issue no 16 2013 - · pdf fileissue no 16 2013 the magazine of ... page 2 the peeler 16 - 2013...

Issue No 16 2013

The Magazine of

The Friends of The Metropolitan Police Historical Collection

» The Met and Education in the 1960s

» The History of Pinner Police Station

» Fortunately the only one (continued)

» PC George Cole 83N

» What Gentlemen They Are

» A fistful of history

» Orange Peel

» Porsche 968CS

» Before the Porsche

» Rotherhithe Police Station

» Charles William Rawson Royds

» Special Constable William Eustace

» Police Sergeant 1st Class Ambrose Rayner

Contents Page 3 The Met and Education in the 1960s Jeffrey Bryson Page 6 The History of Pinner Police Station (Part 1) Neil Watson

Page 11 Fortunately the only one (continued) John Solway

Page 12 PC George Cole 83N: A local Hackney Hero Keith Foster

Page 14 What Gentlemen They Are Robert Bartlett

Page 17 A Fistful of History Brian Moyse and Roy Shadbolt

Page 19 Orange Peel Linda Stratmann

0 Porsche 968 Club Sport Steve Woodward Page 22 Before the Porsche Chris Pullen

Page 23 Rotherhithe Police Station Chris Lordan

Page 25 Charles William Rawson Royds David Swain

Page 26 Special Constable William Eustace Robert Bartlett from research by Patrick Grierson

Page 27 Police Sergeant 1st Class Ambrose Rayner Robert Bartlett

Editorial Welcome to my first edition of The Peeler as editor. Firstly, may I thank Chris Forester for all of his work in producing the magazine until now. I fully intend to maintain the high standards that he has set, although you will notice some small changes in style. I am always happy to receive feedback so please let me know what you think. The magazine would however not exist at all if it were not for contributions from members, so at the risk of being boring I would like to repeat Chris’ pleas for articles. If you have conducted research into any aspect of Metropolitan Police history which you would be willing to share with a wider audience then please submit it. That said, we have a good selection of articles for this issue covering a wide range of subjects including notable police officers, police station histories, formal education within the Met and some articles on more unusual subjects. It is perhaps a sign of the times that three of the buildings that are mentioned in this issue are earmarked for closure. Whatever your views on the current reforms sweeping across the police service, this period will undoubtedly provide much material for the police historians of the future - it would certainly be interesting to be able to leap forward 50 or 100 years and see what they make of this time. Anyway, enough from me. I hope that you enjoy the articles that we have for you in this edition. My thanks to all those who have contributed.

The Peeler is produced annually by the

Friends of The Metropolitan Police Historical Collection and is no part of the Police Service.

The organisation was formed in order to encourage the formation of a

Metropolitan Police Historical Museum and to assist the Collection staff in various projects.

The opinions expressed in the Peeler are not necessarily the opinions of the Friends of The Metropolitan Historical Police Collection or of the Police Service.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced by any means without permission of the Editor.

Copyright unless expressly noted is vested in The Peeler Magazine.

© The Peeler 2013

Editor: Chris Pullen 16 Ripley Way, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP1 2ND

E-mail: [email protected]

Page 2 The Peeler 16 - 2013

Front Cover Photo: Pinner Policemen c1900. Sergeant Moore (see p6) is

seated far left.

Rear Cover Photo: The Met ‘Coat of Arms’. I remember reading a full

explanation of the elements a few years ago (I believe in Police Orders).

The Peeler 16 - 2013

The Met and Education in the 1960s

Jeffrey Bryson 1960s: Background I joined the Met. on 8 August, 1960. Great Britain was just coming out of post war austerity, unemployment was falling and standards of living were rising. The Met. was in crisis with poor working conditions and pay - in 1960 the maximum pay of a Constable had fallen 5% below average earnings in industry and for a probationer Constable like me 30% below. I earned more as a railway porter for a shorter week than I did when I joined the Police. There was a shortage of manpower with about 17,000 police officers on the strength as opposed to 20,529 in 1912. Free accommodation was provided but many of the Section Houses were of poor quality, for example Beak Street in Soho where I lived for several months. Educational standards were poor. Taking all English and Welsh police forces, of all entrants in 1960 only 1% had two or more ‘A’ levels, 10% five or more ‘O’ level ,and 20% one to 4 ‘O’ levels, which meant that 69% had no educational qualifications at all. There were no recent graduate entrants and only twenty-five graduates had been recruited between 1945 and 1965. The Special Course. The Home Office decided that something had to be done

to raise educational standards and in 1962 the first Special Course was recruited. The idea was that bright young officers from all over England and Wales who had passed the Sergeant’s exam would attend Bramshill Police College for a year of intensive study with a view to rapid promotion through the ranks. PCs from the outside the Met. would have the acting rank of Sergeant which would be confirmed if they passed the course. Met. officers, because of the different promotion system, went as substantive Sergeants. I passed the Sergeants exam. in early February, 1965 and was promoted in late July. I knew little or nothing of the Special Course and was therefore very surprised to be told that I was to attend a two day interview in a seaside town. This interview was on Civil Service lines and comprised intelligence tests, role playing, debates, numerous interviews with very senior officers and, crucially for me, an interview with a psychologist who told me that I would not be selected as I had ‘sibling complex’! I promptly spent all my savings on a three week holiday in the USA only to find on my return an envelope addressed by a colleague to ‘super Sergeant Bryson’ - an indicator of the type of prejudice I was to experience from then on - containing a letter saying that I had been selected for Special Course 4 starting on 3 October, 1965. In it I was told that I would need to buy a typewriter, blazer and flannels, Bramshill tie, dinner jacket, sports gear, etc.. As I was broke I had to go into debt for the only time in my life to meet these requirements. Bramshill Police College Special Course 4

Bramshill Police College was established in 1960 with the purchase by the Home Office of Bramshill House and estate. The magnificent house was built in 1605 for Baron la Zouche. In 1965 the accommodation blocks, teaching areas and dining room were very new. There were 44 students on the course, including, I think for the first time, five women. Fourteen of the students were from the Met.. The course was in two parts: Liberal Studies, which comprised academic studies such as history, sociology, politics, literature, etc., and which involved a good deal of research, essay writing, debates and presentations; Bramshill 1966

Bramshill House


Professional Studies where we studied in detail police procedures, relevant Acts of Parliament, etc., and which again involved essay writing, presentations, etc.. We were divided into syndicates under the supervision of a senior Police Officer. My syndicate was fortunate enough to have Chief Inspector Tom Shepherd from the Lancashire Force (the amalgamations had not yet taken place). The academic staff were, I think, former or serving University staff, the latter on secondment. Sport and military style drill were compulsory and towards the end of the course there was a drill competition. We made various visits including one to the Houses of Parliament where the Speaker, George Thomas, entertained us to tea in his quarters and another to an RAF base to study emergency procedures where 44 policemen failed to witness a collision between two RAF fire engines (or so they said!). We also spent a month with a Force other than our own - I went to Birmingham City where I remember the reception as being frosty to say the least. Every Thursday was Mess Night when we put on our DJs and dined formally in the Dining Hall, very much along military lines. Distinguished guests were hosted by members of the various courses and afterwards an entertainment was provided by students. Best behaviour was essential. In mid-September, 1966, we attended a one week course at the Home Office Civil Defence Staff College. The final examination was very hard but we all passed and were awarded the Course Certificate. The Bramshill Police Scholarship and Manchester University Bramshill Police College Scholarships were, I think, first awarded to students on Special Course 3. Again I knew little or nothing about them until one day, when the course had finished, we were called together and the names of eleven of us who were to receive scholarships were read out. As I had Latin ‘O’ level, I was offered a scholarship at Oxford or, alternatively, at Manchester University. However, the Oxford place was for the following year, 1967, and I decided to accept Manchester. Three of us had opted for Manchester and as were going as Mature Matriculation students without the ‘A’ levels that were usually required, we had to attend an interview at the University. This seems to have been something of a formality and we were all offered places, me to do Politics, Philosophy and Economics and my colleagues History and Law respectively. We started on 3 October, 1966, and

