Eric Charles Handyside (3 November 1881 – 1 April 1926) was a British policeman who served as Officiating Commandant of the North West Frontier Police in what is today

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. Handyside received several commendations for his service there. Handyside was born in

St. Petersburg, Russia Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, a son of James Andrew Handyside, a Scottish merchant resident there, and his wife, the former Jessie McIntosh. His sister, Muriel Handyside, would go on to found a library in Baghdad that would become one of the only public libraries in the country in the 1920s. Handyside joined the

Indian Police Service The Indian Police Service ( IPS) is a civil service under the All India Services. It replaced the Indian Imperial Police in 1948, a year after India became independent from the British Raj. Along with the Indian Administrative Service (IAS ...

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

in 1901 as an Assistant Superintendent, and was promoted to Superintendent in 1909. In 1913, he transferred to the North West Frontier Police and, in 1920, he was promoted to Senior Superintendent. He became District Superintendent in Peshawar in 1921. In 1922, Handyside was named as Officiating Commandant, N.W.F.P. and was confirmed in that post in 1924. In 1911, Handyside was awarded the

King's Police Medal The King's Police Medal (KPM) is awarded to police in the United Kingdom for gallantry or distinguished service. It was also formerly awarded within the wider British Empire, including Commonwealth countries, most of which now have their own hono ...

for his part in capturing a gang of escaped convicts. He was awarded a Bar to his King's Police Medal in 1918. He was ‘mentioned in despatches’ for distinguished service in support of the military operations during the Waziristan Revolt in 1919–20. In 1921, Handyside was honoured by appointment as an Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(O.B.E.) "for services during the operations against Afghanistan". In 1923, he was appointed Commander of the Indian Empire (C.I.E.). Handyside was killed in action in

Mathra Mathra is a village in Kollam district in the Indian state of Kerala, located near the town of Punalur. It is the headquarters of Mathra Grama Panchayat, a fertile area in which many residents are engaged in farming.. It is surrounded by hills ...

, near

Peshawar Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...

, during a routine operation to arrest two outlaws in 1926. In a tribute paid to him in the

British House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 mem ...

, the Earl Winterton, Under-Secretary of State for India, noted that "During 14 years' service on the frontier he established a reputation for personal bravery, tenacity and chivalry that has rarely been equalled."Hansard, 20 July 1926, Commons Sitting: vol. 198, cc.1065-190.

Bibliography

* Coatman, J. ''Eric Charles Handyside, C.I.E., O.B.E., Indian Polic''e. Tunbridge Wells, c. 1962.

References

Indian police officers killed in the line of duty 1881 births 1926 deaths {{India-law-bio-stub