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Auction: 26003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 308

A 1946 K.P.M. group of four awarded to Deputy Chief Constable G. F. Musgrave, Oldham County Borough Police Force

King's Police Medal, G.VI.R., 1st Type (George Musgrave. Dep. Ch. Const. Oldham Police Force); Defence Medal 1939-45; Jubilee 1935 (Supt. & D.C.C. G. Musgrave. Oldham Police.); Coronation 1937 (Supt. & D.C.C. G. Musgrave. Oldham Police.), these last two with privately engraved naming, polished, very fine (4)

K.P.M. London Gazette, 4 June 1946.

George Franklin Musgrave was born 7 June 1885 in Bedale, North Yorkshire. His early life involved sports, specifically cricket, which he excelled at, signing a professional contract with Friarmere Cricket Club as an apprentice player. However, his contract was not extended, leading to his application on 2 November 1905 to the Oldham County Borough Police, where he was appointed Probationary Constable.

He was sworn in on 13 June 1906 and was soon appointed Detective Constable on 11 November 1909 due to his aptitude for catching thieves. On 17 February 1914, Musgrave was promoted to Detective Sergeant, increasing his pay to 45s.6d a week.

Pay became an issue with many strikes and in 1919, leading to a report which increased his pay to 112s.6d a week. In March of 1920, he was promoted to Detective Inspector. In July 1921, Musgrave was given a commendation by the Watch Committee for his involvement in the rescue and co-ordination after a fire at Oldham Town Hall.

In July 1935, Musgrave was further promoted to Deputy Chief Constable after receiving the 1935 Silver Jubilee Medal, only nine of which were awarded to the Oldham Police and Fire Brigade. He later received the Coronation 1937. In January 1940, he was retained for war service under the Police and Fire (War Service) Act 1939, earning him the Defence Medal. Around this time, a vacancy emerged in the Chief Constable position, which he turned down on account of his age and physical wellbeing.

His health did deteriorate and so he applied for resignation, which was withdrawn by the Watch Committee. He was awarded the King's Police Medal for Distinguished Service in the 1946 Birthday Honours and is featured in the London Gazette.

In July 1947, his wife, Laura, died, which deeply affected Musgrave, leading to his application for resignation, which again was withdrawn until a suitable replacement could be found; a testament to his service. After numerous extensions of his service, he was granted retirement and a pension after serving 43 years on 7 July 1949; sold with copied research and photographs of Musgrave receiving his medals.

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Estimate
£400 to £600

Starting price
£320