Orders, Decorations and Medals

An Indian Police K.P.M. group of six awarded to Superintendent George Durrant, Indian Police, late Indian Army

King’s Police Medal, G.V.R., crowned head (George Durrant, Indian Police, Punjab); British War and Victory Medals (2.Lieut.); General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Iraq (Lieut.); Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937, very fine and better (6) £400-500

K.P.M. Gazette of India 1 February 1937:

‘Mr Durrant was appointed to the Indian Police in October 1922 after having served for several years in the Army during the Great War. In March 1934 he was posted to the Muzaffargarh District as Superintendent of Police. This district lying between the Indus and Chenab rivers, has always provided a peculiarly suitable field for the activities of the cattle thief, so much so that both police and public had almost come to regard the prevalence of this form of crime as an incurable evil. Mr Durrant refused to accept this state of affairs, and immediately devoted himself to organising a campaign against cattle thieves and the receivers of stolen cattle. Steps were taken to ensure that as many cases of cattle theft as possible were reported and investigated by the police. At the same time a complete reorganisation was carried out of the system of patrols, both on the rivers and on land. The results were soon seen, 219 animals valued at Rs. 12,934 being recovered in 1934 as compared with 33 in the previous year. The measures taken to deal with organised bands of Lohri cattle thieves from Sind were so successful that so far as is known there was not a single theft in the district in 1935 by criminals of this type. In that year 366 cases were registered on the recovery of stolen animals, and 429 animals valued at Rs. 20,005 were recovered. Convictions of the cattle thieves rose from 61 in 1933 to 120 in 1935, while no less than 211 receivers were convicted in the latter year as compared with 40 in 1933. These figures indicate a remarkable measure of success in dealing with a type of crime which presents peculiar difficulties in a locality which specially favours it. Mr Durrant’s tenure of the police charge of the Muzaffargarh district provides a landmark in its criminal administration and has earned him the gratitude of its inhabitants.’

George Durrant was mobilised in October 1914 for the Special Reserve, Royal Suffolk Regiment. He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in July 1918, and Lieutenant in the 19th Hyderabad Regiment in January 1919. He joined the Indian Police in 1922, becoming Superintemdent of Police (Criminal Investigation Department) in 1939, and Commandant of the Baluch Levy 1942-43. He retired in December 1949. Sold with further research including a group photograph of Punjab Police Officers taken in 1935.