Early Life :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

Detail :

London Gazette 2nd January, 1953

The QUEEN has -been graciously pleased to make the undermentioned awards:—
GEORGE CROSS.
Frederick William FAIRFAX, Detective Constable (now Sergeant), Metropolitan Police. (Selsdon, Surrey.)
Awarded the George Medal:—
Norman HARRISON, Police Constable, Metropolitan Police. (Croydon, Surrey.)
James Christie MCDONALD, Police Constable, Metropolitan Police. (Shirley, Surrey.)
Awarded the British Empire Medal (Civil Division):—
Robert James William JAGGS, Police Constable, Metropolitan Police. (New Addington, Surrey.)

"Shortly after nine o'clock on the night of the 2nd November, 1952, two men were seen to climb over the side gate of a warehouse at Tamworth Road, Crpydon, and to reach the flat roof of the building about 22 feet above. The alarm was given and Detective Constable Fairfax, Constable Harrison and other Officers, went to the premises in a police van. At about the same time Constable McDonald and another Constable arrived in a police wireless car. Other Police Officers took up various positions around the building. When told that the suspects had climbed up a drainpipe to the roof, Detective Constable Fairfax immediately scaled the drainpipe. Constable McDonald followed him but was unable to negotiate the last six feet and had to return to the ground. Fairfax reached the top and pulled himself on to the roof. In the moonlight he saw the two men about 15 yards away behind a brick stack. He walked towards them, challenged them and then dashed behind the stack, grabbed one of the men and pulled him into the open. The man broke away and his companion then fired at Fairfax and wounded him in the right shoulder.

Fairfax fell to the ground but as the two criminals ran past him he got up and closed with one of them and knocked him down. A second shot was then fired at Fairfax but he retained his hold on the man, dragged him behind a skylight and searched him. He found a knuckleduster and a dagger whichhe removed. Constable McDonald meanwhile had made another effort to climb the drainpipe and had almost reached the top. Fairfax helped him on to the roof and called to the gunman to drop his gun but he refused and made further threats. During this time Constable Harrison had climbed on to a sloping roof nearby and was edging his way along towards the gunman 'by lying back on the roof with his heels in the guttering. He was seen and a shot was fired at him which struck the roof close to his head. He continued his journey, however, and another shot was fired at him which missed. (Harrison then got behind a chimney stack and reached the ground where he joined other Officers who entered the building, ran up to the fire escape exit door on the roof and pushed it open. Fairfax warned them that the man with the gun was nearby but one Constable jumped from the doorway on. to the roof. As he did so the gunman 'fired and the Constable fell to the ground, shot between the eyes.

Fairfax immediately left cover to bring in the casualty and a further shot was fired behind the fire escape exit. Constable Harrison then jumped out on to the roof and standing in the roof doorway threw his truncheon and other things at the gunman who again fired at him. Constable Jaggs then reached the roof by way of the drainpipe and was also fired upon but joined the other Constables. Fairfax, helped by Harrison, then pushed his captive through the doorway and handed him over to other Officers. Detective Constable Fairfax was given a police pistol and -he immediately returned to the roof. He jumped through the doorway and again called to the gunman to drop 'his weapon. A further shot was fired at him but he advanced towards the man firing his own pistol as he went. The gunman then jumped over the side of the roof to the ground below, where he was arrested.

The Police Officers acted in the highest tradition of the Metropolitan Police and gave no thought to their own safety in their efforts to effect the arrest of armed and dangerous criminals. Detective Constable Fairfax repeatedly risked death or serious injury and although wounded did not give up until the criminals
were safely in charge of the Police."

Masonic :

Frederick was initiated into Lodge 339 in 1945, and by mid-1945 exalted as a Royal Arch Mason and member of the Clachnacuddin Chapter No. 540, both of the Scottish Constitution. When work brought him to Croydon, he joined Surrey Hills Lodge No. 7494 on the 19th September, 1963. He became its Worshipful Master in 1973, going on to become Lodge Secretary. He received provincial honours as Past Provincial Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies.

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley