Percy Laurie
Encyclopedia
Major-General Sir Percy Robert Laurie KCVO
CBE
DSO
(5 November 1880 – 16 February 1962) was a British Army
and police
officer.
Laurie was born in Sevenoaks
, Kent
, and educated at Harrow School
. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant
in the 3rd London Volunteer Rifle Corps in August 1901 and transferred to the Regular Army in the Royal Scots Greys in March 1902. He was promoted Lieutenant
in October 1903. In October 1909 he was appointed regimental adjutant
. In August 1911 he became ADC
to General Sir Charles Douglas, General Officer Commanding
Southern Command
, and was promoted Captain in October 1911, in March 1912 he accompanied Douglas as ADC when he became Inspector-General of the Home Forces, and in 1914 he accompanied him again as personal assistant to the Chief of the Imperial General Staff.
During the First World War he served successively as assistant provost-marshal of a cavalry
division and a corps
. He was mentioned in despatches six times and in January 1916 was promoted Brevet
Major
and awarded the Distinguished Service Order
(DSO). He was promoted Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel in November 1917 and appointed provost-marshal of the Fourth Army and later the Second Army. He also received the Belgian Croix de Guerre in March 1918, the French Croix de Guerre in November 1918, the Order of Leopold and the Order of the Crown of Belgium, and the Order of the Crown of Italy
.
In February 1919 he went on half-pay
and was appointed Deputy Assistant Commissioner "A"
in the Metropolitan Police
in London
, in command of the Mounted Branch and with direct supervision of the four police districts under the Assistant Commissioner "A"
. In July 1919 he was promoted substantive Major in the Army and in October 1919 he formally retired with the substantive rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He was put in charge of restoring morale following the 1919 police strike and also organised the policing of the victory march and other commemorations of the war. He pioneered police aviation
and organised the first experiments in Britain with using the airship
R33
to watch the crowds on Derby Day
in 1921. Under his command, the Metropolitan Police Mounted Branch training depot at Imber Court was established. He also pioneered the use of police dog
s in Britain. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1923 New Year Honours.
In June 1933, Laurie was appointed Assistant Commissioner "D"
, responsible for policy and planning. In this post, he planned the policing for the Silver Jubilee
of King George V
. Laurie's own horse, Quicksilver, was a favourite of Londoners. Laurie acquired him in France in April 1916 and he was slightly wounded by shrapnel at the Battle of the Somme. He bore his master on every state occasion from 1919 until Laurie's retirement in July 1936. Laurie also established the Metropolitan Police Athletic Association. He was appointed Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in the 1935 New Year Honours.
On the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, Laurie came out of retirement to serve as Assistant Chief Constable
of the War Department Constabulary. In July 1940 he was appointed Provost-Marshal of the United Kingdom with the rank of Brigadier
and served in this post, being promoted to the local rank of Major-General in July 1942, until July 1943, when he once again retired. This followed his suspension for ration book offences after he obtained Army ration cards as well as his civilian ration book. He was convicted and fined, although his conviction was later quashed on appeal after the Appeals Committee accepted he had simply made a mistake. He was reinstated, but he then asked to retire and was granted the honorary rank of Brigadier.
From 1939 to 1946 he was also Land Tax and Income Tax
Commissioner for Wiltshire
and was County Welfare Officer for the Wiltshire Army Cadet Force
from 1944 to 1946. He was a Justice of the Peace
from 1933.
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(5 November 1880 – 16 February 1962) was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
officer.
Laurie was born in Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks is a commuter town situated on the London fringe of west Kent, England, some 20 miles south-east of Charing Cross, on one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, and educated at Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the 3rd London Volunteer Rifle Corps in August 1901 and transferred to the Regular Army in the Royal Scots Greys in March 1902. He was promoted Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in October 1903. In October 1909 he was appointed regimental adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
. In August 1911 he became ADC
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to General Sir Charles Douglas, General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
Southern Command
Southern Command (United Kingdom)
-History:The Command was established in 1905 from the Second Army Corps and was initially based at Tidworth but in 1949 moved to Fugglestone Farm near Wilton in Wiltshire....
, and was promoted Captain in October 1911, in March 1912 he accompanied Douglas as ADC when he became Inspector-General of the Home Forces, and in 1914 he accompanied him again as personal assistant to the Chief of the Imperial General Staff.