found a Manchester City colleague also starting on a local scholarship. I was on full pay with free accommodation and all my books paid for so I was one of the richest students in the University. I was 25 years old and the only single member of the group so I was given a place in Owens Park Halls of Residence where the accommodation, whilst new, made Bramshill seem positively luxurious. Mature students were a relative rarity and I remember being asked by a young lady at a Freshers’ Ball what I lectured in. When I said I was new undergraduate, she remarked ‘God, it must be awful to start University at your age’! The offer letter from the Home Office stated that ‘Failure in any examination, terminal or otherwise, means the immediate revocation of your scholarship’. This meant that I worked extremely hard. From Monday to Friday I was in the University from at least 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and for the first four days of the week I also worked in the evenings. Friday night and all day Saturday I rested and Sunday was my essay day. The other students could not believe how much effort I put in to my studies. Initially I wore a suit or blazer and carried a brief case for my papers which led to my fellow students believing I was a member of staff. I soon resorted to more casual dress and later grew a large ginger beard which meant I didn’t stand out quite so much. The 1960s, and especially the late 60s, were a time of considerable student unrest and civil disorder here and abroad with Ban the Bomb and anti Vietnam war demonstrations which became increasingly violent, culminating in the Grosvenor Square demonstrations in London. In every University there was a sizeable minority of students led by the Socialist Workers Party and the International Marxist Group and encouraged by some members of the lecturing staff. Manchester was no exception. The Police were the ‘Pigs’ and when it became known that I was ‘one of them’, I was booed and hissed and generally insulted by the more radical element when I went in to the Hall dining room and occasionally in Students’ Union and University eating areas. I think the others had the same experience, although to a lesser degree as they lived with families in police houses away from the University. Eventually we took to eating in the police canteen at , I think, Longsight Police Station. There were also meetings of the militants at which the Police were excoriated and unrest fomented. We three Bramshill Scholars tried to attend some of these meetings to put our point of view but it quickly became clear that we were

Assembly hall and syndicate block Accommodation block


doing more harm than good and we stopped. Students’ Union funds were being used to pay for coaches to take students to the London demos. We all had to be members of the Union with our fees being paid by the Home Office and we objected strongly to our fees going towards people who were intent on attacking our police colleagues. We therefore approached the University and said that we wished to resign from the Union. We were given a very dusty reply and told that membership of the Union was a condition of our being students and that, if we resigned, we would have to give up our studies. All that having been said, the majority of students took us at our face value and I certainly made many friends. The lecturing staff gave us very little trouble in that respect although our no nonsense approach to what they sometimes said took them a little by surprise. I remember a colleague and myself taking a Social Statistics lecturer to lunch to put him right on his interpretation of some of the statistics he had given in respect of convictions in the various levels of Courts in this country. On another occasion three of us gave a presentation to our undergraduate colleagues on something to do with

Russian politics which so impressed the lecturer that he asked us to give the same presentation to a group of postgraduate students.

I wanted to go back to the Police in the vacations to get some practical experience but was told to go and do something useful, like working in a Kibbutz! In the short vacations I usually went back to London where I was provided with a Section House room. In the first long vacation I went back to America where I worked with a police force in Junction City, Kansas for two months. The third month I spent travelling round the USA. On my return I found, to my amazement, that I had been promoted to Station Sergeant and two weeks later I was made Inspector. For my Finals I opted to do one paper as a dissertation which was entitled ‘Policing a New Town: A Study of Runcorn’ which I researched in my second long vacation. This was well received by the Home Office and the Met. but not by the Cheshire Constabulary, an ACC of which reprimanded me for daring to criticise some actions they had or had not taken. I graduated with a 2.1 Honours degree on 11 July, 1969 and was asked if I would like to stay on to do a postgraduate qualification. I was sorely tempted but decided that I owed the Police a debt of gratitude and that I would go back to the Met. This was a mistake. An American historian, Colonel Mike Worden, in talking of the US Air Force generals in the 50s, said that they ‘continued to value experience over education, action over contemplation’*. I found the same on my return to policing. A well known Commander, later a University lecturer, told the four us who went back that ‘as we had wasted four years in education, we should not expect to be promoted for another four’. A Superintendent on M division where I was first posted refused to see me, saying in my hearing that ‘he didn’t want any bloody graduates on his division’. I was immediately posted to D division where my Commander told me that ‘he had never met a policeman with a good education who was a good policeman and he didn’t intend to change his mind because of me’. My sub-divisional Superintendent followed his lead and did everything he could to make my life difficult. I resigned on 6 May, 1970, to go into University administration where I had a successful career, retiring as a Faculty Administrative Sub-Dean at Liverpool University. Of the eleven Bramshill Scholars from my Special Course, six

Not standard kit in a 1960’s British police car - this is the

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It is also always nice to know something about the author, so a brief paragraph about yourself would be welcome.


The History of Pinner Police Station (Part 1)

Neil Watson

Introduction This history project has come about due to a chance meeting between the Secretary of the Pinner Local History Society, Beryl Newton, and myself at the 2001 Pinner "Pantomime" evening when she called in at the station where I was on duty behind the desk. (Yes, we were actually open and before you ask it wasn't my idea to close Pinner Police Station!) Being a history nut our conversation turned to the old "nick" in Waxwell Lane which I have loved working in over the last year. Beryl planted an idea in my head to do a history of the station, and after a bit of legwork it has now really paid off with, I believe, the most comprehensive study ever undertaken on the subject. There have been a couple of attempts in the past to find out about QP (the police official code for Pinner), but these were all very limited affairs which found out only the bare bones. I wanted to put flesh on those bones and bring the building and the characters of Pinner to life. Sgt. John Moore The recently released 1901 census was my starting point. Pinner Police Station was only opened to the public in 1899 so I just had to find out who was its first occupant. A visit to the Civic Centre was very useful, and low and behold the first inhabitant was discovered very easily. Sergeant 68X / 62681 John MOORE, was living at Pinner actually in the station in 1901. He was aged 43 at the time and was originally from Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire. Also living with him were his wife Kate aged 38 as well as the 3 children, John aged 14 who was a railway parcels boy, Henry aged 9 and George 4.

