Sir Ronald Martin Howe

CVO CVO may refer to: Science and technology * Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, Washington, US * Chief veterinary officer, the head of a veterinary authority * Circumventricular organs, positioned around the ventricular system of the brain * Co ...

MC (5 September 1896 – 30 August 1977) was an

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barrister and

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest a ...

officer in the

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

Metropolitan Police. Howe was the son of a

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. He was educated at

Westminster School Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It derives from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the 1066 Norman Conquest, as d ...

, where he was

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, and Christ Church, Oxford. He was commissioned into the 3rd Battalion,

Royal Sussex Regiment The Royal Sussex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was in existence from 1881 to 1966. The regiment was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 35th (Royal Sussex) Regiment of Foot ...

in 1915 and served until 1919. He was wounded in 1917, was promoted acting

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

in December 1917, won the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

(MC) in 1918 as a company commander with the 7th Battalion, and was promoted Temporary Captain in September 1918. He resigned his commission in April 1920. In 1924, he was called to the bar by the

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and joined the staff of the

Director of Public Prosecutions The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is the office or official charged with the prosecution of criminal offences in several criminal jurisdictions around the world. The title is used mainly in jurisdictions that are or have been members of ...

. In February 1932, he was appointed Chief Constable (

CID CID may refer to: Film * ''C.I.D.'' (1955 film), an Indian Malayalam film * ''C.I.D.'' (1956 film), an Indian Hindi film * ''C. I. D.'' (1965 film), an Indian Telugu film * ''C.I.D.'' (1990 film), an Indian Hindi film Television * ''CID'' ( ...

) in the Metropolitan Police, so that there were briefly two CID Chief Constables ( John Ashley being the other). He was, however, promoted to Deputy Assistant Commissioner (CID) on 1 November 1933 and served in the post until 1945, when he was appointed Assistant Commissioner "C" (Crime). In 1953, he was appointed

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 ...

. He retired on 20 January 1957."Sir Ronald Howe to Retire", ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ...

'', 8 June 1956 From 1945 to 1957, he also served as British Representative on the

International Criminal Police Commission The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...

. After his retirement, he became chairman of Group 4 Total Security. In 1976 he retired from that post too, becoming the company's president. Howe was appointed

Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, ...

(CVO) in 1950 and was knighted in 1955. He wrote ''The Pursuit of Crime'' (1961) and ''The Story of Scotland Yard'' (1965).

Footnotes

References

*Obituary, ''

'', 1 September 1977

External links

Photographic portraits of Howe in the National Portrait Gallery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Howe, Ronald 1896 births 1977 deaths People educated at Westminster School, London Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Royal Sussex Regiment officers British Army personnel of World War I Recipients of the Military Cross English barristers Members of the Inner Temple Assistant Commissioners of Police of the Metropolis Deputy Commissioners of Police of the Metropolis Knights Bachelor Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order 20th-century English lawyers