Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The important Second War C.S.I., inter-War C.I.E. and K.P.M. group of seven awarded to Sir William N. P. Jenkin, K.B.E., Director of Intelligence in Malaya, late Deputy Inspector-General of Police (C.I.D.), Government of India, who was knighted for his impressive service as a trained professional intelligence officer, and was called back from retirement in 1950 to lead what became a watershed period for the reorganisation, restructuring and training of the Malayan Police and its Special Branch

The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, C.S.I., Companion’s neck badge, gold and enamel, with central onyx cameo of a youthful Queen Victoria, the motto of the order set in rose diamonds, suspended from a five-pointed silver star and silver ring suspension, with neck riband, in Garrard, London, case of issue; The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, C.I.E., Companion’s 3rd type neck badge, gold and enamel, with short section of neck riband for display purposes, in Garrard, London, case of issue; King’s Police Medal, G.V.R., 1st issue (William Norman Prentrice [sic] Jenkin. Indian Police Service) on gallantry riband; British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. W. N. P. Jenkin. R.A.F.); Jubilee 1935, unnamed as issued; Coronation 1937, unnamed as issued, edge knock to K.P.M., otherwise nearly extremely fine (7) £4,000-£5,000

K.B.E. London Gazette 14 August 1947:
‘Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, Punjab.’

C.S.I. London Gazette 1 January 1946:
‘Indian Police, Deputy Director, Intelligence Bureau, Home Department, Government of India.’

C.I.E. London Gazette 3 June 1931:
‘Indian Police Service, Superintendent of Police, Punjab.’

K.P.M. London Gazette 1 January 1925.
The original recommendation published in The Gazette of India Extraordinary on 1 January 1925, states: ‘On the 25th October 1923, Mr. A. F. Horton, Superintendent of Police, Hoshiarpur, and Mr. W. N. P. Jenkin, Assistant Superintendent of Police, with a mixed party of additional police sowars, punitive police, and regular police, very skilfully rounded up Dhanna Singh, one of the most dangerous leaders of the Babbar Akali revolutionary gang, at Manbana village, Mahilpur Police Station of the Hoshiarpur District, and succeeded in depriving him of a loaded revolver and placing him in handcuffs before he could inflict any casualties on his captors. The struggle continued, however, and Dhanna Singh managed to explode a Mills’ bomb which was concealed on his person, thereby killing himself and five police officers on the spot and fatally injuring three others, including Mr. Horton. Mr. Jenkin though very seriously wounded, displayed conspicuous gallantry.’

William Norman Prentice Jenkin was born in Ashford, Kent, on 11 August 1899. He spent his teenage years in Dumbarton and attested for the Royal Flying Corps upon reaching the age of 18; sent to South Farnborough on 4 September 1917, he was appointed Flying Officer on 30 January 1918 and qualified as an R.E.8 Pilot on 5 August 1918. Posted to the Central Depot Pool of Pilots, he relinquished his commission on account of ill health in December 1918 and joined the Indian Police Service as Assistant Superintendent, Punjab, on 27 December 1919.

Distinguishing himself in the capture of the Sikh revolutionary Dhanna Singh, Jenkin learned of the award of his K.P.M. from a hospital bed. Following numerous operations and year’s leave to Scotland, he returned to the Punjab and was raised Officiating Superintendent in April 1927. Appointed Central Intelligence Officer for the Punjab, Delhi and Sind, in 1935, he became Deputy Director of the Intelligence Bureau in March 1939 and Deputy Inspector General of the Punjab in May 1946. Awarded a Knighthood following a distinguished career in the Indian Police Special Branch, Jenkin took his retirement and returned home.

The Malayan Emergency
In June 1948 a state of emergency was declared in the British colony of Malaya and members of the Malayan National Liberation Army - the armed wing of the Malayan Communist Party - began attacking rubber plantations, mines and police stations, derailing trains and burning workers’ houses. The British reacted by introducing emergency legislation and imposing curfews and movement restrictions on the local population, but their activities were undermined by the guerillas having the benefit of local knowledge, as well as a general lack of reliable intelligence making its way back to the authorities.

In consequence, Jenkin was invited out of retirement on 22 June 1950 to take up appointment as ‘Advisor of the Special Branch/CID’ - the first trained professional intelligence officer to take over the Malayan Special Branch. Raised Director of Intelligence in Malaya, he soon realised the vital importance of strengthening the Special Branch by increasing the intake of Chinese officers, a matter that had been recommended several times in the past, but with little done about it. In December 1950, under his watch, the authorities introduced a National Service Bill which successfully enabled the drafting of males aged 17 to 45, including those of Chinese origin, into the police or army; by 1951, 1223 Chinese men wore the uniform of the Malay police, for the first time comparing favourably with the numbers of men of Indian and Pakistani heritage already serving in the uniformed branch.

In November 1951, Jenkin successfully pressed for a large increase in the strength of the Special Branch/CID by the further recruitment of 80 Chinese inspectors and 500 Chinese detectives. He further brought detention camps within the purview of the Special Branch, and stressed the importance of Special Branch Officers being able to interrogate detainees to obtain information of security value. Separating ‘hardened Communists from misguided sympathisers’, he encouraged his men to determine whether any detainees could be ‘turned’ and employed as Special Branch informants. Under Jenkin, the Special Branch of 1950 successfully began to assume responsibility for the surveillance and security control of Malaya’s coastal regions and the Malay-Thai frontier. Utilising his brainchild Directive No. 9., the Malay Special Branch soon began to liaise more with the army and MI5, resulting in numerous successfully co-ordinated counter-insurgency operations against the Min Yuen; between 1950 and 1951, Communist terrorist contacts rose 109.7%, with a further 18.9% increase in casualties and 63.3% increase in surrenders.

Having successfully reorganised and strengthened the Special Branch in a little over a year and a half, Jenkin resigned his position and returned home. He died on 28 December 1983.

Sold with extensive copied research.