| Notes: | General List. 1944 DPM 8th Army.
Extract from the Hastings & St Leonards Observer. 19/12/1954. Hastings New Police Chief is a Sussex Man. London Superintendent of wide Experience.
After sitting for eight hours and interviewing nine applicants on the short list, the Watch Committee on Wednesday deiced to appoint Mr James Robert Archer-Burton, OBE, age 42, at present Superintendent in charge of the Chelsea Sub-Division of the Metropolitan Police, as Chief Constable of Hastings. It is hoped that Mr Archer-Burton will take up his appointment at Hastings not later than February 1.
He succeeds Lt Colonel A G Cargill, aged 47 who retired about two months ago on grounds of ill health after 12 years service.
Mr Archer-Burton who at present lives at 17 Courtlands Avenue, Hampton on Thames, Middlesex has personal associations with Sussex and Hastings, for he was born at Pevensy Bay on September 30, 1912 and married Miss Jean Ticklerof Datchet, Bucks, who was a pupil at Hollington OPark School, St Leonards and subsequently served on the school staff as an assistant matron during the war years. They have two children aged eight and six.
Mr Arther-Burton was educated at the Imperial Service College, Windsor, now Hallebury and Imperial Service College, a school prefect and captain of his house and captain of the boats. Previously, from the age of eight to twelve, he was educated in the United States of America.
From January to March 1934 he was a student at the Metropolitan Police Training School and from September 1935, to June 1937, at the Metropolitan Police College at Hendon where he was appointed a cadet officer.
ON THE BEAT. He joined the Metropolitan Police as a constable on March 26, 1934, and was posted to Hammersmith Division and served as a uniformed constable on beat duty for 19 months.
Having passed his probationary examinations he was attached to CID, and in September 1935 was selected from the ranks for a reserved vacancy at the Metropolitan Police College.
On leaving the college he was posted for nine months to Croydon for further practical training and during this period he performed all the duties from those of section sergeant in charge of a relief to those of inspector in charge of a station. He also worked with he CID at Scotland Yard.
From March 1938 until May 1940 he was appointed Station Inspector and posted to East Ham Division where he became second in charge of a sub-division with a war establishment of 10 inspectors ? Sergeants and 450 constables.
During the Battle of Britain he was mainly concerned with the enforcement of Public Order Act in the East End of London and assisting at bomb incidents .
MILITARY SERVICE. From September 19, 1940 until February 5, 1948, he was on military service, and on his return to the Metropolitan Police he was promoted Sub-Divisional Inspector and posted to the Rotherhithe and Deptford Sub Division in the Surrey Dock area. Through housing difficulties he was re-posted to the Staines Sub-Division, where he was up-graded to Chief Inspector.
The Staines Sub-Division, where he was up-graded to Chief Inspector.
The Staines Sub-Division of which he was in complete charge for 5 1/2 years, is an area of 44 square miles of West Middlesex, the largest sub-division in the Metropolitan Police with a population of more than 250,000 and a police establishment of 234 all ranks.
In October, 1953, Mr Archer-Burton was promoted to Superintendent and subsequently appointed officer-in-charge of district transport thus becoming responsible for the traffic patrols and traffic accident groups covering an eighth of the Metropolitan District.
On April 1, 1954 he was further promoted to Superintendent (grade 1) and was appointed Superintedent in charge of police arrangements in the Metropolitan borough of Chelsea. His area includes parts of the City of Westminster and the Royal borough of Kensington, and he has an establishment under his command of 308 all ranks and a civilian staff of 43.
He works in close co-operation with the Chelsea Borough Council and served on their Accident Prevention Committee.
ON "MONTY'S STAFF" Mr Archer-Burton has also had a notable military career in 1940 he was released from the Metropolitan Police for service in the Army Provost Staff and granted a direct commission as 2nd Lieutenant. In February 1941, he was promoted captain and given command of a Police Company in Northern Ireland and was subsequently appointed to the Staff as Deputy Provost Marshal. In April 1942 he was promoted Major and appointed Assistant Provost Marshal of the 44 Home Counties Division.
In January 1943 he was promoted Lieut Colonel and appointed Deputy Provost Marshall of Cyrenaica and later of Tripolitania and during this time he assisted with the establishment of the Libyan Arab Police Force.
He was selected as Deputy Provost Marshal to the Eight Army on the Staff of Field Marshall Viscount Montgomery and continued to serve in this capacity on the Staff of tow succeeding Army Commanders, and was subsequently appointed Deputy Provost Marshal to the British Occupation Forces in Austria. From this appointment he returned to the Metropolitan Police.
Mr Archer-Burton was wounded during the Battle of El Alamein. he was awarded the OBE (Military) in 1944 and twice Mentioned in Dispatches.
HOSPITAL WORK Before joining the Metropolitan Police, Mr Archer-Burton served on the administrative staff of St Thomas's Hospital from 1930 to 1933. He has travelled abroad, having lived in the United States from 1919 to 1924, and later visited most countries in Europe between 1937 and 1954.
He was an all-round sportsman having represented his school and Metropolitan Police College in most team games. he plays golf, enjoys sculling and riding and is a keen shot. He holds the bronze medal for live saving. He is hon. treasurer of the 1st Hampton hill Sea Scout Group. |
