For Special Long Service

Harold Edward Pryor  SBStJ  Order of St John & Special Constabulary

PictureServing Brother of the Order of St John. Defence Medal. Special Constabulary Long Service Medal & four clasps.
The Man   Harold Edward Pryor was born in Greenwich, London on 8th October 1908, son of John Richard, a Fan Attendant at the South Metropolitan Gas Company and Florence.  He had one brother Ernest John who was born in 1902.  At the time of the 1911 census the family were living at 10 Egerton Road.  No detail is known of Harold’s early life except that during 1928 he joined the special Constabulary and by 1936 the family had moved to 30 Egerton Road. His occupation was later given as an Intimating Clerk at the Electric Cable Company.   During the fourth quarter of 1937 aged 29, he married Constance Florence Blease in Lewisham and they moved to 85 South Park Crescent, Hither Green.  In 1938 Harold was awarded the Special Constabulary Long Service Medal for nine years service and continued serving during World War II, being awarded further long service bars in 1942 and 1946 – war service counting treble.  At the end of the war he also received the Defence Medal.  In 1955 he was awarded a further long service bar and in July 1957 admitted as a Serving Brother of the most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.  It is unknown why he received this award, but as he did not receive the St John Service Medal, it might be that it was linked to his police work in some way.  He was awarded a final clasp to his Special Constabulary Medal in 1965, representing a total of 37 years service and died on 4th November 1986 aged 78 leaving £56,106.00 in his will.  Constance died eight years later on 15th March 1994. 
The Story   The trio of medals awarded to Harold Edward Pryor were acquired from E-Bay on 12th March 2017 and of interest because of the unusual and quite scarce four clasped Special Constabulary Medal, together with an attributable St John award. 
Surprisingly Harold’s details were easily traceable on Ancestry.UK thus allowing a brief biography to be pieced together.​
Medal Details:
  • Serving Brother of the Order of St John:  Unnamed as awarded.
  • Defence Medal:  Unnamed as awarded.
  • Special Constabulary Long Service Medal:  HAROLD E.PRYOR  ​
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Page last updated  15 Apr 17