Richard Austin James (26 November 1922 – 10 September 2008), known as Jimmy James, was a British civil servant.

Life

Born in Sutton Valence, Kent on 26 November 1922, he volunteered early for service in the armed forces, mobilising on 1 September 1939, arriving in France in October 1939 and leaving during the

Dunkirk evacuation The Dunkirk evacuation, codenamed Operation Dynamo and also known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, or just Dunkirk, was the evacuation of more than 338,000 Allied soldiers during the Second World War from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, in the ...

on 1 June the following year. From July 1941 to June 1943 he served with the Royal West Kent Regiment on Malta, receiving two

mentions in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

before being transferred to the Dodecanese campaign as part of the Regiment's 2nd Battalion, where he liaised with partisans on Samos. He was awarded the Military Cross for his conduct during the Battle of Leros in 1943, but became a prisoner of war after the allied surrender in that theatre on 16 November 1943. Believing he had important military information, probably relating to his work with partisans, the Germans repeatedly interrogated him and placed him in solitary confinement. At Oflag 79 he and other prisoners set up the Brunswick Club, intended to contribute to a more peaceful world in "which all wished to see emerge from the desolation of war" and still existing in

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...

. After his liberation and demobilisation, he studied at the University of Cambridge, came first in the Civil Service examinations and opted for the Home Office. He married Joan Boorer in 1948. His final post before retirement was from 1977 to 1980 as Receiver of the Metropolitan Police. He gained the CB in the

1980 New Year Honours The 1980 New Year Honours were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced on 31 December 1979 to celeb ...

to mark his retirement at the rank of Deputy Under Secretary. In retirement he served in a number of roles in the Distressed Gentlefolks' Aid Association, including Chief Executive Officer. James died on 10 September 2008, at the age of 85.

References

1922 births 2008 deaths People from Sutton Valence Companions of the Order of the Bath Receivers of the Metropolitan Police Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment officers British Army personnel of World War II Recipients of the Military Cross English civil servants Alumni of the University of Cambridge Military personnel from Kent {{UK-bio-stub