Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Assistant Chief Constable J. King, West Riding Constabulary

Defence; Police Long Service Medal, G.VI.R. (Ch. Inspr.); Police Essay Competition, Queen’s Gold Medal, E.II.R. (Jack King 1963), 45mm., 9ct. gold medallion, 70g., in Royal Mint case of issue, nearly extremely fine, last rare (3) £150-200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Life Saving, Police and Fire Brigade Medals from the James N Spencer Collection.

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Jack King left school in 1917, aged 13 years and gained employment the following year as an apprentice engineering draughtsman at Messrs. Cammell & Laird. In 1922 he joined the Royal Corps of Signals as a draughtsman but was employed as Drill Instructor and Signals Instructor. King left the army, time expired, in 1928. The following year he was accepted as a Constable in the West Riding of Yorkshire Constabulary and after training was posted a Constable to the Harrogate Division. With his skills as a draughtsman he was involved in preparing plans of accidents etc for Court purposes, as a result of which he was made Coroner’s Officer for the borough. In 1934 he was appointed a Detective Officer and in 1939, Detective Sergeant. In 1941 he transferred to the Halifax Division and in 1945 was promoted Detective Inspector in the Keighley Division. Transferred to Headquarters at Wakefield in 1946, he was promoted Chief Inspector in 1948, being resposible for crime enquiries in the Wakefield, Barnsley, Dewsbury and Huddersfield Divisions. King was appointed ‘Commandant’ of the Detective Training School at Wakefield in 1950 but returned to his previous position five years later. In 1956 he gained the position with the Admiralty as Superintendent of Police with responsibility for training at Risley, Lancashire. In 1959 he was promoted to Assistant Chief Constable at Headquarters, Queen Anne’s Mansions, London, with responsibility for Training, Crime and Special Branch. In 1960 he was appointed Assistant Chief Constable in charge of police establishments in the Western Command. Awarded 1st prize in the Queen’s Police Essay Competition in 1963. He retired in 1969.

Sold with a letter of congratulation on the award of the Queen’s Medal, on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, signed by Christopher Mayhew; framed photograph of the presentation and the recipient’s handwritten resumé of his career.