Police Intakes

Good evening Pete,

It would seem weird to others, indeed one officer who was released to join the military was sacked whilst on service for an 'offence' deemed prejudicial to his police service.

I am going through the MetPol Roll of honour for WW2. I found the listing in a battered HMSO book at the bottom of a box in a garage. I hope to produce a booklet with a few lines about each of the 600+ officers lost. I have managed to identify a man who isn't listed. Of course the listing was prepared in 1947 when the information was drawn from ledgers and oversights happened with paper only records, (no search facility back then apart from the Mk1 eyeball)

Subsequently I found out that the roll for Met officers for WW1 is kept in the transcept at Westminster Abbey.

The online roll of honours for forces only reflect officers killed on police duty. Many MetPol stations had war memorials in the foyers or station offices. With the closure of over half of the Police Stations in London I fear many may have ended up in skips.

Regards

Kevin

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 15/06/2021 23:40:10

Hi Kevin

I have now amended those uploaded to date. I actually thought their ROH would have shown those who died war service as well or at least referred to it as I knew about a few wooden memorial boards at some Police Stations. Shame. Good luck with the book. A great project and let us know on here how you get on.

Thanks Pete,

I may have identified some other police officers who were KIA serving with the Commando's. I will post detailswhen I can.

Regards

Kevin

Hello Pete,

A bit hotch potch

Police Constable Barrie Sherwill Norman Anderson of Staffordshire County Police.
Barrie was appointed to the Staffordshire Police on the 6th March 1937 and served at stations in Stafford and West Bromwich, before enlisting into the Royal Armoured Corps on the 23rdJuly 1942. Service No. 14241781
He successfully applied to join the newly formed Commandos. Barrie died in captivity on 12 January 1943 in a Prisoner of War Camp at Caserta, Italy and now lays at rest at Caserta War Cemetery.

Police Constable 22 Colin William Ashton of the Lancashire Constabulary.
Colin was born in Wigan in 1916, and by 1939 was Police Constables living at 2 Parkfield Avenue, Bootle.
Soon after the outbreak of war Colin volunteered for service in the army, service No. 14241646 KIA on Leros on5/10/43.

Police Constable 291 Leonard Cyril Munns of Leicester City Police.
Leonard was born on the 8th December 1916, in Northampton. He was appointed Police Constable 291 in September 1939.
he was posted to No.4 Commando. killed in action on the 10th June 1944.
He is buried at Ranville War Cemetery and commemorated on the Leicester City Police War Memorial.

Wolverhampton Police Memorial Arthur William WARD Died 07/06/1944 Normandy, France Staffordshire Regiment serving as 14241809 L/Cpl in Number 4 Commando.
Born on the 30th of April 1918, Arthur was the son of Edward Leslie and Elizabeth Ann Ward; of Fallings Park, Staffordshire.
Arthur joined the Wolverhampton force sometime before March 1939, as the census for that year records him as living as a lodger at 74 Springfield Road, Wolverhampton, his occupation being recorded as ?Police Constable?.

Police Constable 193 Charles Edward James Roberts of the City of London Police.
Little is currently known about Charles? Police or military career, he died serving with the King?s Royal Rifle Corps attached to 6 Commando on the 11th April 1945. At that time 6 Commando were involved in heavy fighting whilst attempting to cross the River Aller, Germany.
Charles is buried at the Calle War Cemetery and remembered with honour on the City of London Police War Memorial at Wood Street Police Station.

Police Constable Frank Elms of the Northampton Borough Police.
In 1941, Frank initially joined the RAF before transferring to the Northamptonshire Regiment following a crash in Canada. He later joined the Commandos and was attached to No. 4 Commando. Service No 304633, KIA 6/7/44.

Police Constable Frederick Robert Charles Mynheer of Buckinghamshire Constabulary.
Frederick was born on the 15th March 1917 in Kent. Joined the Police on the 5th November 1938.
By 1939 he was listed as being resident at Queen Victoria Road, Chepping Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. His occupation being listed as ?Police Constable?.
Service No. 14241865 he was badged to the Royal East Kent Regiment and attached to No. 4 Commando. Reported missing in action on the 20th June 1944. His body has never been recovered, he is commemorated on the Bayeux Memorial, France and on the Thames Valley Police (Buckinghamshire Constabulary section) war memorial at Kiddlington.

Regards

Kevin

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 15/02/2023 15:46:12

Thanks Kevin
I have updated the details of those whose Police service we did not have and added the service of a few more. Here is the updated list to date of those whose Police service is fully confirmed. I am working on others.

https://www.commandoveterans.org/police_volunteers_ww2

Thanks Pete,

In future I will compare any finds against your listing.

Regars

Kevin

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 15/02/2023 15:45:47

I have 129 now, a few of whom are suspected but not 100% confirmed as Police so if anyone has any detailed source on the men below please post the details here

KENDRAY, Harold No 3 Commando
PHILLIPS, N. No 6 Commando
GARRETT, W.J.S. No 3 Commando
WATSON, J.R. No 6 Commando
SMITH, George Alfred No 9 Commando
BIDDESCOMBE, E. No 1 Commando
MAHAN, Robert McK. No 4 Commando
GRAY, R.H. No 3 Commando
WOOLLARD, George No 1 Commando|No 12 Commando
JACKSON, H. No 3 Commando
PRATT, H. No 6 Commando

You can find more about each of the above and the others here https://www.commandoveterans.org/police_volunteers_ww2

I have now added details of 278 Commandos to the Police list. They can all be viewed here:

https://www.commandoveterans.org/police_volunteers_ww2

Great effort on this one Pete.

Thanks,
Nick