Captain Arthur "Robbie" Burns DSO OBE QPM CPM (1917–2008) was awarded the DSO for his service in Italy in 1944, and later had a distinguished career in the British Colonial Office and the English police. He served throughout the Italian campaign as a subaltern and later as a captain. He was wounded twice in the Anzio beachhead. He was later posted to the Middle East. In 1946, after serving in the British Palestine Mandate, he returned to the poli...
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Captain Arthur "Robbie" Burns DSO OBE QPM CPM (1917–2008) was awarded the DSO for his service in Italy in 1944, and later had a distinguished career in the British Colonial Office and the English police. He served throughout the Italian campaign as a subaltern and later as a captain. He was wounded twice in the Anzio beachhead. He was later posted to the Middle East. In 1946, after serving in the British Palestine Mandate, he returned to the police service in his native Derbyshire.
Arthur Burns was born on 18 November 1917 at Darley Abbey, Derbyshire, and educated at Kedleston Road School, where he was the school swimming champion. He played soccer for Derby Boys and rugby for Derby Rugby Football Club, before going to the local technical college.
Burns joined the police in 1939, continuing a family tradition which had been started by his great-grandfather in 1840. After two years he volunteered for officer service in the Army and did his training in Scotland, where he acquired the...
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