Henry Cecil Prescott | |
---|---|
Born | Cheshire, England | 1 March 1882
Died | 3 August 1960 Saint Peter, Jersey | (aged 78)
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ |
British Army British India |
Years of service | 1900–28 |
Rank | Lieutenant-Colonel |
Unit |
Royal Welsh Fusiliers The South Wales Borderers |
Battles/wars |
South African War World War I |
Awards | CMG CIE MID |
Other work | Inspector-General of Iraq Police; Chief of Police, Southern Railways, India |
Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Cecil Prescott CMG CIE (1 March 1882 – 3 August 1960) was Inspector-General of Police in Iraq (1920–1935) and Chief of Police of the Southern Railway in India (1935–47). [1] [2]
Henry Cecil Prescott was born in Cheshire on 1 March 1882, the son of Arthur Edward Prescott (who had died at the time of the 1891 census) and Kathleen Ann Augusta Prescott. [3] [4] He was educated at Bedford Modern School. [2]
Prescott was commissioned in the 3rd ( Militia) Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and served as a lieutenant in the Second Boer War (1901–02), for which he received the Queen's Medal with five clasps. [2] While in South Africa, he received a commission in a regular regiment when he was appointed second lieutenant in The South Wales Borderers on 30 April 1902. [5] He stayed there for several months after the end of hostilities, returning home again on the SS Norman in late December 1902. [6] In 1903 he transferred to the Indian Army in the 69th Punjabis [7] until his appointment as Assistant Superintendent in the Burma Police in January 1908. [8] In December 1910 he was made District Superintendent of three districts in Burma. [8]
At the outbreak of World War I, Prescott rejoined the Indian Army; he was promoted Major in August 1916. [9] In June 1917 he was appointed Deputy Commissioner of the Iraq Police firstly in Basra and then in Baghdad. [9] In 1918 he was made Commissioner. [9] In 1920, Prescott was made Inspector-General of the Iraq Police until his resignation in 1935. [1] [10] In a statement of service, he later wrote, ‘If it had not been for the seizing of power by the opposition (many of the leaders of whom I had arrested and placed in prison for the safety of the country) I should have remained in command for some years longer’. [9]
Prescott was later made Chief of Police of the Southern Railway in India for 12 years until his retirement in 1947. [1]
During World War I he was mentioned in despatches and made a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) in 1919. [2] In 1926 he was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG), and towards the end of his service in Iraq he received the Order of the Two Rivers 2nd Class. [2] A collection of his medals were sold at auction on 2 March 2005. [11]
A keen polo player, Prescott was in the championship team of Iraq for 1933, 1934 and 1935. [9] He married Mary Augusta, daughter of Edward Chisholm. [1] They had two sons, one of whom was killed on active service in 1939. [1] Prescott eventually retired to St. Peter's, Jersey where he died on 3 August 1960. [9] [12] [13]
Henry Cecil Prescott | |
---|---|
Born | Cheshire, England | 1 March 1882
Died | 3 August 1960 Saint Peter, Jersey | (aged 78)
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ |
British Army British India |
Years of service | 1900–28 |
Rank | Lieutenant-Colonel |
Unit |
Royal Welsh Fusiliers The South Wales Borderers |
Battles/wars |
South African War World War I |
Awards | CMG CIE MID |
Other work | Inspector-General of Iraq Police; Chief of Police, Southern Railways, India |
Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Cecil Prescott CMG CIE (1 March 1882 – 3 August 1960) was Inspector-General of Police in Iraq (1920–1935) and Chief of Police of the Southern Railway in India (1935–47). [1] [2]
Henry Cecil Prescott was born in Cheshire on 1 March 1882, the son of Arthur Edward Prescott (who had died at the time of the 1891 census) and Kathleen Ann Augusta Prescott. [3] [4] He was educated at Bedford Modern School. [2]
Prescott was commissioned in the 3rd ( Militia) Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and served as a lieutenant in the Second Boer War (1901–02), for which he received the Queen's Medal with five clasps. [2] While in South Africa, he received a commission in a regular regiment when he was appointed second lieutenant in The South Wales Borderers on 30 April 1902. [5] He stayed there for several months after the end of hostilities, returning home again on the SS Norman in late December 1902. [6] In 1903 he transferred to the Indian Army in the 69th Punjabis [7] until his appointment as Assistant Superintendent in the Burma Police in January 1908. [8] In December 1910 he was made District Superintendent of three districts in Burma. [8]
At the outbreak of World War I, Prescott rejoined the Indian Army; he was promoted Major in August 1916. [9] In June 1917 he was appointed Deputy Commissioner of the Iraq Police firstly in Basra and then in Baghdad. [9] In 1918 he was made Commissioner. [9] In 1920, Prescott was made Inspector-General of the Iraq Police until his resignation in 1935. [1] [10] In a statement of service, he later wrote, ‘If it had not been for the seizing of power by the opposition (many of the leaders of whom I had arrested and placed in prison for the safety of the country) I should have remained in command for some years longer’. [9]
Prescott was later made Chief of Police of the Southern Railway in India for 12 years until his retirement in 1947. [1]
During World War I he was mentioned in despatches and made a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) in 1919. [2] In 1926 he was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG), and towards the end of his service in Iraq he received the Order of the Two Rivers 2nd Class. [2] A collection of his medals were sold at auction on 2 March 2005. [11]
A keen polo player, Prescott was in the championship team of Iraq for 1933, 1934 and 1935. [9] He married Mary Augusta, daughter of Edward Chisholm. [1] They had two sons, one of whom was killed on active service in 1939. [1] Prescott eventually retired to St. Peter's, Jersey where he died on 3 August 1960. [9] [12] [13]