Sgt. Moore must have been an imposing man. I have trawled through a number of pension records of policeman. The average height of the Pinner constables seems to be around 5'8", common for the rest of the population of the time who obviously did not live as well as we do now. Only Pc William Ford came close at 5'9". Sgt. Moore was fully six feet tall with grey eyes and dark, greying hair. He retired to 22 Bedford Road, Kempston, Bedfordshire with a pension of £69-11-6. Financially he was far better off than the men under him. His pay at the end of his service in 1903 was £2-10-6 a week plus his accommodation in the station. The Pc's were only earning around £1-13-6 per week, a huge difference. This large difference no longer applies today though there still is a slight difference in income between the ranks. Sgt. Moore's retirement was fully reported in the Harrow Gazette of 25

th July 1903. Inspector Smith made a

speech on behalf the Superintendent praising his efforts during the "trials and difficulties that he had had to contend with." He concluded that though "there had not been much crime in there district," Sgt. Moore's "promptitude had always been exerted with good result." Though I have thus far not seen much of Sgt. Moore's name mentioned in connection with local arrests he did at least act when the situation arose. The Harrow Gazette of 10

th May 1902 reports the officer hearing a drunk outside

the station at 11.30pm. He found one James Sawyer leaning up against the police station fence. At Edgware Petty Sessions he told the court that the drunk was "practically incapable." I can just imagine Sgt. Moore getting out of bed and into his tunic to go and arrest what was probably a noisy but harmless drunk. He probably groaned when he found that the man was too far gone to find his own way home. This was one of the problems of living "over the shop" as it were. The Building It is hard to imagine now how the family actually lived at Pinner as it is quite a small building inside. The upper floor is shown on the original drawings of the building with 2 bedrooms a living room a scullery and a larder. This is where the Moore family would have actually lived. These rooms are all now offices except for the scullery area. The ground floor comprised the following rooms: Inspector’s Office, Charge Room (where the prisoners would have been brought into after their arrest), Parade Room, Waiting Room, Lobby, Lamp Room, Coal bunk, Store Room, 3 toilets and a urinal. The rear part of the ground floor was the cell passage which led to 3 cells. The 3 cells are now 2 locker rooms as well as a shower room. The small basement area held a Heating Apparatus Room, Coal and Coke Cellars. The coke and coal are long gone but the other room still provides the heating equipment. Also listed separately was a 2 stall stable, with a loft for


hay, and an ambulance shed. The stable was for the police horses, no blue flashing lights in those days! This outbuilding at the back of the site is now used for the canteen. There was also a dung guard at the side of the ambulance shed. That particular shed would not have housed a gleaming white L.A.S vehicle but a trolley type machine used for transporting drunks and injured persons. The freehold of the building was paid for by the Receiver of the Met Police for £250 on 29

th September 1893 from a

J. Healey Lea, and was built between 1898 and 1899 by

The pension record of Sgt John Moore who retired on 1st June 1903 after 25 years and 5 days service

The Metropolitan Police Property

Register, (left) gives details

of all the rooms in the station.


Fassridge and Sons of Uxbridge, costing £3165, 8 shillings and two pence to erect. The station was originally shown as being at Waxwell Rise, High Road, Pinner, though it was later to be re-numbered 1 Waxwell Lane on 13

th March 1939. The Pinner Gas Company supplied the

gas, and the Colne Valley Water Company supplied the water. The site had previously been used as a penning area for stray animals which was called the Pinner Pound. The Harrow Gazette of 7

th May 1898 stated that "Thirty

years ago the inhabitants of Pinner met in vestry and petitioned Scotland Yard for a police station. This requirement is about to be granted. The contractor’s office and a quantity of bricks have been delivered on the site for the purpose". By the 27

th August 1898 edition the same

paper had more good news. "The police station is making good progress, and the first floor has just been put in. The building bids fair to be an ornament to the village when completed." As true today, the late Victorian building is still an attractive addition to the local architecture. Police Orders of 29

th April 1899 show the following, in the

Buildings and Fixtures section: "X (Division) The new Police Station at Pinner is to be taken into occupation by Police and business commenced therein 1st prox. The lodging assessment will be as follows:- 1 married sergeant at 4s per week."

The property register shows that the occupation of the building commenced on 1

st May 1899.

It is also interesting to note that the Justices at Edgware Petty Sessions, the then local court, (there was no Harrow Magistrates in those days, and possibly won't be again soon), gave permission to hold an occasional court at Pinner Police Station in 1899. Early Policing The earliest document I have so far discovered regarding the policing of Pinner dates back to 13

th July 1844. The

Commissioner of the Metropolis, Sir Richard Mayne signed the document enforcing an "Act of improving the Police in and near the Metropolis". It was addressed to the local "Overseers of the Poor of the Hamlet of Pinner" requiring them to pay the sum of £141, 17 shillings and 4 pence towards the upkeep of the police.(Worth every penny I hear you cry). Payment was obviously not always forthcoming as at the bottom of the order was a small memo, a bit like modern parking fines with an incentive to pay early. This money, like the modern day council tax went up, and by 1

st January 1848 Pinner was paying £184

- 2 shilling's and eight pence. If the money, payable to the Metropolitan Police Receiver at 4 Whitehall Place, Westminster was paid within 40 days a quarter of the sum would be remitted, leaving only £106

Part of the warrant is shown above, addressed ‘To the Overseers of the Poor of the parish of Pinner’.


and 8 shillings to find. Proceedings would be taken against parishes not coughing up. Clearly some money was better than none. According to Edwin Ware's "Pinner in the Vale" history of Pinner, parish constables were maintained as early as 1510. At that date the Manor Court Rolls show that Richard Rede was elected as constable of Pynner in place of John Clarke. One of their duties at that time was to ensure that all boys over the age of 12 years had bows and arrows. By 1669 Pynner’s constable Christopher Codd was being paid £2:7 shillings per annum. Celeb Ward was parish constable in 1789. By 1818 constable Ivory Dean was in post and part of his duties included preventing the sale and setting off of fireworks. Pinner does seem to have been policed from the 1840's though by 1851 I was able to trace only 3 policemen in the local census records. Pc's George Snook aged 26, James Utting 25 and John Seymour 35 years were the only people standing between peace and anarchy. By 1861 all 3 of the above men had moved to be replaced by 1861 by Pc's Charles Peachey, who lived in West End "Road" and John Harper. A railway Policeman Thomas Bates also lived in West End "Road". 1871 saw police numbers start to rise with at least 4 policemen, all constables now living locally. P.C. Charles Barnes was living with his wife Hannah and his mother-in- law Mary Brett in the High Street, which must have been cosy. Another officer, Pc Charles Coleman was then shown as living in Waxwell Rise (now renamed Lane) and was 10 years later shown as living in Manchester Villas which is only a hundred yards or so down from the future site of the police station. He had at least 11 children, 9 of whom were born in Pinner together with his wife Frances. Pc James Castle and Pc James Honnor 85X were the other local men. By 1871 police strengths had increased to 5. Pc Barnes, Honnor and Coleman had been joined by Pc William Ford as well as for the first time a sergeant in the shape of Frederick Rowsell, a native of Taunton. Charles Barnes mother-in-law had moved out or passed on by 1881. One can only hope that they all got along well together. Come 1891 only 4 officers, all constables were still living locally, and still without a local police station to call home. Drunks and disorderly prisoners were, prior to the police stations birth, housed in a cage near the present Pinner Met Line Station. Fifty-three year old Pc Honnor, who by now was living at Oak Cottages by the then Pinner Gasworks was still going strong as was Pc Ford. They were then joined by Pc's George FLINN a widower aged 40 as well as the appropriately named Pc Thomas PINER (More of him later). The Need for a Police Station The 1890's saw the Force realising that Pinner was to become what it is today, a sprawling residential area increased in size due to the wonderful Metropolitan

