under Lt Wilson of the 1st Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Regiment upon a lorry patrol in Co Leitrim. On the homeward journey as the patrol was passing Sheemore Hill, Ballinwing, near Leitrim, fire was opened on them from a wall surrounding a wood some 200 feet above and 200 yards from the road. The patrol took cover. While Lt Wilson and seven other of his men were attempting an out-flanking movement, he and three of the men were severely wounded. In spite of the intense hostile fire at the time, Miss Grey, without a moment’s hesitation and with a total disregard of her own safety, went to their assistance. To do this it was necessary for her to crawl about 200 yards along a wall which was less than 3 feet high. When she reached Lt Wilson she found him writhing in pain and had to hold him down whilst she bandaged his wound. She then attended to the wounds of the three men, who had been hit, going into the open under fire to do so. After this she collected the rifles and ammunition from the wounded and re-distributed them to the men armed only with revolvers. Finally she helped to place the four wounded in the lorry at terrible danger to herself.Miss Grey’s coolness, courage and promptitude elicited the greatest praise and admiration from all who were present at the time, and His Excellency’s attention has been drawn to her gallantry both by the Police and by the Military, with the request in each case that her action should be suitably recognised’.
Alice Gray was presented with the BEM by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland on 30 January 1922 (TNA ref: HO 45/11071/38032