Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Sir Maurice Charles Andrew Drummond, (30 November 1877 – 21 February 1957) was a British soldier, senior Metropolitan Police officer and, to date, the longest-serving

Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis The Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, commonly referred to simply as the Deputy Commissioner, is the second-in-command of London's Metropolitan Police Service. The rank is senior to Assistant Commissioner, but junior by one ra ...

Family

He was the second son of James Drummond, 8th Viscount Strathallan (1839–1893) by his second wife Margaret, daughter of William Smythe of

Methven Castle Methven Castle is a privately owned 17th-century house situated east of Methven, in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. History The lands of Methven were owned by the Mowbray family from the 12th century. The Mowbrays supported the claim of John Bal ...

Eric Drummond, 7th Earl of Perth James Eric Drummond, 7th Earl of Perth, (17 August 1876 – 15 December 1951), was a British politician and diplomat who was the first Secretary-General of the League of Nations from 1920 to 1933. Quiet and unassuming, he succeeded in building ...

was his elder brother. On 4 May 1904 he married Ida Mary, daughter of George James Drummond of

Swaylands Swaylands is a private parkland estate set high upon the Weald, Kentish Weald, on the edge of the village of Penshurst in the Sevenoaks District, Sevenoaks district of Kent, England. The Estate is situated between the market town of Tonbridge a ...

House,

Penshurst Penshurst is a historic village and civil parishes in England, civil parish located in a valley upon the northern slopes of the Weald, Kentish Weald, at the confluence of the River Medway and the River Eden, Kent, River Eden, within the Seveno ...

, by his wife Elizabeth Cecile Sophia (née Norman), a granddaughter of John Henry Manners, 5th Duke of Rutland; they had issue and she died on 11 December 1966. Their granddaughter Gilian Elfrida Astley Elfin Soames was the first wife of Francis Egerton Grosvenor, 6th Baron Ebury, now the 8th

Earl of Wilton Earl of Wilton, of Wilton Castle in the County of Herefordshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1801 for Thomas Egerton, 1st Earl of Wilton, Thomas Egerton, 1st Baron Grey de Wilton, along with the subsidiary ...

Military service

Commissioned into the 3rd Battalion of the

Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The regiment was created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, when the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment ...

as a second lieutenant on 6 January 1897, Drummond was subsequently appointed a second lieutenant in a line battalion on 20 May 1899, and went with the 2nd battalion to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

in October 1899 following the outbreak of the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

that month. He served throughout the war, took part in operations in

Cape Colony The Cape Colony (), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope. It existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with three ...

, south of the

Orange River The Orange River (from Afrikaans/Dutch language, Dutch: ''Oranjerivier'') is a river in Southern Africa. It is the longest river in South Africa. With a total length of , the Orange River Basin extends from Lesotho into South Africa and Namibi ...

, in 1899; and in the advance to relieve Kimberley, during which he was severely wounded in the

Battle of Magersfontein The Battle of MagersfonteinSpelt incorrectly in various English texts as "Majersfontein", "Maaghersfontein" and "Maagersfontein". ( ) was fought on 11 December 1899, at Magersfontein, near Kimberley, Northern Cape, Kimberley, South Africa, on t ...

(December 1899). After returning to active service he was promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

on 5 September 1900. Following the end of this war he left Point Natal for

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

on the SS ''Ionian'' in October 1902 with other officers and men of his battalion, which after arrival in Bombay was stationed in

Sialkot Sialkot (Punjabi language, Punjabi, ) is a city located in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the capital of the Sialkot District and the List of most populous cities in Pakistan, 12th most populous city in Pakistan. The boundaries of Sialkot are joined ...

Umballa Ambala () is a city and a municipal corporation in Ambala district in the state of Haryana, India, located on the border with the Indian state of Punjab and in proximity to both states capital Chandigarh. Politically, Ambala has two sub-area ...

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

. Promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

on 15 February 1906, he served as an aide-de-camp to Sir Bruce Hamilton, the

General Officer Commanding-in-Chief General officer commanding (GOC) is the usual title given in the armies of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth (and some other nations, such as Ireland) to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC ...

Scottish Command Scottish Command or Army Headquarters Scotland (from 1972) is a Command (military formation), command of the British Army. History Early history Great Britain was divided into military districts on the outbreak of Anglo-French War (1793–180 ...

, from 1912 to 1913. He rejoined his regiment in January 1914. Drummond served during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

as a Deputy Assistant Adjutant General from 1915 to 1917. Promoted to major on 1 September 1915, he was awarded the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful ...

(DSO) in 1916. and appointed a Chevalier of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

in 1917) and Assistant Adjutant General from 1917 to 1918. He was mentioned in despatches by Field Marshal Haig on 9 November 1917, and received a brevet promotion to lieutenant-colonel on 1 January 1918. He was appointed a Companion of the

Order of St. Michael and St. George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George I ...

(CMG) in the

1919 New Year Honours The 1919 New Year Honours were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the British Empire. The appointments were published in ''The London Gazette'' and ''The Times'' in Janu ...

list. After the War he was again an AAG from 1920 to 1923. Promoted to colonel on 6 January 1923, he served as deputy director (staff duties) at the

Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force and civil aviation that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the ...

from 1923 to 1927. His final appointment was as the Assistant Quartermaster General, Eastern Command, from 1927 to 1931. He retired from the army on 5 October 1932.

Police service

Drummond was a Deputy Assistant Commissioner in the Metropolitan Police from 1933 to 1935, Assistant Commissioner in 1935 and

Deputy Commissioner A deputy commissioner is a police, income tax or administrative official in many countries. The rank is commonplace in police forces of Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, usually ranking below the Commissioner. Australia In all Aust ...

from 1935 to 1946. He was made an Officer of the

Venerable Order of St John The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (), commonly known as the Order of St John, and also known as St John International, is an order of chivalry constituted in 1888 by royal charter from Queen Victoria and dedica ...

in 1938 and a Knight Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in the

Birthday Honours The Birthday Honours, in some Commonwealth realms, mark the reigning monarch's official birthday in each realm by granting various individuals appointment into national or dynastic orders or the award of decorations and medals. The honours are ...

of 1939.

Footnotes

External links

*
Photographic portraits of Drummond in the National Portrait Gallery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drummond, Maurice Black Watch officers 20th-century Deputy Commissioners of Police of the Metropolis 1877 births 1957 deaths Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Companions of the Distinguished Service Order 20th-century Assistant Commissioners of Police of the Metropolis British Army personnel of World War I