Jim Beaton: Difference between revisions

▲[[Image:George Cross.jpg|thumb|right|120px|[[George Cross]] and its [[ribbon bar]]]]

▲[[Chief Superintendent]] '''James Wallace "Jim" Beaton''', [[George Cross|GC]], [[Commander of the Royal Victorian Order|CVO]]<ref>Michael Ashcroft, ''George Cross Heroes'', 2010</ref> (born 17 February 1943) is a retired British [[police officer]] who was awarded the [[George Cross]], which is Britain's highest gallantry award for civilians. He was [[Queen's Police Officer]] from 1983-1992.<ref>[http://www.stephen-stratford.co.uk/police_gc.htm Beaton profile], stephen-stratford.co.uk; accessed 10 August 2014.</ref>

▲Beaton received the [[George Cross]] in 1974 for protecting [[Anne, Princess Royal|The Princess Anne]] from the would-be [[kidnapping|kidnapper]] Ian Ball during an attack in [[The Mall, London]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/20/newsid_2524000/2524489.stm;]</ref> He received the Director's Honor Award of the [[United States Secret Service]] in the same year. He was made an [[Royal Victorian Order|LVO]] in 1987 and promoted to [[Royal Victorian Order|CVO]] in 1992.

▲In March 1973, Beaton was transferred to the [[Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Department|Royalty Protection Squad]], A Division, and from 14 November served as a [[Personal Protection Officer]] to Princess Anne. He was given the number 11 in the small team responsible for protecting members of the [[Royal Family]]. On 20 March 1974 the princess and her husband Captain [[Mark Phillips]] were returning to [[Buckingham Palace]] from a royal engagement. Their car was stopped in the Mall by another vehicle driven into its path.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/20/newsid_2524000/2524489.stm;]</ref> The car was driven by Ian Ball, who was later declared to be mentally ill; Ball jumped out of his vehicle and tried to force the Princess from her car. He shot the royal chauffeur, Alex Callender, and a passing journalist, Brian McConnell, who tried to assist. Inspector Beaton was shot three times, including serious wounds in the chest and abdomen, and a gunshot wound to his hand, sustained when he tried to block Ball's weapon with his own body, after his own gun had jammed. Beaton also sustained injuries to his pelvis while trying to disarm Ball.<ref name=bbc1974>{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/20/newsid_2524000/2524489.stm|title=Kidnap attempt on Princess Anne|publisher=BBC|accessdate=12 March 2012|date=20 March 1974}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26626984|title=Witness|publisher=BBC|accessdate=19 March 2014|date=19 March 2014}} </ref> For his bravery Beaton was awarded the [[George Cross]]; Callender and McConnell were each awarded the [[Queen's Gallantry Medal]].<ref name=gaz46354>{{London Gazette|issue=46354|supp=yes|startpage=8013|endpage=8014|date=26 September 1974}}</ref> Beaton remained with the Princess until February 1979.

▲Beaton served in the [[Metropolitan Police Service|Metropolitan Police]] from 1962 to 1992. He spent the first years of his career as a [[Constable#United_Kingdom_and_the_Commonwealth|Constable]] on the beat at [[Notting Hill]] from 1962 to 1966. In 1966 he was promoted to [[Sergeant#Police 7|Sergeant]] at [[Harrow Road]], and then in 1971 to [[Station Sergeant]] at [[Wembley]]. He became an [[Inspector]] in 1974, whilst serving in Royal Protection, and was subsequently promoted to [[Chief Inspector]] in August 1979, [[Superintendent (police)|Superintendent]] in 1983, and [[Chief Superintendent]] in 1985.

▲In 1982 he became the Queen's Police Officer. He retired in 1992