Railway. By 4th January 1892 a memo from the

Commissioner's office stated "A Sergeant’s station with telegraphic communication is needed at Pinner where there are indications of a development of building operations. With a station on the Metropolitan Railway, an extensive suburb will doubtless grow up. At present there is no station nearer than Harrow and Ruislip, each over 3 miles distant." The seed had been sown for the planning of the current Pinner Police Station. Things moved slowly. Another 7 years were to pass before the Station was actually up and running, but it was a start. The land on which the station now stands was eventually purchased on 29

th September

1893. The Home Office also kindly added £35 for the provision of a fence and gate to show the property's boundary. The Pinner Gazette of 19

th November 1898 refers to an

article entitled Police Station Corner. The local council had arranged the boundary of the station on the "Pinner Green Road" and Waxwell Lane. It had also decided to continue the footpath round the curve as well as removing a street watering post to a more favourable position, that being near Mr Gerrard’s property in the Marsh. It's hard to say how needed the station was in those far off days. Pinner was, and is one of London's quieter locations. At a local case in 1893 the defence stated that there had been no charges for being drunk for 10 years. However the local J.P explained that this was mainly due to the fact that Pinner had no "lock up". I can imagine the

local officers "persuaded" drunks to go home rather than running them in, in those days. The stations opening did not attract big headlines in the local newspapers of 1899. The Pinner Gazette of 29

th April

1899 stated only "The new Police Station will probably be entered into for occupation on Monday or Tuesday of next week". The next edition of the same paper on Saturday 6

th

May 1899 was more welcoming with its headline The New Police Station writing thus, "The police authorities entered into occupation on Monday. The building is of prepossessing appearance and the interior arrangements have all been carried out with admirable circumspection.

The original “Harrow Police Station” above was situated in


Station Sergeant Moore, who has for some months past been stationed at Harrow is the officer in charge. Harrow had had a police station on Harrow on the Hill for many years by 1899. Pinner was however, well ahead of the new Wealdstone Police Station which only opened in February 1909. A Sergeant W.T. Lanning being its first supervisor. The ink on Sgt. Moore's new Occurrence Book could hardly have been dry when the police station had its first "customer" in the charge room on 11

th May 1899. It

arose from probably the most infamous public order outrage ever seen in leafy Pinner. The cause of the commotion was the Headstone Spring Races Riot .The incident was sensational news in the press for many weeks and it lead directly to the cancellation of what had been a traditional event. The Headstone Races Riot 1899 The Wealdstone Harrow and Wembley Observer reported the event with the headline "Riot at Headstone Races yesterday- Many Injured". The paper was scathing in its reporting on the behaviour of the race goers. It reported thus "There was a large gathering of persons at the Headstone Spring races yesterday, when a serious riot occurred in which many persons were badly injured. Unfortunately with the growth of the local races in popularity, the foreign and objectionable crowd from London has become each year in greater evidence, and yesterday it is safe to say that a more unruly, objectionable, and disgraceful mob has never been seen on any racecourse. Blackguards of the worst and lowest type, in fact the scum of civilisation came into the district. The police were totally inadequate to deal with the rough element". (No change there I hear you cry). After the third race, posted as having been won by Mr Green's Happy Jack, "a dispute arose, some say as to which horse won, others that a free fight between a "juggins" and a "whelcher" commenced the proceedings. Be that as it may in a moment the whole field was in arms, and a move was made to reach the judges and the starters on the one hand, and the general protection opposed on the other. In a free fight Mr H. Drury, the secretary, drew the anger of the crowd on himself by lustily protecting himself and friends from severe violence with a stout stick. This was resented and a rush was made for him, and he was with his friends severely mauled." "He made his escape on horseback from the disorderly scene. The mob in its excitement lost sight of Mr Drury's escape and went for Jim Smith, the starter, of Greenhill Farm, Harrow, under the impression that he was Mr Drury. He was badly knocked about and had to receive medical treatment. Sticks and stones, ginger beer bottles and anything the mob could lay hands on was freely used and many persons will bear the marks of violence for weeks." Fortunately, the old bill were present as the paper reports that "The racing was stopped by the police and the maddened crowd made for Mr Drury's home where they smashed all the windows and again went for Mr Drury though he threatened them with a gun. His friends came to his assistance and another free fight ensued. Mr Payne of High Street assisted Mr Drury and was severely injured, and his assistant who went to his help was knocked down

and walked on, while another who helped the weaker side had a jaw broken. Eventually the mob dispersed, and a disgraceful days proceedings terminated." It must have been a nightmare to police the event. Only 9 officers were on duty who obviously struggled to control a

crowd of London roughnecks. There were no radios to co-ordinate policing and any reinforcements would have come too late. It appears that no-one seems to have been apprehended for violent behaviour. There is no report of anyone being read the riot act, but the police did at least make one token arrest that day. It proved to be Pinner's first prisoner and surrounded the case of R v Wilson. (alias Williams) The same paper reported thus on the arrest. "The First Charge". "This morning at Pinner Police Station, before Mr C.R. Nugent, the first police case was heard, and arose from the riot at Headstone races yesterday. Charles Wilson, who refused his address, was charged with attempting to pick pocket at the Headstone Races yesterday. Police evidence was given, and the prisoner was remanded to Edgware on Wednesday." The Harrow Gazette dated 13

th May 1899 also reported

the riots. It stated that 1,500 people had attended the races and that there was "Rampant ruffianism" abroad that day. A Mr Jem Smith had been trampled by the mob and had had a bottle smashed on his head. Mr Doman a local bookmaker had been relieved of his satchel, containing approximately £8 to £12 in gold by the mob. Another bookmaker was ducked in the Headstone moat and pelted with missiles. A letter to the newspaper editor shortly after the riot was signed simply as "A Marlboro Hill Resident", obviously not wanting to be identified by any of the ruffians. He described a day of complete anarchy if his account is to be believed. He pleaded that an organised gang of London scoundrels could do anything they wanted. He described people being robbed of pins from ties and gold watches from pockets. Anyone resisting the thieves were met with violence. He was surprised that no-one was killed. Ginger beer bottles, poles and stones were being thrown around. In one

Very early photograph of Pinner Police Station looking

towards Pinner Green.


incident two women were knocked to the ground and a man was also knocked over with all the villains fighting over who was going to rifle his pockets. One local gentleman took the precaution of hiding his gold watch inside his jacket pocket. Once inside a local hostelry he took out his watch to put back on his jacket, at which point he found himself "surrounded by five or six foreigners and the watch was transferred and escape tauntingly made." (Sounds depressingly familiar reading 100 years later.) There then followed the rioters journey back to Harrow Metropolitan Station. The mob sang ribald songs and swore at and insulted passengers. The station book stall was scattered, a porter was cuffed and a lady had a watch taken from her breast. The friend of Mr Drury who had come to his aid, Mr Payne suffered a broken jaw in two places which required an operation which threatened his life. The only good thing to have emerged from the riot as far as the police were concerned was that unlike today, the public didn't blame the local constabulary. The correspondent said "No fault can be found with the handful of policemen on duty, nine we believe, present on the ground. Treble the number would have been totally inadequate to check such a lawless brigade." All police leave would certainly have been cancelled that day. Two

policemen were injured during the day following nasty blows to the head. Fortunately for all concerned, the Races were then cancelled for good due to the public outcry. The only man unlucky enough to have had his collar felt that day did at least get his comeuppance when he appeared at Edgware Petty Sessions a few days after the riot. The villain, 30 year old Charles Williams (alias Wilson), of Whitehorse Street, Stepney, London, a commission agent, pleaded not guilty and the case was heard. Local farmer William Edlin from Northolt told the court that he saw the defendant at the races. He felt a hand going in his trouser pocket which contained gold and silver. He immediately grabbed the thief around the throat and gave him into custody. There was a great row at the time and the man’s friends had tried to get him away. An unnamed Pc 384X gave evidence to the court that he was on duty at the races when he saw the witness, holding the prisoner by the throat and that he had taken the man into custody. He added that a large man in the road had tried to rescue the prisoner. With assistance the man was put into a nearby trap which took him to Pinner. On the way to the police station the prisoner threatened to throw the policeman out of the trap. The crowd threw sticks and stones the police vehicle as it left for Pinner Police Station.