During the First World War he served successively as assistant provost-marshal of a cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
division and a corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
. He was mentioned in despatches six times and in January 1916 was promoted Brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
and awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(DSO). He was promoted Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel in November 1917 and appointed provost-marshal of the Fourth Army and later the Second Army. He also received the Belgian Croix de Guerre in March 1918, the French Croix de Guerre in November 1918, the Order of Leopold and the Order of the Crown of Belgium, and the Order of the Crown of Italy
Order of the Crown of Italy
The Order of the Crown of Italy was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861...
.
In February 1919 he went on half-pay
Half-pay
In the British Army and Royal Navy of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, half-pay referred to the pay or allowance an officer received when in retirement or not in actual service....
and was appointed Deputy Assistant Commissioner "A"
Deputy Assistant Commissioner
Deputy assistant commissioner is a rank in London's Metropolitan Police Service between assistant commissioner and commander. It is equivalent to deputy chief constable in other British police forces and wears the same insignia: a pip above crossed tipstaves within a wreath.The rank was introduced...
in the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, in command of the Mounted Branch and with direct supervision of the four police districts under the Assistant Commissioner "A"
Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, usually just Assistant Commissioner , is the third highest rank in London's Metropolitan Police, ranking below Deputy Commissioner and above Deputy Assistant Commissioner. There are usually four officers in the rank...
. In July 1919 he was promoted substantive Major in the Army and in October 1919 he formally retired with the substantive rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He was put in charge of restoring morale following the 1919 police strike and also organised the policing of the victory march and other commemorations of the war. He pioneered police aviation
Police aviation in the United Kingdom
Police aviation in United Kingdom provides the British police with an aerial support unit to assist them in pursuit, surveillance and tracking....
and organised the first experiments in Britain with using the airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
R33
R33
The R33 class of British rigid airships were built for the Royal Naval Air Service during World War I, but were not completed until after the end of hostilities as part of the Royal Air Force. The lead ship, R33, went on to serve successfully for ten years and survived one of the most alarming and...
to watch the crowds on Derby Day
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
in 1921. Under his command, the Metropolitan Police Mounted Branch training depot at Imber Court was established. He also pioneered the use of police dog
Police dog
A police dog, often referred to as a "K-9 dog" in some areas , is a dog that is trained specifically to assist police and other law-enforcement personnel in their work...
s in Britain. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1923 New Year Honours.
In June 1933, Laurie was appointed Assistant Commissioner "D"
Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, usually just Assistant Commissioner , is the third highest rank in London's Metropolitan Police, ranking below Deputy Commissioner and above Deputy Assistant Commissioner. There are usually four officers in the rank...
, responsible for policy and planning. In this post, he planned the policing for the Silver Jubilee
Silver Jubilee
A Silver Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 25th anniversary. The anniversary celebrations can be of a wedding anniversary, ruling anniversary or anything that has completed a 25 year mark...
of King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
. Laurie's own horse, Quicksilver, was a favourite of Londoners. Laurie acquired him in France in April 1916 and he was slightly wounded by shrapnel at the Battle of the Somme. He bore his master on every state occasion from 1919 until Laurie's retirement in July 1936. Laurie also established the Metropolitan Police Athletic Association. He was appointed Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in the 1935 New Year Honours.
On the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, Laurie came out of retirement to serve as Assistant Chief Constable
Assistant Chief Constable
Assistant chief constable is the third highest rank in all British territorial police forces , as well as the British Transport Police, Ministry of Defence Police and...
of the War Department Constabulary. In July 1940 he was appointed Provost-Marshal of the United Kingdom with the rank of Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
and served in this post, being promoted to the local rank of Major-General in July 1942, until July 1943, when he once again retired. This followed his suspension for ration book offences after he obtained Army ration cards as well as his civilian ration book. He was convicted and fined, although his conviction was later quashed on appeal after the Appeals Committee accepted he had simply made a mistake. He was reinstated, but he then asked to retire and was granted the honorary rank of Brigadier.
From 1939 to 1946 he was also Land Tax and Income Tax
Income tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
Commissioner for Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
and was County Welfare Officer for the Wiltshire Army Cadet Force
Army Cadet Force
The Army Cadet Force is a British youth organisation that offers progressive training in a multitude of the subjects from military training to adventurous training and first aid, at the same time as promoting achievement, discipline, and good citizenship, to boys and girls aged 12 to 18 and 9...
from 1944 to 1946. He was a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
from 1933.