Orders, Decorations and Medals

An Indian Police Medal and King’s Police Medal group awarded to Deputy Superintendent J. W. Rourke, Indian Police

Indian Police Medal, G.V.R., for Distinguished Conduct (J. W. Rourke, Inspr., Bombay Police); King’s Police Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue, for Distinguished Service (J. W. Rourke, Dy. Supdt. of Police, Sind); 1914 Star (Mr J. Rourke, Mily. Accts. Dept.); British War and Victory Medals (J. W. Rourke, M.A.D.), both with an erasure before name; the word ‘Clerk’(?) faintly seen on B.W.M.; Jubilee 1935, unnamed; Coronation 1937, unnamed, mounted court style for wear, very fine and better (7) £600-800

Indian Police Medal gazette entry not found.

King’s Police Medal 1 January 1944. ‘John William Rourke, Deputy Superintendent of Police, C.I.D., Karachi, Sind’.

John William Rourke was born on 13 November 1897. He joined the Indian Police on 1 July 1918, having previously held temporary appointments from February 1917. He served in various non-gazetted appointments with the Police Departments of Karachi District; Sind Railways; Sukkur District and Sind C.I.D. His first gazetted appointment was as Police Inspector in the Sind C.I.D., dated 12 April 1926; he subsequently served as Police Inspector at Sukkur on the Sind Railways, April 1927-January 1929 & April 1929-May 1930; at Sukkur Town, January-April 1929, and Karachi, May 1930-September 1932. He was Police Inspector, Karachi C.I.D., from December 1932, and was promoted to Deputy Superintendent of Police in the C.I.D. in August 1934 but transferred to ‘Traffic’ in April 1935. As a Deputy Superintendent in the Karachi C.I.D. he was awarded the K.P.M. in 1944.

Sold with extract from 1914 Star roll which lists Mr J. W. Rourke as amongst the ‘Civilian Subordinates’ of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, ‘employed at Ordnance’, and similarly for the British War and Victory Medals which lists him as ‘T1180 Amt. S. Sgt., R.A.O.C.’ , and ‘Z Reserve 25.3.19’; extracts from Jubilee Medal nominal roll which confirms award to ‘1640 Rourke, John William, Inspector of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, Bombay’; extracts from the Coronation Medal nominal roll which confirms award to ‘201 Rourke, John William, Deputy Superintendent of Police in Sind’; extract from the Gazette of India, confirming the K.P.M., and extract from the Directory of Services, Bombay Presidency, 1935. Also with a summary of research undertaken.

Note: It is possible that the above 1914 Star trio belonged to another family member - the father?, of the Deputy Superintendent of Police.