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Auction: 21001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals (conducted behind closed doors)
Lot: 214

India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Burma 1930-32 (243 Sub. Insp. S A W Washington, Police Dept.), note initials, very fine

Stanley Reginald Walker Washington was born on 15 September 1902 at Leytonstone, the son of James Walker Washington, who was a Schoolmaster. In 1929 he married Gladys Clode in West Ham. Both gave their occupations as 'Press Telegraphist'.

It is the long-standing belief of the previous owner of this Medal that Washington may have been recruited by the company providing the new Telegraphic equipment to the Government of Burma in 1930. Using his skills in the field, he would have been a perfect individual to accompany the shipment and work with Royal Signals personnel to ensure the training of the Burmese operators who would be taking this over. It makes sense that whilst working in Burma he was, for administrative purposes, given a supernumerary rank to ensure he was accommodated and paid at the right level. This use of supernumerary ranks was common in other Colonial Police Forces as a means of getting in technical personnel and expertise without the need to train or use Police Officers for the job. These supernumeraries carried the rank but were not attested police officers - so no powers of arrest and so forth.

Washington died on 22 July 2002 in Redbridge, London.

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Sold for
£110

Starting price
£60