A Day On Wikipedia

Bacon joined the Metropolitan Police as a [[Constable]] in 1928 and later attended [[Hendon Police College]]. In May 1940 he was commissioned into the [[British Army]] as a [[Provost Marshal]] on the [[General List]].<ref>{{LondonGazette |issue=34872 |date=[[14 June]] [[1940]] |startpage=3598 |supp=yes}}</ref> By December 1941, when he was [[mentioned in despatches]] for his service in the [[Western Desert Campaign|Western Desert]], he held the local rank of [[Major]], although his substantive rank was [[Lieutenant]].<ref>{{LondonGazette |issue=35396 |date=[[26 December]] [[1941]] |startpage=7349 |supp=yes}}</ref> He was later promoted [[Lieutenant-Colonel]] and in 1942 was appointed Deputy Provost Marshal of the [[British Ninth Army|Ninth Army]].

In November 1943 he was seconded to the [[Colonial Police Service]] as Deputy [[Inspector-General]] of the [[Ceylon Police]], and was promoted Inspector-General in 1944. His Deputy Inspector-General was [[John Waldron (police officer)|John Waldron]], another Hendon graduate who was later to succeed him as both Assistant Commissioner ‘A’ and Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

In 1947 he returned to Britain as [[Chief Constable]] of the [[Devon County Constabulary]], and held the post until his appointment as [[Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis|Assistant Commissioner ‘A’]] of the Metropolitan Police, in charge of administration and territorial policing, on [[1 November]] [[1961]].<ref>’Metropolis Post for Chief Constable’, ”[[The Times]]”, [[29 June]] [[1961]]</ref> He was awarded the [[King’s Police and Fire Services Medal]] in the 1953 New Year Honours.<ref>{{LondonGazette |issue=39732 |date=[[30 December]] [[1952]] |startpage=34 |supp=yes}}</ref> In 1963, he was appointed Assistant Commissioner ‘C’, in charge of the [[Criminal Investigation Department]].<ref>’Senior Changes at Scotland Yard’, ”[[The Times]]”, [[1 June]] [[1963]]</ref> At a press conference on [[31 December]] [[1964]], he urged the public to ‘have a go’ if they saw an armed robbery taking place, which was criticised as irresponsible by many.<ref>’No Uncontrollable Crime Wave, Police Say’, ”[[The Times]]”, [[1 January]] [[1965]]</ref> He was [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]] in the 1966 New Year Honours.<ref>{{LondonGazette |issue=43854 |date=[[31 December]] [[1965]] |startpage=1 |supp=yes}}</ref>

In 1966 he briefly served as [[Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis|Deputy Commissioner]], from 8 April to his retirement in October.<ref>’Two Police Chiefs Promoted’, ”[[The Times]]”, [[16 March]] [[1966]]</ref>

{{start box}}
{{s-civ|pol}}
{{succession box | title=[[Ceylon Police|Deputy Inspector-General of Police of Ceylon]] | years=1943–1944 | before=Unknown | after=[[John Waldron (police officer)|John Waldron]]}}
{{succession box | title=[[Ceylon Police|Inspector-General of Police of Ceylon]] | years=1944–1947 | before=[[Gordon Halland]] | after=[[Richard Aluwihare]]}}
{{succession box | title=[[Devon County Constabulary|Chief Constable of Devon]] | years=1947–1961 | before=[[Lyndon Morris]] | after=[[Robert Greenwood]]}}
{{succession box | title=[[Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis|Assistant Commissioner ‘A’, Metropolitan Police]] | years=1961–1963 | before=[[Douglas Webb (police officer)|Douglas Webb]] | after=[[John Waldron (police officer)|Sir John Waldron]]}}
{{succession box | title=[[Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis|Assistant Commissioner ‘C’, Metropolitan Police]] | years=1963–1966 | before=[[Richard Jackson (police officer)|Sir Richard Jackson]] | after=[[Peter Brodie]]}}
{{succession box | title=[[Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis]] | years=1966 | before=[[Douglas Webb (police officer)|Douglas Webb]] | after=[[John Waldron (police officer)|Sir John Waldron]]}}
{{end box}}

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
*’Metropolis Post for Chief Constable’, ”[[The Times]]”, [[29 June]] [[1961]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bacon, Ranulph}}
[[Category:1900s births]]
[[Category:British Army General List officers]]
[[Category:British colonial police officers]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan Inspector Generals of Police]]
[[Category:British Chief Constables]]
[[Category:Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioners]]
[[Category:Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioners]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Queen’s Police Medal]]