Major Philip Margetson MC

Philip Margetson was born in 1894 in Southwark. He is not listed in the 1901 census, and may have been living in Scotland, since, during the Great War, he served with the Royal Scots Fusiliers. He was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry in June 1916.

He joined the police, becoming a senior officer at Scotland Yard, and was later to be appointed Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

In January 1945 the London Gazette stated that he ceased to be on the reserve of officers (due to age), and he does not appear to have had an active role in the Second War. He was appointed an Officer (brother) in the Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in January 1947, and Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in January 1948. The Royal Victorian Order is in the gift of the sovereign for service to the Royal Family; the government has no part to play in nominations or approvals for this order, so it is reasonable to assume that Margetson had been responsible for police protection to the Royal Family. He was subsequently raised to Knight Commander – KCVO – on his retirement from the Metropolitan Police. He was also given the Queen’s Police Medal for distinguished service. When he was knighted, in the June 1956 Queen’s Birthday Honours, he was described as being of Bembridge, Isle of Wight. After his retirement he moved to London and among other things, was appointed chairman of Securicor, a company set up after the war by Henry Tiarks, Frank’s son.

His eldest son, Nicholas Margetson features on the Chislehurst war memorial, Nicholas was a member of the Grenadier Guards 6th Battalion (many of whose members came from Chislehurst) and was killed in action in Tunisia, 17 March 1943. He has a headstone at the Sfax War Cemetery.