Fortunately the only one?

Continued…

Re the short item by Derek George on page 11 of Peeler No. 15 2012. I was an Inspector at Wallington during the 1960s. The PC who murdered his wife came to my notice because he was rather odd. He did not mix or socialise with the other officers. He always seemed to be sitting alone during meal breaks and never spoke unless spoken to. He had a ‘thing’ about car revenue licences. Hardly a shift went by without him handing in a process book for an offence of no revenue licence. Often more than one. In those days it was thought a car had to be driven on a road before it committed an offence of no revenue licence. He would wait hours to catch a driver moving a vehicle without a current tax disc. Even used his own time off duty, if necessary. He did not show interest in any other police work, but his mania to

look at every revenue licence often turned up offences of forgery, altered or stolen licences. It led to the discovery of a ringed stolen car on one occasion. In the area of Woodmansterne on Wallington section there were a number of smallholdings set up by a charity for ex-servicemen after WW1. They were usually one man concerns raising goats, pigs, chickens and the like. Many of them had a Heath Robinson type of vehicle to carry swill etc. to different parts of the holding. They were amateurish and dodgy constructions and although driven by an old vehicle petrol engine they were not registered as a motor vehicle or taxed. They were frequently used on the public roads locally. The PC knew all the rules and regulations about ‘off road’ vehicles requirements for tax and often kept observation and personal records to report them for tax evasion. The station officers did not like taking his reports because they were complicated and sometimes needed long reports to the revenue authorities. He also caused bother by not being on

his beat but off somewhere trying to catch an offender. He started to come to me with some of his cases as I did not discourage him. When I heard later he had murdered his wife I was surprised. He did not seem the sort for violence. I never saw him lose his temper or get annoyed. The story I heard about the murder was that his mother in law reported her daughter missing. When questioned the PC said she had run off with another man, but eventually admitted killing her during a quarrel. I don’t think it was found out how. He had driven around with the body one night and left it in one of the trenches opened up for the natural gas pipeline which was being laid everywhere. As it was in a strange area to him he claimed not to know exactly where. The cause of the quarrel was never known to me but I guess it was because she had not taxed the family car!

A chance meeting with former Metropolitan Constable Anthony Rae in 2001, has resulted in me devoting much of my spare time since towards his National Police Officers Roll of Honour project which he founded in 1995, encompassing the Roll of Honour for all Police Forces throughout Britain. It’s hard now to believe that until the 1980’s, the Met’s own documented ‘Roll’ only commenced in 1920. The next 20 years saw Tony’s tireless work push back that date to a more respectable early 1800’s, compiling the Met’s first full Roll of Honour in 1999, and since then a small dedicated band has worked on those records so they now cover from 1680 to the present day. This then, is the story of George Cole and the eventual discovery of his hidden grave, just one chapter in the National Police Officers’ Roll of Honour archives being told here now to its fullest extent. How it came that a constable with less than two years service, and living a mere half mile from his assigned beat that night in December 1882, at the busy Dalston Junction location was murdered, can probably just be put down to fate turning its' hand. What is unmistakable from the crime details are that PC Cole said goodbye to his wife at 9.30pm before taking a short walk from Lenthall Road, to the police station in Dalston Lane to take up his duty starting at 10pm. In less than a further thirty minutes, he had challenged a character acting suspiciously on the steps outside a closed church, and in struggle to make his arrest, he had been mortally wounded by one of the several shots fired by his murderer. So it was that PC George Cole, married less than 6 months and less than 2 years service, was patrolling in Ashwin Street, immediately opposite Dalston Junction station. Just outside a Baptist chapel this man had been seen on the steps up to the closed doors. Cole’s challenge had been witnessed by two women at opposite ends of the street. A Mrs Shepherd, herself a resident of No 3, a house adjacent to the chapel, was just about to leave her

job serving in the station tea kiosk and a Mrs Bucknall, had finished her cleaning duties at Reeves & Sons, a factory which still stands at the head of the street 50 yards opposite the chapel. Mrs Shepherd deposed at the inquest from where she stood looking up the street, she saw the policeman first apprehend the man, who then fired twice at the officer as he broke free. They grappled again, at which time she saw the man fire a third shot in his direction as he made off further away. Mrs Bucknall, heading towards the station, described similar events but was able to add valuable information of Cole’s assailant. The resulting melee and gunshots had meanwhile, brought forth officers from nearby streets, some of whom had been returning to sign off duty to the nearby Dalston Lane police station 500 yards from Ashwin Street. One of these a PC Harford, was the first to discover Cole lying on his back close to the street gutter. From there the officer was conveyed to the German Hospital just a half mile away in Ritson Road, where after a short while he died from his injuries. The inquest proved beyond doubt the true intention of the gunman, for while grappling with Cole, the shots from his gun had been fired upwards towards Cole’s head. The fatal bullet entering just behind his right ear and lodging close to his brain. In addition to the bullet found in his truncheon case, there were other bullet marks found high up on a house in the street close to where the incident took place. Although the appeal for witnesses and ‘wanted’ posters brought no fresh clues, the search of the crime scene soon gave-up some evidence, one item in particular that was to prove crucial in securing a ‘guilty’ verdict at the subsequent murder trial, but in January 1883 that was still a long way off. For the time being there was another Met officer to be buried, the 15

th since 1829 to have been the

victim of a violent crime. Small comfort for his widow Elizabeth, that she was to receive the then, customary widow’s pension of £15, boosted somewhat by community sympathy that saw contributions add a further sum just in excess of that. In describing the funeral procession, it must have been a truly astonishing affair. Estimates given in the Hackney Gazette at the time, speak of 3 Met Division Bands within the procession, 1500 officers from all Divisions, including over 110 sergeants, all lining the 1.5 mile route from his home at 66 Lenthall Road, Dalston to Abney Park. However, none of this was unusual for it soon becomes apparent, with vast numbers of police officers at the Met’s disposal, such homage from colleagues was quite the normal practice. The crime remained without any reports until January 1884, when, as the result of an event in the household of Mr & Mrs Billingshurst, Dalston’s Insp. Thomas Glass came into possession of some vital clues which for him

