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W.H. Tarleton
This article appeared under the heading of "Retirement" in the Rangoon Gazette, 1918
Mr W.H. Tarleton, Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Burma, Commissioner of Police, Rangoon, who is now in England on leave, will retire from Government service at the expiration of his leave which will be very shortly, and in consequence will not return to Burma, having completed thirty-five years in the Imperial Police.
Mr William Henry Tarleton was born in Bombay in November 1863 and was the son of Capt. W.C. Tarleton, Indian Staff Corps. He was educated in Croydon and privately and came to Burma in the early eighties and joined the police as an Inspector on September 21st, 1892 and on promotion to be Assistant District Superintendent of Police was posted to the Arakan Hill Tracts and later saw service in various parts of the province and at times officiated as Deputy Inspector-General of Police of the Eastern and Western Ranges, Rangoon. Mr Tarleton’s early service in the province was very strenuous and he took a prominent part in rounding up the malcontents in the days before and after the annexation.
The following brief history of Mr Tarleton’s service compiled when he was recommended for the King’s Police Medal which he received in January 1911 gives an idea of the hard work he put in his younger days as a police officer. At this time he had twenty-eight years service. During and after the annexation of Upper Burma he took part in the following actions.
1. He was entrusted with the guarding of the Seikchung pass in 1885 while serving as a Superintendent in the Arakan Hill Tracts in order to prevent raids by wild Chins into Arakan.
2. In 1886 he was posted to an expeditionary party against the wild Ku Chins then three days march beyond the frontier. During this expedition he was struck in the waist by a poisoned arrow which was found embedded in his belt after the attack on the village. He received the thanks of the Local Government for his work with this expedition.
3. In 1888 he took part in an encounter with dacoits near Taungdwingyi in which troops were engaged. The late Mr Thurston, the Civil Official with the column, became separated from the main body and coming up with the dacoit leader gave chase after him firing at him without effect. Mr Thurston was thrown from his pony and was in turn attacked by the dacoit leader with a long fighting dah. Mr Tarleton came to Mr Thurston’s rescue in the nick of time and shot the dacoits, saving Mr Thurston’s life.
4. On the 25th April 1888, Mr Tarleton who was then District Superintendent of Police at Taungdwingyi with thirty mounted police encountered a gang of dacoits, said to be one hundred and fifty strong, in the Yomas seven miles east of Ngamin and killed two of them and wounded others, among whom was the leader Bo Nga Nyo.
5. In August of the same year while Mr Tarleton was still at Taungdwingyi, he, with twenty mounted men, followed a gang under Bo Nga Hla and Nga Hlin for forty five miles across the Yomas and on coming up with the gang in the Palwe Chaung he killed two, wounded three and captured one. On this occasion three guns, several dahs and some ammunition was captured as well as considerable loot that the dacoits had with them.
6. In May of the following year, Mr Tarleton, who had but little rest from strenuous activities, took part in a stiff fight against 500 dacoits near Wetmasut in the Magwe district and completely broke up the gang. This expedition was under the command of Colonel Graves, Deputy Inspector-General of Military Police, who recorded on his return to Rangoon that Mr Tarleton’s conduct had been specially cool and plucky. A Havildar on Mr Tarleton’s left was wounded twice and a Sepoy on his right was shot dead in this action.
Since August 1886 he had charge of several districts with eminent success. He had also officiated as Deputy Inspector-General of Police while the permanent incumbent was on leave and performed the duty in a highly efficient manner. He was promoted to be Deputy Inspector-General of Police when appointed to be Commissioner of Police, Rangoon and is now second in the list under Mr M.J. Chisholm. He was granted leave for three months and fifteen days on June 20th 1917 and went home to England but has since had several extensions. Mr Tarleton’s son is a Captain in the Regular Service who has been both in France and on the Salonika front.
Mr William Henry Tarleton was born in Bombay in November 1863 and was the son of Capt. W.C. Tarleton, Indian Staff Corps. He was educated in Croydon and privately and came to Burma in the early eighties and joined the police as an Inspector on September 21st, 1892 and on promotion to be Assistant District Superintendent of Police was posted to the Arakan Hill Tracts and later saw service in various parts of the province and at times officiated as Deputy Inspector-General of Police of the Eastern and Western Ranges, Rangoon. Mr Tarleton’s early service in the province was very strenuous and he took a prominent part in rounding up the malcontents in the days before and after the annexation.
The following brief history of Mr Tarleton’s service compiled when he was recommended for the King’s Police Medal which he received in January 1911 gives an idea of the hard work he put in his younger days as a police officer. At this time he had twenty-eight years service. During and after the annexation of Upper Burma he took part in the following actions.
1. He was entrusted with the guarding of the Seikchung pass in 1885 while serving as a Superintendent in the Arakan Hill Tracts in order to prevent raids by wild Chins into Arakan.
2. In 1886 he was posted to an expeditionary party against the wild Ku Chins then three days march beyond the frontier. During this expedition he was struck in the waist by a poisoned arrow which was found embedded in his belt after the attack on the village. He received the thanks of the Local Government for his work with this expedition.
3. In 1888 he took part in an encounter with dacoits near Taungdwingyi in which troops were engaged. The late Mr Thurston, the Civil Official with the column, became separated from the main body and coming up with the dacoit leader gave chase after him firing at him without effect. Mr Thurston was thrown from his pony and was in turn attacked by the dacoit leader with a long fighting dah. Mr Tarleton came to Mr Thurston’s rescue in the nick of time and shot the dacoits, saving Mr Thurston’s life.
4. On the 25th April 1888, Mr Tarleton who was then District Superintendent of Police at Taungdwingyi with thirty mounted police encountered a gang of dacoits, said to be one hundred and fifty strong, in the Yomas seven miles east of Ngamin and killed two of them and wounded others, among whom was the leader Bo Nga Nyo.
5. In August of the same year while Mr Tarleton was still at Taungdwingyi, he, with twenty mounted men, followed a gang under Bo Nga Hla and Nga Hlin for forty five miles across the Yomas and on coming up with the gang in the Palwe Chaung he killed two, wounded three and captured one. On this occasion three guns, several dahs and some ammunition was captured as well as considerable loot that the dacoits had with them.
6. In May of the following year, Mr Tarleton, who had but little rest from strenuous activities, took part in a stiff fight against 500 dacoits near Wetmasut in the Magwe district and completely broke up the gang. This expedition was under the command of Colonel Graves, Deputy Inspector-General of Military Police, who recorded on his return to Rangoon that Mr Tarleton’s conduct had been specially cool and plucky. A Havildar on Mr Tarleton’s left was wounded twice and a Sepoy on his right was shot dead in this action.
Since August 1886 he had charge of several districts with eminent success. He had also officiated as Deputy Inspector-General of Police while the permanent incumbent was on leave and performed the duty in a highly efficient manner. He was promoted to be Deputy Inspector-General of Police when appointed to be Commissioner of Police, Rangoon and is now second in the list under Mr M.J. Chisholm. He was granted leave for three months and fifteen days on June 20th 1917 and went home to England but has since had several extensions. Mr Tarleton’s son is a Captain in the Regular Service who has been both in France and on the Salonika front.