Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part III)

A rare K.P.M. for Gallantry group of five awarded to Assistant Superintendent L. W. C. Byrde, Straits Settlements and Singapore Police

King’s Police Medal, G.V.R., 2nd issue, for Gallantry (Lydmar William Charles Byrde, Insp. of Police, Straits Settlements); 1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; War Medal 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, G.VI.R. (Asst. Supt. C. W. Byrde, S’pore Police), note differing initials, very fine and better (5) £500-600

K.P.M. (for Gallantry) London Gazette 1 January 1932.

Lydmar William Charles Byrde appears in a list of five “Gallantry” K.P.Ms published in the Singapore Police’s annual report for 1931, the same source concluding:

‘With the exception of the first named officer, all the above were from time to time in action against armed bad characters and some of them, particularly Inspectors Byrde and MacIntosh, were fortunate in not succumbing to gun-shot wounds.’