Appointment of Police Chiefs

As reported in the Police Review of 25th February, 1949, the British Railways Police Force is to be re-organised on an area basis which will coincide more closely with the Civil Police Force and will ensure the closest possible co-opera­tion between the Railway and Civil Police. There are to be six areas coming under the command of Mr. W. B. Richards, M.V.O., recently appointed Chief Officer (Police), Railway Executive, instead of a Police Force for each of the six Rail­way Regions as at present. The new organisation is on a geographical basis, and the boundaries of areas will coincide as far as possible with county boundaries and consequently with County Police organisations. Each Area will be attached to a Railway Region for administrative purposes.

The six new Areas are: London, Southern, Midland, Eastern, Northern, and Scottish.

 

W. B. RICHARDS

CHIEF OF BRITISH RAILWAYS POLICE

Mr. W. B. Richards, M.V.O., whose appointment as Chief Officer (Police) of the British Railways was recently announced, is the son of a schoolmaster and was educated at Hertford Grammar School.

He entered the service of the L. & N.W Railway at Euston as a Police trainee in 1910. On the outbreak of the war in 1914 he enlisted in the Royal Bucks Hussars but was invalided out after a short period of service and returned to the Railway Police.

After passing through the ranks of Detective, Inspector, Chief Inspector and Superintendent, Mr. Richards was appointed Assistant Chief of Police of the L.M. & S. Company’s Police Force at the early age of thirty-five, and eleven years later became Chief of Police.

For nearly twenty years Mr. Richards has had charge on the L.M. & S. Railway of the Police arrangements in connection with the many Royal train journeys undertaken during that period. In recognition of these services he received the Insignia of the Royal Victorian Order in 1947.

Mr. Richards is an Honorary Member of the Chief Constables’ Association (Cities and Boroughs) and is well known to the Chief Constables and senior Police officers all over the country. He is chairman of the Railway Executive Police Committee and chairman of the British Railways Police Training School.

In his new position Mr. Richards will be in charge of over 4,000 men covering the whole of Great Britain.

 

Col. N. McK. Jesper

Col. Jesper joined the N.E. Railway in 1914 as a Traffic Apprentice, and held various posts in the Operating Department prior to being appointed Chief of Police, Southern Area of the L. & N.E., in 1945, and later of the Eastern Region of the British Railways. He won the M.C. in France in 1914-18, and during the second World War was awarded the D.S.O. for his services at Dunkirk, and the O.B.E in connection with the expedition to Greece.

 

Mr. A. Lane

Mr. Lane commenced his Police career on the G.W. Railway at Paddington in 1911. In 1916 he was seconded to G.H.Q. Intelligence Corps where he worked in contact with the French Civic Force, and for his services was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. On his return to the G.W. Railway Mr. Lane was attached to the Common Law and Prosecution Section of the Solicitor’s Office, and in 1936 was appointed Assistant Chief of Police. Ten years later he was promoted Chief of Police. Mr. Lane represents the Railway Police on the Ministry of Food Pilferage Committee. In January last he was awarded the O.B.E.

 

Mr. W. E. N. Growdon

Mr. Growdon was appointed by the India Office in 1920 to the Iraq Police here he served for nearly 20 years, holding a number of important posts. In 1927 he attended the Senior Colonial Police Officers’ Course at Scotland Yard. During the late war he was appointed to the Air Ministry Directorate of Intelligence, from which he resigned in 1946 to take up the appointment of Deputy Chief of Police of the Southern Railway. The following year he was promoted to Chief of Police. Mr. Growdon is the holder of the Order of Rafidain for distinguished Police Service, and the Pelonia Restituta.

 

Mr. G. J Shepherd

Mr. Shepherd spent his early Railway career in the Commercial and Operating Departments of the L. & N.E. Railway. He served through World War I and retired with the rank of Captain. In World War II he was awarded the M.B.E. for services in Persia and Iraq, and the O.B.E. for services in North-West Europe. He retired with the rank of Lieut.-Colonel. Mr. Shepherd was appointed Assistant Chief of Police (Southern Area) L.N.E.R. in April, 1946.

 

Mr. H. S. Cole

Mr. Cole joined the N.E. Railway as a Traffic Apprentice in 1909. After serving in the First World War he held a number of positions in the Goods and Traffic Depart­ments, and for three years was Overseas Trade Representative, Australasia. In 1929 he was appointed Docks Super­intendent at Hull, and in 1934 was appointed Chief of Police of the N.E. and Scottish Areas of the L. & N.E. Railway, a position he retained until the Railways were nationalised, when he became Chief of Police, N.E. Region.

 

Mr. G. E. Beynon

Mr. Beynon entered the service of the L. & N.W. Railway in 1916 as a junior clerk in South Wales. In 1923 he trans­ferred to the Police Department of the L.M. & S. Railway in London, where he served for 17 years attaining the rank of Inspector, transferring to Manchester as Chief Inspector and later to Birmingham. He was promoted to Superintendent at Glasgow in January, 1947, and appointed Chief of Police, Scottish Region, British Railways in January, 1948. He was awarded the B.E.M. for his Police services during the late war.

 

British Railways Police

On behalf of the Joint Central Conference of the British Railways Police I should like at this time of the year to wish all the mem­bers of the Railway Police throughout the country a bright, happy and prosperous New Year. We look back upon the past year as one of the most difficult the Railway Police have had to deal with. The Joint Central Conference look forward in the coming year to events that are likely to be of great im­portance and interest to every one. and give rise to problems which will have to be faced collectively. The Railway Police are much interested in the deliberations of the Oaksey Committee, and although we were not included in the terms of reference, we look forward to further enhancing the status and prestige of the Railway Police. At the moment it would be only guess work to endeavour to say what our plans are for the future, but we look ahead to that little bit of satisfaction which will bring contentment to every Railway Police officer. The recent application sub­mitted to the authorities is some assurance that the future will be safe in the hands of the Central Committee.

E. Collins, Chairman.

*****

 

Police Review article from 1949, as transcribed by Colin Sinclair
(with additional information on W.B. Richards).