John Rymer-Jones
Encyclopedia
Brigadier John Murray Rymer-Jones CBE
MC & Bar
QPM
(12 July 1897 – 17 December 1993) was a British Army
and police officer.
Rymer-Jones was educated at Felsted School
and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and was commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery
in 1916. He served in France and Flanders during the First World War, winning the Military Cross
(MC) in 1917 and a bar
in 1918, while serving with the 74th Field Brigade. The citation for his first MC reads:
He was promoted Lieutenant
in August 1917 and became an Acting Captain
while serving as brigade adjutant
from September 1918 until July 1919. In 1919 he served with the British Army of the Rhine
and in 1920–1921 was in Ireland
attached to the King's Own Royal Regiment. In 1921 he briefly served in Upper Silesia
during the plebiscite
and then went to Egypt as a staff officer until 1925. From 1927 to 1928 he served as a staff officer with the Shanghai Defence Force
and his last years in the Army, from 1929 to 1933, were spent as a company commander at the Royal Military Academy. He was promoted Captain in February 1929.
Following his retirement in February 1934 he joined the Metropolitan Police
as a Chief Inspector
and was posted to the headquarters of No.3 District in Hackney
. He was promoted Superintendent
in May 1935 and took over the Croydon
Division
. In August 1936, he was transferred to the Organisation Department of the Commissioner's Office at Scotland Yard
and in October 1936 was promoted Chief Constable. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1943 New Year Honours.
In 1943, Rymer-Jones was posted to Palestine
as Inspector-General of the Palestine Police, with the Army rank of Brigadier
. In 1946, he returned to the Metropolitan Police with the new rank of Commander, taking over No.1 District (West End
). He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1950 New Year Honours. In April 1950, he was appointed Assistant Commissioner "D" (Personnel and Training)
. He held this position until his retirement in August 1959. During this time he was a vocal advocate of police dog
s and increased their use within the Metropolitan Police. He was awarded the Queen's Police Medal
(QPM) in the 1959 Birthday Honours, two months before his retirement.
Rymer-Jones was also North Kent Area Commissioner of St John Ambulance from 1963 to 1966, secretary of the Drinking Fountain Association from 1959 to 1976, and on the committee of the Royal Humane Society
from 1957 to 1977.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
MC & Bar
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
QPM
Queen's Police Medal
The Queen's Police Medal is awarded to police officers in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for gallantry or distinguished service. Recipients may use the post-nominal letters "QPM", although the right to use these was only granted officially on 20 July 1969...
(12 July 1897 – 17 December 1993) was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and police officer.
Rymer-Jones was educated at Felsted School
Felsted School
Felsted School, an English co-educational day and boarding independent school, situated in Felsted, Essex. It is in the British Public School tradition, and was founded in 1564 by Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich who, as Lord Chancellor and Chancellor of the Court of Augmentations, acquired...
and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and was commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery
Royal Field Artillery
The Royal Field Artillery of the British Army provided artillery support for the British Army. It came into being when the Royal Artillery was divided on 1 July 1899, it was reamalgamated back into the Royal Artillery in 1924....
in 1916. He served in France and Flanders during the First World War, winning the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(MC) in 1917 and a bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
in 1918, while serving with the 74th Field Brigade. The citation for his first MC reads:
"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He went forward with the first wave of the infantry in an attack to the final objective, establishing signal stations at each objective as he went forward. He sent in early information as to the capture of the objectives and other valuable reports. He kept his lines working, continually going about repairing them under heavy fire, and sent in timely information of an enemy concentration for a counter-attack. He showed ceaseless energy and determination."
He was promoted Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in August 1917 and became an Acting Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
while serving as brigade adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
from September 1918 until July 1919. In 1919 he served with the British Army of the Rhine
British Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
and in 1920–1921 was in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
attached to the King's Own Royal Regiment. In 1921 he briefly served in Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, the Duchy of Bohemia, the Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as of...
during the plebiscite
Upper Silesia plebiscite
The Upper Silesia plebiscite was a border referendum mandated by the Versailles Treaty and carried out in March 1921 to determine a section of the border between Weimar Germany and Poland. The region was ethnically mixed, chiefly among Germans, Poles and Silesians. According to prewar statistics,...
and then went to Egypt as a staff officer until 1925. From 1927 to 1928 he served as a staff officer with the Shanghai Defence Force
Shanghai Defence Force
The Shanghai Defence Force was a tri-service military formation established by the British Government to protect European nationals and their property in Shanghai from Chinese communist forces.-History:...
and his last years in the Army, from 1929 to 1933, were spent as a company commander at the Royal Military Academy. He was promoted Captain in February 1929.
Following his retirement in February 1934 he joined the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
as a Chief Inspector
Chief inspector
Chief inspector is a rank used in police forces which follow the British model. In countries outside Britain, it is sometimes referred to as chief inspector of police .-Australia:...
and was posted to the headquarters of No.3 District in Hackney
Metropolitan Borough of Hackney
The Metropolitan Borough of Hackney was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London from 1900 to 1965. Its area became part of the London Borough of Hackney.-Formation and boundaries:...
. He was promoted Superintendent
Superintendent (police)
Superintendent , often shortened to "super", is a rank in British police services and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries the full version is superintendent of police...
in May 1935 and took over the Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
Division
Police division
A division was the usual term for the largest territorial subdivision of most British police forces. In major reforms of police organisation in the 1990s divisions of many forces were restructured and retitled Basic Command Units , although some forces continue to refer to them as divisions.The...
. In August 1936, he was transferred to the Organisation Department of the Commissioner's Office at Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
and in October 1936 was promoted Chief Constable. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1943 New Year Honours.
In 1943, Rymer-Jones was posted to Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
as Inspector-General of the Palestine Police, with the Army rank of Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
. In 1946, he returned to the Metropolitan Police with the new rank of Commander, taking over No.1 District (West End
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
). He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1950 New Year Honours. In April 1950, he was appointed Assistant Commissioner "D" (Personnel and Training)
Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, usually just Assistant Commissioner , is the third highest rank in London's Metropolitan Police, ranking below Deputy Commissioner and above Deputy Assistant Commissioner. There are usually four officers in the rank...
. He held this position until his retirement in August 1959. During this time he was a vocal advocate of police dog
Police dog
A police dog, often referred to as a "K-9 dog" in some areas , is a dog that is trained specifically to assist police and other law-enforcement personnel in their work...
s and increased their use within the Metropolitan Police. He was awarded the Queen's Police Medal
Queen's Police Medal
The Queen's Police Medal is awarded to police officers in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for gallantry or distinguished service. Recipients may use the post-nominal letters "QPM", although the right to use these was only granted officially on 20 July 1969...
(QPM) in the 1959 Birthday Honours, two months before his retirement.
Rymer-Jones was also North Kent Area Commissioner of St John Ambulance from 1963 to 1966, secretary of the Drinking Fountain Association from 1959 to 1976, and on the committee of the Royal Humane Society
Royal Humane Society
The Royal Humane Society is a British charity which promotes lifesaving intervention. It was founded in England in 1774 as the Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned, for the purpose of rendering first aid in cases of near drowning....
from 1957 to 1977.