Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A post-War M.B.E. group of four awarded to Deputy Director of Criminal Investigation C. D. St. Q. Fletcher, Royal Hong Kong Police Force, late Cardiff City Police, who served as Senior Training Officer of the Hong Kong Police Force at the time of the 1967 Riots

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Civil) Member’s 2nd type breast badge, silver, with Royal Mint case of issue; Defence Medal; Coronation 1953, unnamed as issued, with card box of issue; Police L.S. & G.C., E.II.R., 2nd issue (Inspr. Clifford D. St. Q. Fletcher) with named card box of issue, mounted as worn, light contact marls, nearly extremely fine (4) £400-£500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Police Medals.

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M.B.E. London Gazette 10 June 1967 Clifford Daniel St. Quentin Fletcher, Esq., Senior Police Training Officer, Hong Kong.

The original Recommendation states: ‘After a distinguished career in the U.K. Police Service between 1934 and 1960, Mr. Fletcher joined the Hong Kong Police in April 1960 as its first specialist training officer. His experience, knowledge, and devotion to duty have been of a very high order. The training schemes, examination systems, and staff courses which he has been instrumental in introducing into the Force have contributed greatly to raising the standard of training and professional knowledge in this Force.’

Clifford Daniel St. Quentin Fletcher was born in Cardiff ion 15 October 1914, and joined the Cardiff City Police on 1 January 1935. He transferred to the Criminal Investigations Department in February 1936, and in the years prior to the Second World War served on attachment to the Firearms Department and in the Criminal Records Office, where he became proficient in the use of fingerprints. He served with the Cardiff City Police throughout the Second World War almost exclusively as a fingerprint officer, and was promoted Detective Sergeant on 13 September 1944. At the same time, he had been studying the law, and graduated from the University of London with the degree of Bachelor of Law in 1944, later being called to the Bar.

Fletcher subsequently served as a Training Officer to the Force, and from July 1954 to September 1957 served on secondment to the Directing Staff of the Police College at Ryton-on-Dunsmore. He was promoted Inspector on 9 March 1957, and in September of that year became deputy commandant of No. 8 Regional Police Training Centre at Bridgend, responsible for training police officers for Wales and the West of England. He retired in 1960 with the rank of Superintendent.

Emigrating to Hong Kong, Fletcher joined the Hong Kong Police Force later that year as a Force Training Officer, and shortly afterward became Senior Force Training Officer, a position he held until 1970, when he was appointed Director of Recruitment. He later became Chief Staff Officer (Administration and Research), and in May 1976 was appointed Deputy Director of Criminal Investigation, a position he held until September 1979. His final appointment was a as Senior Staff Officer (Special Duties), Criminal Investigation Department. Described as ‘Hong Kong’s oldest civil servant’, he finally retired in February 1982.

For his services with the Hong Kong Police Force Fletcher was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1967 Birthday Honours’ List, and was invested with his M.B.E. by the Governor of Hong Kong at Government House on 13 December 1967- in the intervening period Fletcher would doubtless have been involved in the Hong Kong riots that ran from May to December 1967, and his training methods put into practise by the colony’s Police Force.

Sold with the original Bestowal Document for the M.B.E., in Central Chancery envelope, together with Central Chancery and Buckingham Palace enclosures and various letters of congratulations to the recipient on the award of his M.B.E., and correspondence regarding his Investiture; named Buckingham Palace Bestowal Certificate for the Coronation Medal; various individual and group photographs, including one of the recipient wearing his medals; and a quantity of original and copied research, including newspaper cuttings and record of service.