| Surname: | Blakesley |
| Initials: | J C |
| Rank: | Captain |
| Army Number: | 370058 |
| Notes: | Provost Officer. Grenadier Guards later General List. London Gazette 40430, 1545, 15/3/1955. Corps of Royal Military Police. Regular Army. Short Service Commission. Lt J C Blakesley (370058) from Gen List to be Lt, 16/3/1955, retaining present seniority. London Gazette 44477, 13944, 10912/1967. Corps of Royal Military Police. Regular Army. Maj J C Blacesley, MBE. (370058) retries on retired pay, 13/12/1967. London Gazette 41010, 1285, 26/2/1957. Corps of Royal Military Police. Regular Army . Lt John Cadman Blacesley (370058) from Short Serv. Commn, to be Lt, 27/2/1957, with seniority 12/7/1952. Lt J C Blakesley (370058) to be Capt, 27/2/1957 with seniority 12/7/1956. London Gazette 43051, 5880, 12 /7/1963. Corps of Royal Military Police. Regular Army. Capt. J C Blakesley, MBE. 370058, to be Maj., 12/7/1963 London Gazette 44477, 13944, 19/12/1967. Corps of Royal Military Police. Regular Army. Maj. J C Blakesley, MBE. (370058) retires on retired pay, 13/12/1967. Extract from the Belfast Telegraph, 21/11/1958. Inquest on Cypriot who died after round up. Bangor man "hit in self defence" Captain John Blakesley (32) of the Royal Military Police told the Coroner at Famagusta today that he struck with his stick, at Andreas Louca, a Greek-Cypriot who later died of head injuries, only in self defence. Giving evidence at the inquest on Louca, the officer said he struck at him and at two other Greek Cypriots, when they attacked him as he went to arrest them during a mass search operation after the murder of Mrs Catherine Cutliffe on October 3. "I remember October 3 very well as it was the day two British service wives were shot in Famagusta and one of them died." ROUND UP. " I was carrying my walking stick. t was decided to round up all Greek Cypriot youths between the ages of 17 and 27. I was in charge of an army dog" "I went into the house where the deceased shared a room. When I went it it was dark and I saw three figures in the gloom." "They rushed at me and I stuck out at them with my walking stick. I dealt a backhand blow first and then a forehand blow. Having done that, I pushed the third individual with the end of my stick "At about the time I struck the first blow, I became aware of a fourth man behind me. I called out to my dog Timber to help me, and he rushed straight into the room and bit one of the three men." Captain Blakesley said, in reply to questions: "It is true I hit every one of the men in the room, but I did not beat them."Captain Blackesley, from Bangor, Co Down, commanding officer of a military police unit in Famagusta has been in Cyprus for 27 months. He served previously as an officer in the Grenadier Guards. He told the Coroner Mr James Traynor: "It was customary in the Brigade of Guards to carry a walking stick at all times." Extract from Western Mail, 4/12/1958. Troops Used Too Much Force. During and after arrests which followed the "ghastly and brutal" murder of Swansea born Mrs Catherine Cutliffe, a British sergeant's wife in Cyprus, an "entirely unjustified" degree of force was used. The coroner Mr James Traynor said that at a Famagusta inquest yesterday. He said "One can fully understand the horror, disgust and anger which filled the minds and hearts of everyone that day. But nothing can justify the assaults on those who were not responsible for the shooting and who had done nothing to warrant such assaults." Blunt Treatment. Investigating the death of Andreas Louca, 17 years old Greek Cypriot student who was among those rounded up the coroner found that he died from haemorrhage caused by a blow with a blunt instrument which fractured his skull. "But I am unable to conclude when and by whom the blow was struck." he said. He had to rely on the medial evidence and was unable to return a murder verdict. Bdr. Brian Cream, of 29th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (the regiment of the murdered woman's husband) who comes from Swansea, told the coroner he was guard commander at Carsola Camp on October 1. Bleeding. He was in charge of detention cages where Cypriots arrested after Mrs Cutliffes killing were placed. Cream said "All Cypriots arrested got out of trucks on arrival unaided. Some had injuries. One amongst them was bleeding very badly. I placed him on the ground within the cage." Cream was then shown a photograph of Louca and asked whether this was the man who was bleeding badly. "This is not the man," he replied. No Beating. He had seen no one beat the detained Cypriots as they came down from the trucks or as they went into the cage. The coroner referred to evidence given by Capt John Blakesley from Bangor, Co. Down, Northern Ireland, commanding officer of the Royal Military Police unit in Famagusta. "Captain Blakesley," said the coroner, "says he struck at two men in that room "pretty hard." Not Sure. The doctor says the blow that killed the deceased would cause immediate unconsciousness but no witnesses saw him collapse in that room and in fact saw him walk to the truck. "Can I be sure that Capt Blackelsey's blow was in fact the one which killed the deceased? "The answer is clearly no." |
Decoration Record: | |
| Decoration: | Mention in Despatches (London Gazette: 41304 Page: 840 Feb. 7, 1958) |
| Citation: | Cyprus, 1/7/1957 - 31/12/1957. Capt. J C Blakesley (370058). |
| Decoration: | Member of the British Empire (London Gazette: 41508 Page: 5953 Sept. 30, 1958) |
| Citation: | Famagusta, Cyprus, 1/1/1958 - 30/6/1958.Citation for MBE, No. 370058, Capt. John Cadman Blakesley, 51 Indep. Inf Bde. Gp. Pro Unit, RMP. During the last six months Captain BLAKESLY has continued to give outstanding service as OC 51 Independent Infantry Brigade Provost Unit and the most commendable manner in which his men have carried out their difficult, and often dangerous, tasks in FAMAGUSTA has been very largely to his own enthusiasm, courage and leadership By a methodical and most detailed study of the town and it's inhabitants he has built up a most comprehensive fund of information which has proved to be of immeasurable value on many occasions, not only to the army but also to the civil police. During the riots and disorders at the beginning of the year his unit inevitably bore the brunt. He himself was always on the spot and by taking quick action with his detailed knowledge of the back streets and alley ways he was often able to contain the trouble and to stop it spreading. Later on following the murder of three members of the security forces the value of his extensive knowledge of the town gangs was provided as it was largely on this that police investigations were based. Again, on the 27th April 1958, acting on his own initiative and on information which he was personally following up, he was able to arrest a man in the act of removing a parcel of four bombs from a tree in the middle of an orange grove. At the same time by the intelligent use of patrols in town and by being constantly on the spot himself, he has been able to reduce the number of "disciplinary" incidents involving troops. The good relations existing between the troops and members of the Royal Military Police and the high esteem in which the latter are held by all ranks of FAMAGUSTA Garrison is mostly due to his personal example of firmness and fairness at all times.Recommended: Brigadier 51 Indep. Inf. Bde Group. GOC Cyprus. |
Provost Officer Appointments: | |
| No appointments recorded | |