Royal Papua and New Guinea Constabulary

Royal Papua and New Guinea Constabulary

Death of Colonel John Grimshaw

The death has occurred of the first Australian Army officer in World War 11 to be decorated, Colonel John Spillard Grimshaw, of Victor Harbor.

Colonel Grimshaw was highly decorated for bravery during distinguished service with the Australian Army from 1939 to 1946 in Greece, Crete, the Middle East, Papua New Guinea, Borneo, and New Brittain. He was awarded the Military Cross in Greece in 1941 while a military policeman on point duty as Australian and English troops were withdrawing; the Knight of St John in the Middle East when he helped three wounded men although injured himself; Efficiency Decoration:

? Colonel John Grimshaw. ?

and Mentioned in Dispatches 10 times. He was also awarded several French decorations and the American Silver Star. Colonel Grimshaw was originally from Scarborough, Yorkshire. He joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman, and while in the Navy visited Australia, which he liked so much that he returned in the 1920s. In South Australia, he became a police mounted constable and his service included country areas. At one stage, he received an award for rescuing a boy who had fallen down a mine. At the outbreak of World War 11, Colonel Grimshaw had risen to the post of chief instructor of the police, and in 1937 had been a South Australian representative to the Coronation of King George VI . Prior to World War 11 he had served with the 27th Infantry Batallion, holding the rank of Lieutenant, and after enlisting at the outbreak of war, Colonel Grimshaw was placed in charge of the Military Police. He rose to become Australian Provost Marshall and to the rank of Colonel. Following World War 11, Colonel Grimshaw returned to South Australia and was invited to become Commissioner of Police in Papua New Guinea in the Royal Papua and New Guinea Constabulary, a post that he held until retiring in 1954 and returning to Adelaide. Colonel Grimshaw bought the Crown Hotel at Victor Harbor which he operated until about 1962 before acquiring hotels in Adelaide and then retiring to Victor Harbor 14 years ago.

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Death of Col Grimshaw

Continued from page 5 Colonel Grimshaw had also been -interested in sport, having been a ^ SA champion wrestler in the mid 1930s, and represented South 1 Australia in Kings Cup rowing from ' 1928 to 1932. In Victor Harbor, he was also a I former Worshipful Master of the '

Lodge of Peace and former president and secretary of Victor Harbor RSL. He was chief marshall at Anzac Day marches in Adelaide for a number of years. Colonel Grimshaw is survived by !iis wife Joan, sons Peter and Raymond, and five grandchildren.