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Auction: 26001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 230

Sold by Order of the Family

The superb British Guiana Police C.B.E., C. St. J., K.P.M. group of ten awarded to Commissioner of Police and Commandant of Local Forces W. A. J. P. Orrett, British Guiana Police late Lieutenant, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, who saw action in the Balkans during the Great War before starting a distinguished career in law enforcement culminating in his authoring of the 'The History of the British Guiana Police Force', the key work on Colonial Era Policing in the county

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Civil Division, Commander's (C.B.E.) neck Badge, silver-gilt and enamel; The Venerable Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Commander's (C. St. J.) neck Badge, silver-gilt and enamel; King's Police Medal, for Distinguished Service (William A. Orrett. 1st Cl. Inspr. of Police. Jamaica.); 1914-15 Star (2. Lieut. W. A. Orrett. R. Innis. Fus.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. W. A. Orrett.); War Medal 1939-45; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; Coronation 1953, the last eight mounted court style as worn, set within an attractive wood and glass display case, minor pitting to campaign awards, overall good very fine (10)

C.B.E. London Gazette 2 January 1950.

C. St. J. London Gazette 4 January 1952.

K.P.M. London Gazette 1 January 1938, for distinguished service.

William Arthur John Phillipson Orrett was born at St. Andrew, Jamaica on 13 January 1892 the son of William Hitchins Orrett. In 1911 Orrett was living in Notting Hill, London and working as a bank clerk. With the outbreak of the Great War Orrett was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers on 22 December 1914.

Entering the war in Salonica in October 1915, likely joining the 10th (Irish) Division there after they evacuated Gallipoli and were sent to support the Serbians. Advanced to Lieutenant he transferred to the Prisoner of War Company serving with the Company until the end of the war. Towards the end of the war his brother Captain Cecil Claude Orrett Machine Gun Corps was killed in action on 25 September 1918.

The war over Orrett returned to Jamaica and joined the Jamaican police force. In 1938 Orrett a well-known and respected policeman was rewarded with the King's Police Medal for distinguished service as a First-Class Inspector of Police.

Orrett later transferred to the police force in British Guiana where he became the Commissioner of Police and Commandant of Local Forces for which he was richly rewarded with the C.B.E. in 1950. He authored 'The History of the British Guiana Police Force' published in 1951, acclaimed as the key source for researching colonial-era policing in British Guiana. Actively involved in the Order of St. John he was created an Officer Brother in 1946 advanced to Commander Brother in 1952, mainly through his steadfast work in creating a formation in British Guiana.

Orrett returned to England with his wife Joan in 1949 and died at Kensington, London on 19 August 1954; he is buried at Gunnersbury Cemetery, Acton, Ealing; sold together with copied research including London Gazette extracts, MIC and census data.

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Estimate
£1,400 to £1,800

Starting price
£1100