PC George Cole, 83 N: A local Hackney Hero

The Baptist Chapel, Ashwin Street


began to point towards who the wanted man would be. Back-tracking to the original search of the crime scene, two chisels had been found placed beside the steps up to the chapel doors. One was a cold steel version, the other a bench type that had been scratched on one side of the handle with the letters ‘rock’. Insp. Glass reported that Mr Billingshurst made a statement that his wife was friends with a Mrs Orrock, and following one particular meeting between the two ladies, his wife became suspicious that Mrs Orrock appeared to know who the murderer of the policeman was, but was clearly frightened she had already said too much by hinting at what she knew. This was too good an opportunity to miss, as Glass recorded in his notes “I was struck by the similarity of Mrs Orrock’s name and the word ‘rock’ on the chisel left behind at the scene”. He immediately proposed a co-incidental visit to the Billingshurst home on the next occasion the two ladies were due to meet. His first initiative was to fabricate an anonymous letter sent to himself, the substance suggesting the writer offered to give information about the murder. This then would prove to be the ‘test’ of the character of Mrs Orrock. After producing the letter, Mrs Orrock clearly showed her unease by blurting out ‘she knew the writer (Glass!) and was afraid about the consequences’. The man she named ‘the accomplice’, Ames was found later in prison. He denied all involvement and was later exonerated by two others he had named as Frederick Miles and Henry Mortimer, both of whom were serving in separate prisons – but crucially, both had been with Orrock on the night of the murder in the vicinity of the chapel. [It is worth mentioning here that it was known that Thomas Orrock’s profession was cabinet maker, and this fact is borne out by checking the 1881 census for the family]. It was about this time that PS Cobb, had earlier recalled his sighting of man acting suspiciously in Ashwin Street that night before 10pm. He went to Coldbath Prison, Clerkenwell to see if he could pick out the same man again. A line-up was formed which, but for the manoeuvre of turning the line side-on ready to march away, Cobb caught the profile of that same man again. This was Thomas Orrock, now in prison for a separate offence, and clearly given his family background, a young man who had rebelled against his middle class upbringing. The son of an evangelist, his parents had taken him to worship at the very same chapel less than a mile away from their home at No 80, Bayston Road. Still there was further work to undertake, before any prosecution could result in a positive outcome at a trial and for the police to have their man. Insp. Glass had the inscribed chisel photographed at Guy’s Hospital by the latest techniques. Using a powerful microscope a distinctive additional letter ‘O’ now became clear, preceding the other more visible ‘rock’. Orrock’s accomplices, Miles & Mortimer made statements to the effect they had been with him on the night, Miles adding, that he had also been with Orrock when he had travelled to a Mr Maclellan in Tottenham to buy a pin-fire

gun advertised in Exchange & Mart. Now it was all beginning to piece together, and it only remained for one last initiative to be employed, which identifies this particular investigation as the probably the first occasion where the Met used ballistics evidence gathering to present prosecution evidence. Mortimer for his part, confirmed that Orrock himself had told him over a year later, that he was responsible for shooting Cole, then adding somewhat misguidedly, that at that later stage, the police would have long forgotten about it! Miles for his part had also now turned into the proverbial ‘canary’ by giving the police some more crucial evidence, this time about the gun Orrock had bought. They had both returned from Tottenham across the marshes, and some distance north of the Ferry Boat Inn, Orrock had test-fired it at a tree. On 28

th July 1884, PS Cobb went with Miles to

the spot where he picked out the tree and Cobb, armed with a knife was able to locate and cut out a bullet four feet above ground level and remove it for evidence. The subsequent forensic tests on the bullet from the tree, together with the bullets retrieved from Cole’s body, plus the one deflected and lodged at the bottom of his truncheon case, were all confirmed as identical 7a.m pin-fire cartridges. At the trial in mid-September, Maclellan gave evidence about the sale of a 6 chambered nickel-plated pin-fire gun which he had sold to Orrock, together with 25 cartridges

Headstone with wreaths laid by Hackney Borough

Commander, Chief Supt Matthew Horne & Keith Foster,


for 10 shillings [50 pence]. All this evidence now proved the case beyond doubt and the jury only took 20 minutes to find the prisoner Guilty of Wilful Murder. Mr Justice Hawkins donned the black cap, pronounced sentence of death by hanging, and Orrock was taken down to await his fate which was duly carried out two weeks later at Newgate Prison on Monday, 6

th October 1884.

This is normally the point where the historical account would end, but without locating the grave, how could it be an end deserving of such a life sacrificed in the line of duty? It obviously meant another return to Abney Park cemetery, Stoke Newington, where I have already beaten a well-worn path to previous burials of police officers.

Armed with nothing more than the goodwill (and a general map!) from my resident contacts, I strode off to the area about 350 yards from the main gates. Although I knew within reason I was in the right area, what faced in front of me was a complete ‘wall’ of ivy, stretching from the front row and back several more to where Cole’s grave ought to be, a distance of some 20 yards. Here was a challenge - it was in there somewhere, but would all the effort clearing each plot find it with a readable inscription? Those not familiar with the lay-out of Abney Park need to be aware that it’s previous owners did little or no maintenance up until the 1960’s. Hackney council took over but faced a daunting task too, and not until a Cemetery Trust was founded, did work towards repairing some of that damage take place. Now they undertake to preserve it as a nature habitat. It took many visits to eventually work through the area, and by the time I had finished Cole’s once again stood proud to the daylight with a remarkably intact headstone, and most eloquent inscription. My work is such that a series of images, before, during and after the clearance work, is captured as proof everything remains as it was when the “re-discovery” takes place. The whole process took some weeks from August to mid September, the longest period of any such investigation and research I have been involved in to date. It now remained, in what was 130

th year of his death, to

contact the local police force to highlight this new discovery. Hackney’s Borough Commander, Chief Supt Matthew Horne, was in complete agreement, and deserves great credit for being able to assemble everyone at such relatively short notice, and in time for a commemoration service to take place at the graveside with Station Chaplain Niall Wair, in attendance.

L to R; Revd Niall Wair, Keith Foster, Ch. Supt Matthew

What Gentlemen They Are Robert Bartlett

“All honour to the civil defence services of all kinds … who have helped our people through this formidable ordeal, the like of which no civilised community has ever been called upon to undergo. If I mention only one of them tonight - namely the police - it is because many tributes have been paid to the others. But the police have been in it everywhere all the time. And, as a working-woman wrote me in a letter, “What gentlemen they are”. Winston Churchill in a broadcast 9 February 1942

1

Manning The war lasted 5 years and 8 months, or 68 months. For 47 of these 68 London was under attack from the air with intensive periods of about 17 months. To enhance manpower for the Metropolitan Police in 1938 a new plan evolved:

The 1st Reserve: re-engaged pensioners who volunteered to come back

The 2nd

Reserve: Special Constables accepting service on a full-time paid basis

The 3rd

reserve: men recruited for war service only - became known as “The War Reserves” and numerically were

H.M. Howgrave- Graham CBE Secretary,


the largest number of officers. Within 48 hours of the outbreak of war 27,000 auxiliaries were working. Metropolitan Police losses

208 Metropolitan Police officers were killed in air raids

1,696 Metropolitan Police officers joined the RAF of whom 383 lost their lives of whom 162 were commissioned

31 Metropolitan Police officers died when serving with the Royal Navy of which 17 were commissioned

77 Metropolitan Police officers lost their lives whilst serving in the Army of whom 15 were commissioned

The most striking feature of these figures is the disproportionate number of men who served, and many were killed, with the RAF. In 1941 although all police were still “reserved” officers were allowed to volunteer as pilots or observers in the RAF or Fleet Air Arm. Under this ruling 800 regulars took to the air during 1941 with more going later. A high proportion of volunteers found themselves in Bomber Command at a time when the casualty rate was high. Early in 1942 there was a further relaxation on the restriction of police and auxiliaries joining the armed forces and policing for those under 25 ceased to be a reserved occupation. Twenty five became 30 and then 35. By the end of 1944 nearly 4000 regulars and 8,000 auxiliaries had joined the armed forces with an additional 3,000 auxiliaries moving to industry leaving strength at the

end of the war of 19,000 with a further reduction of 2,700 at the end of 1945. The Blitz The Blitz began on Saturday 7 September 1940 following the RAF’s battle in the skies above Britain to prevent an invasion. A number of bombs had fallen in the Metropolitan Police District on 19

th June 1940 at

Addington which may have been intended for Croydon aerodrome. On the 16 August 146 bombs were dropped on New Malden causing 150 casualties and destroying or damaging over 1000 homes. On the 7

th September the sun shone in a cloudless sky as

the docklands to the east were attacked. From then onwards the wail of the sirens drove people to the shelters yet: “These people beat me. I’ve never seen such an exhibition of guts in my life. And the amazing thing of it is – you see it everywhere.”

