John Nott-Bower

Who was John Nott-Bower?

Sir John Reginald Hornby Nott-Bower, KCVO, KPM, OStJ was Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, the head of the London Metropolitan Police, from 1953 to 1958. He was the first career police officer to hold this post.

Nott-Bower was the son of William Nott-Bower, then Chief Constable of Liverpool and later Commissioner of the City of London Police, and the grandson of Major General Sir William Nott GCB. He was educated at Tonbridge School and joined the Indian Police Service by competitive examination in 1911. He was posted to the United Provinces and served there until 1921, when he returned to England to work at the India Office in London. On 21 June 1918 he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Indian Army Reserve of Officers, he resigned the commission in 1922. In 1923 he returned to the United Provinces as a Superintendent. He commanded successively Allahabad, Lucknow and Bareilly districts, and also served in the Criminal Investigation Department.