Graham Stewart Posted October 15, 2006 Share Posted October 15, 2006 [attachmentid=57321]Gentlemen,This lovely photo was posted on another Forum of which I'm a member, and the owner would like to identify the unit and award. Looking at the shoulder title "IP", I said it's possibly Indian Police, pre-1947, but had no idea of the rank or what the award was. Could any of our Police experts please help out here?Thanks,Graham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great Dane Posted October 15, 2006 Share Posted October 15, 2006 The award looks very much like the Prussian Order of the Crown.../Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted October 15, 2006 Share Posted October 15, 2006 Most bizarre. Indian Police would normally be a cursive "IPS" = Indian Police Service or a provincial designation if below "national" level.Looks Prussian to me, but who knows. Interesting . . . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Johnson Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 (edited) Most bizarre. Indian Police would normally be a cursive "IPS" = Indian Police Service or a provincial designation if below "national" level.Looks Prussian to me, but who knows. Interesting . . . . . No, I had a set of cap, shoulders, collars, and rank stars, which looked identical to those in the photo. I'm positive he's Indian Police. And I think the rank is Superintendant, going on modern Indian Police ranks, which don't seem to have substantially changed, other than replacing the crown with the Lions of Ashoka.It wouldn't be the Royal Victorian Order he's wearing, would it? Edited October 16, 2006 by Michael Johnson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great Dane Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 (edited) I'm 95% sure it is the Prussian Order of the Crown. Compare with this picture (from Liverpool Medals):/Mike Edited October 16, 2006 by Great Dane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 Definitely British Police. IP is Imperial (Indian) Police . Cap Badge is Kings Crown with a GR. Rank is (possibly assistant) District Superintendent. This is No 1 Dress. As for medal well it isn't an Royal Victorian Order.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 Take your word for it, Michael. I avoid contact with Indian police, more than with other police. Except maybe Afghan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter monahan Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 I've seen Michael's set and the cap badge does look spot-on for indian police. I know nothing about police ranks.A Prussian order sounds unlikely for a British colonial policeman but stranger things happen. I posted a while back in another forum about a WWI group I once owned to a Captain Branfoot, 37th Lancers, IA which included a Rumanian Order of the Crown which he was awarded for WWI service, though he was never within 100 miles of Rumania. Apparently the decoration "came round with the rations" one Christmas: sent to the War Office by the Rumanians to give out as the WO saw fit, which in this case apparently meant to an officer who didn'tquite qualify for an MC. Or so the seller told me, having heard the story from his neighbour, who'd served with "Branny". [branfoot was quite touchy about it too, we're told. ]P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 There were surely Prussian Crown and Red Eagle awards for the German crown prince's visit for the 1911 Durbar. I have that list (maybe even as a PDF), let me check. But I have a hard time imagining something that high for the police. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Lumsden Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 (edited) I think you've hit the nail on the head there Ed. It seems to me to be entirely possible that a police officer of his rank would receive the Prussian award in that grade for looking after royal security..........even if it was something of a 'diplomatic trinket'. Edited October 17, 2006 by Robin Lumsden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 (edited) The full list is athttp://sagongs.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=242&st=17(Sorry, you'll need to sign up to see it).My guess is that this is a "Mr. Ross" who was awarded the "Order of the Prussian Crown, 2nd class, without star".Could try the online London Gazette. though this may have been only in the Gazette of India? (The Gazette is cranky just now ) Edited October 17, 2006 by Ed_Haynes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Stewart Posted October 18, 2006 Author Share Posted October 18, 2006 Lad's,Very many thanks for your time & patience with this one, which is greatly appreciated, as I really know nothing of Police history/decorations. I've tried looking for a site dedicated to the Imperial Police, but have been unable to find one dedicated to it. Does anyone know if one exists?Graham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Web site? No.But this does remind me of several real sources -- BOOKS -- that I need to check. If this is Ross, he'd have had the chance to wear his Prussian medal for only a few years, so placing this photo chronologically should be easy.Sorry I am being so slow, but I have very little experience tracing natives (of the British Isles), being more used to tracing natives (of India). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter monahan Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Graham Stewart said"I've tried looking for a site dedicated to the Imperial Police, but have been unable to find one dedicated to it. Does anyone know if one exists?"GrahamHaving had experiences looking for similarly obscure stuff on the web - not this admittedly - and considering myself a reasonably capable searcher, my quick, shoot from the lip response is "If it ain't here, it ain't anywheres." "If Ed doesn't know, it ain't to be known." would be a riderHaving said that, however, I'll poke about in the police collectors sub-world and see if I can scare something up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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