2

The duties specifically assigned to the police were the cordoning off of the area affected, keeping roads clear for essential traffic, assigning suitable places for service vehicles, controlling crowds and ordinary traffic, and the prevention of looting. If everything went according to the plan, if there were enough wardens, rescue parties, fire appliances, ambulances and so forth to cope with the situation and get trapped people released and attended to quickly, then the police might be content to carry out the functions allotted to them. But in practice quite often things did not work out that way. Police were frequently the first on the scene and they did not waste time waiting for other


services. Sometimes too, if a tenement building or a row of houses had been brought down, no one could knowhow many people might be trapped in the ruins. Then it was a case of “all hands to the pumps” and police would find themselves involved for hours in tasks which were not strictly their affair according to the “book of rules”. Honours List for police officers, regular and auxiliary who gained honours and awards in connection with air raids

George Medal: 82

MBE: 2 In connection with Flying bomb attacks

King’s Police and Fire Services Medal: 4

BEM: 72

Commendation by HM The King: 115 General Police Service

Order of the Bath - Commissioner

Knighthoods - AC in charge of organisation Department and AC Traffic Department

CBE: 2

OBE: 5

MBE: 14

Royal Victorian Order: 4

King’s Police and Fire Services Medal for gallantry: 28

King’s Police and Fire Services Medal for distinguished service: 24

BEM (Civil Division): 6

Commendations by HM The King for gallantry: 4

Regular Metropolitan Police officers who gained honours and awards while serving in HM Forces

Distinguished Conduct Medal: 1

Distinguished Service Order: 4

Distinguished Service Cross: 7

Distinguished Flying Cross: 94

Distinguished Flying Medal: 16

Air Force Cross: 1

Military Cross: 5

Military Medal: 7

Distinguished Service Medal: 1

Commendation – Merchant Navy: 2

Mentioned in Despatches: 70

OBE (M): 3

MBE (M): 8

BEM (M) 7

American Legion of Merit: 1

Croix de Guerre with Bronze Star: 1

US Bronze Star: 4

Dutch bronze Lion: 1

Knight Officer of Orange Nassau: 1

[Is anyone aware of how many gallantry medals were awarded to the police of the UK during the Second World War for duties on the home front? Any information can be sent via the editor]

Constabulary Support A very practical means of supporting the members of the Metropolitan Police came from their colleagues in the county and borough police forces who offered to take wives and children into their homes. This was a fine thing.


Introduction Collecting, researching and studying vintage and antique arms is one of those passions that can always bring surprises, including in areas which had previously been of little interest. As a lifelong knife collector and antique arms dealer who originally grew up on an English farm, ‘knuckledusters’ have always been an unique area of study that I have previously paid little attention to. However all this changed during a visit to my dear friend and fellow ex-pat Brian Moyse who now lives in Texas. Brian had recently acquired what can only be described as a truly spectacular historic weapon; one with links to not only one of the Metropolitan Police’s finest, but one which was also rarely more than a few feet from the iconic British leader and hero to the free world, Winston Churchill (later Sir). Surprisingly this was no fine presentation firearm or sword, but a lowly set of knuckledusters. Historical perspective This 'Knuckleduster’ has a fascinating history and provenance in that it belonged to Walter Henry Thompson. Inspector Thompson was with the Metropolitan Police Special Branch of Scotland Yard for almost 30 years. For nineteen of those years he was assigned as protection officer and bodyguard for Winston Spencer Churchill. We are told that Mr. Thompson carried this Knuckleduster in one pocket and his Colt 1911 .45 automatic pistol in the other. Sergeant Thompson, as he then was, first met Winston Churchill in 1921 at the age of 30 when he was assigned to protect him. This first period as Churchill's bodyguard lasted eight and one half years whereupon Thompson returned to Scotland Yard. He was reassigned to protect Churchill in 1931-32 which for the most part was in the USA. Thompson retired in 1936 & opened two grocery stores. All was well until 1939 when Winston Churchill sent for Thompson and asked him to return to his role of personal bodyguard. This request was readily accepted and Thompson soon found himself protecting the British Prime Minister, arguably one of the greatest statesmen of all time. Thompson remained in this role until 1945 when Winston lost the general election and the office of Prime Minister. Walter Henry Thompson had risen to the rank of Detective Inspector & protected Churchill for a total of nineteen years. During this time he travelled some 200,000 miles all over the world with Churchill and saved his life on more than twenty occasions both at home and abroad. For his service in protecting Winston Churchill and service to his country, Walter H. Thompson was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in 1945. At this time he retired again and lived with his second wife in Kent, the same county in England as Winston’s beloved home, Chartwell. Post-war Walter Thompson befriended a fellow B.E.M. recipient, James F. Dix. Dix had been a sergeant in No 3 Commando before returning to his regiment, the Beds & Herts, after the Commandos were disbanded in 1945. During this friendship - which lasted up until Thompson’s death from cancer in 1978 at the age of 87 - Walter gave his trusty 'knuckleduster' to Dix. In 1978, James Dix in turn passed this amazing artefact onto his long-time friend and collector, Richard L Ashley. Ashley was a former police armorer with a well-known arms collection in the UK. In order to share this special piece of history with others, Ashley had often exhibited Walter Thompson's knuckles at various events and functions including the British Resistance Organization (BRO) Museum in Parham Suffolk in the UK. This historically important artefact was recently acquired by my friend Brian through his personal friendship with Richard

A Fistful of History The Knuckleduster Carried by Inspector Thompson, Winston Churchill’s Personal Bodyguard

Brian Moyse & Roy Shadbolt

Inspector Walter Henry


L. Ashley. Knuckleduster details The 'Knuckleduster' itself is of conventional design and believed to be of French or Belgian manufacture from the 1914-1918 era. It weighs six and one-half ounces or between one-third and one-half of a pound. Physically it measures approximately 4” across and 3” high with four triangular spikes, each of which is between one-quarter and one-half inch high. There are markings on both sides between the holes for the third and fourth fingers. On one side is a 'Cartouche' containing the two letters, V.&M. The reverse has no cartouche but has the three letters L.E.M. over the word BREVETE, which in turn is followed by a four digit number 3.0.0.(X), the fourth digit unfortunately being undecipherable. This knuckleduster is very well made and was constructed with an unusually high attention to detail not normally found in this kind of weapon. The parts of the original finish (visible where there is no rust pitting) are extremely smooth. There is no visible gate or parting line which one would expect from a cast or forged steel part. Incredibly, you cannot even see where the gate or parting line might have been ground off. In addition, the spikes are narrower than the knuckleduster is thick. This seems insignificant but from a manufacturing perspective it is more complex and thus more costly. If you look at most other knuckledusters the spikes are of the same thickness as the main part. Making the spikes thinner is much more work than keeping them the same thickness as the rest. Also, the spikes are quite sharp with well-defined edges

