Beschreibung:

A C.B., C.B.E., M.V.O., K.P.M. group of nine awarded to Assistant Commissioner W. V. Harrel, Dublin Metropolitan Police, later Commander, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Civil) Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1902; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Military) Commander’s 1st type neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel; The Royal Victorian Order, M.V.O. Member’s 4th Class breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel, the reverse officially numbered ‘185’; The Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knight of Grace’s set of insignia, comprising neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, with heraldic beasts in angles; Star, silver-gilt and enamel, plain angles, with gold retaining pin; King’s Police Medal, G.V.R., 1st issue (Wm. V. Harrel, M.V.O. Assist. Commr. Dublin Met. Pol.); British War Medal 1914-20 (Commr. W. V. Harrel. R.N.V.R.); Visit to Ireland 1903 (W. V. Harrel. M.V.O. Asst. Comm. D.M.P.) with damaged integral top shamrock suspension bar; Coronation 1911, unnamed as issued; Visit to Ireland 1911, unnamed as issued, generally good very fine (10) £1,800-£2,200 Footnote C.B. London Gazette 14 June 1912: William Vesey Harrel, Esq., M.V.O. C.B.E. London Gazette 1 April 1919: Commander William Vesey Harrel, C.B., M.V.O., R.N.V.R. ‘For valuable services on the Staff of the Commander-in-Chief, Queenstown’. M.V.O. 4th Class London Gazette 11 August 1903: William Vesey Harrel, Esq., Assistant Commissioner of Police, Dublin ‘On the occasion of His Majesty’s visit to Ireland.’ Order of St. John, Knight of Grace London Gazette 15 August 1902 K.P.M. London Gazette 1 January 1911: William Vesey Harrel, M.V.O., Assistant Commissioner, Dublin Metropolitan Police. The original Recommendation states: ‘For twenty-four years’ service distinguished by success in administration and by special political and secret services. He has also rendered service on the occasion of Royal visits.’ William Vesey Harrel was born in Tyrone on 22 July 1866 and joined the Dublin Metropolitan Police as a Cadet on 9 April 1886. He was promoted 3rd Class District Inspector on 24 May 1886, and 2nd Class District Inspector on 8 February 1890. He was appointed to the Divisional Commissioner’s Staff on 20 August 1893, and was appointed Inspector of Prisons in Ireland on 29 September 1898. On 4 January 1902 Harrel was appointed Assistant Commissioner of the Dublin Metropolitan Police operating out of Dublin Castle. He was heavily involved in the Royal Visits of 1903 (for which he was created a Member Fourth Class of the Royal Victorian Order) and 1911; and for his services as Assistant Commissioner was created a Companion of the Order of the Bath (Civil Division) in 1912, as well as being awarded the King’s Police Medal, which he was presented with by the Lord Lieutenant at Dublin Castle on 15 February 1911. In 1914 Harrel was one of the principal participants in the confrontation with about eight hundred Irish Volunteers who, armed with illegal weapons, were marching towards Dublin. At about 4:30 p.m., on 26 July 1914, Harrel, together with officers from the Dublin Metropolitan Police, intercepted the marchers at Malahide Road whereupon the leaders of the Volunteers had a parley with the Assistant Commissioner who demanded that they give up their rifles. They refused and so they were informed that the military were on hand, armed and prepared to fire if need be. In his evidence to the Royal Commission, Sergeant Sullivan stated, ’Captain Cobden, of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, gave an order to his men to load; and accordingly at that point the rifles of one hundred of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers were loaded. And when we come to a later period you will find that they were never unloaded until they reached the barracks at a much later hour in the evening; and still more regrettable, the senior officer who subsequently took command over the hundred men, marched them through the city with loaded