which is also difficult to achieve in a cast or forged part. While it is not clear exactly how it was made, it is of high quality craftsmanship as it either required an unusually high quality casting or it was subsequently "worked" by tedious filing and polishing afterwards. The fact that there are no visible grinding or file marks means any "finishing operations" were done with a high degree of care and attention. This is true even in areas where one would expect such marks would have survived "pocket wear" over the years, such as inside the finger holes and at the base of each spike. I think it is safe to assume that the knuckleduster was originally made to this high degree of quality because we can tell from examining it that it has seen very little wear (the spikes are still sharp), and that there are no traces of filing or grinding even in those areas which are well protected from wear. Final Thoughts Although this weapon falls outside of what is often collected today, it is reminiscent of times past when one needed all the help they could get in a ‘sticky’ situation. I have seen many knuckledusters in my time - some very fine and interesting indeed -but none can compare to the astonishing history of this example. Inspector Thompson was devotedly at Churchill’s side for nineteen years, and it is likely that this weapon was in his pocket for much of that time. It is even more likely that at least on one occasion Churchill himself had his fingers wrapped around this as he held it in his fist and inspected the tools of his personal protection officer. This small, simple weapon is undoubtedly a significant fistful of history and in its own small way was right there by Churchill’s side during Britain’s darkest days, ready to fend off any attempt on the leader’s life. Knuckledusters along with other weapons are prohibited in Britain today and as an amateur historian it often pains me to see such bad press rained on such items. This is one example that demonstrates perfectly the historical significance of such a weapon and from a time where such things were less politically sensitive. As a Police Officer walking the streets


Orange Peel Linda Stratmann

An item in the Peeler about the police order to remove orange peel on the pavement sent me scurrying to the Times archives to look for references to police concerns about orange peel. Orange peel was considered a risky substance in 19

th century Britain. It

was frequently used to pelt unpopular performers at theatres, or speakers at public meetings. Small boys fired it at passers-by from makeshift catapults. In the days before confectionary bars, oranges were a handy portable snack often eaten in the street. Discarded peels on the pavement often led to accidents. A correspondent in the Times dated (9 July 1836, p. 6) appealed to the public. ‘Do not throw that accident-causing substance orange-peel on the foot pavements in London: and when it meets your eye, take the trouble removing it with your foot. It would startle your credibility to be assured of the number of accidents, often most painful and sometimes fatal, which arise from this trifling cause.’ He was not exaggerating. There are numerous reports in the Times of serious accidents from slipping on orange peel. The injuries suffered were cuts, fractured legs ankles and skulls, and dislocations. Infections, tetanus, haematoma or the consequences of amputations, often ended in the death of the victim. From time to time insurance companies published lists of pay-outs made from accidents, and falls on orange peel in the street often featured. In 1865 a correspondent called Claudius wrote (18 Jan 1865, p. 12) denouncing ‘every idle fellow who eats an orange [and] throws the peel on the pavement’ . A letter published on the following day (p. 6) stated ‘I can vouch for the great disasters that from time to time arise owing to the carelessness of persons eating oranges in the street and throwing the peel of the orange on the pavement. ‘ The writer had suffered a fall in January 1863 (just two months before the police order printed in the May 2009 newsletter) had been confined to bed for 6 months and said he would walk on crutches for the rest of

his life. A business man whose letter was published on 20 Jan 1865, (p. 11) had seen a police notice in Manchester stating ‘that all persons found throwing orange-peel on the pavement will be prosecuted’ and suggested that this should be adopted in London. On 24 June 1869 the second reading took place in parliament of the Metropolis Regulations Bill the first clause of which imposed a penalty on those strewing orange peel on the pavements, referring to the serious accidents which often happened from that cause. (Times 25 June 1869, p. 6) When the bill was again read on 7 July (8 July 1870, p.5) it was observed that hospital returns ‘reported a number of accidents yearly from treading on orange peel, and one of the officials in the Registrars General’s Department had lost his life in that manner. The Bill was later withdrawn. A Times editorial dated 21 August 1875 (p. 9) commented on the dangers of travel ‘Any one may be run down by a cab in the street, or may be smashed to pieces in a railway collision, or may get his death-wound from a falling brick or piece of orange peel on the pavement’. At a meeting of the Court of Common Council in January 1878 (19 Jan 1878, p.12) the Police Committee resolved to construct a new police station in Bow lane Cheapside but a reference to them to consider ‘ as to the desirability of taking measures to put a stop to the dangerous practice of throwing orange-peel on the footways within the City‘ was discharged. When the police bill was debated in the commons on 27 June 1890 ( 28 June 1890, p. 8) mention was made of injuries sustained by policemen from slipping on orange peel. The Times reported on 21 December 1908 (p.16) that the Commissioner of Police had issued the following order ‘Whereas many persons have received injury from falls caused by pieces of orange peel banana and other fruit skins on foot pavements, the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis requests that all persons will assist the police in preventing, as

far as possible, orange peel and other fruit skins being thrown on the foot paths, and in removing any that they may observe there.’ There were surpr is ingly few prosecutions reported for throwing of orange peel but these may have featured more in magistrates’ court reports to be found in local newspapers. One that did find its way into the Times referred to an incident on 13 December 1868. Police Constable Henry Williams 102 H was on duty in Britannia Street City Road, when he saw 18 year old Walter Sm i t h a n d o t h e rs am us in g themselves by firing orange peel at passers-by with catapults. He had been called there previously to check this practice, and was able after a chase to stop and search the prisoner. Smith was fined 2s. (15 December 1868, p.11) I have found some punning references to orange peel and Sir Robert. At an election meeting for the county of Essex on 6 March 1830 a Mr Conyers made a humorous speech saying that Sir Robert Peel was a friend and had been out shooting with him the previous year. Conyers owned a wood called Orange Wood, and as Peel had shot so well he told him that he would henceforward call the wood Orange Peel. (8 March 1830 p. 3) The obituary of Robert Peel in the Times of 4 July 1850 refers to his time as Chief Secretary to the Lord –Lieutenant of Ireland when he endured a storm of unpopularity and was known as ‘Orange Peel’. Local constables were known as ‘Peelers’ in Ireland before the founding of the Metropolitan Police. (14 June 1817, p.2) On 27 August 1937 (p. 13) the Times reporting the qualities required for recruits to the women’s section of the Metropolitan Police stated. ’The whole duty of a policewoman may be epitomised in her behaviour towards a pedestrian who slips on a piece of orange peel. With her “observant eye” she marks his downfall. Her “kindliness” stirs in her the necessary impulse of rescue. Her power “to think and act swiftly” brings her to his side; her “physical strength” puts him on his feet. ‘


Rumour and legend are pretty close stable mates and those of us who have been connected with the Police service for anything longer than five minutes will know that we are brilliant at starting rumours and even better at clinging onto legends, whether they be true or not! So it is with the subject of this issues article on ‘one-off’ classic Police vehicles. In 1994 the Metropolitan Police decided that it needed a number of semi marked performance cars to use as speed enforcement units. A brave selection of vehicles not normally associated with Police work were chosen and included the Vauxhall Calibra turbo 4x4, the Rover 220 turbo coupe, the BMW M3 coupe (finished in yellow because BMW refused to paint them white; or is that yet more legend?) and the Porsche 968 Club Sport. Now I always understood that there were two BMWs and no less than six Porsches and that the specially selected officers were sent to Germany on special driving courses, courtesy of Porsche to ensure that they were trained to get the very best out of the cars. I have to admit to being more than a touch jealous and often wondered how the Met were seemingly always able to pull off such things and the rest of us weren’t. I don’t actually recall anything being written about these cars at the time, which is unusual given the pedigree of the vehicles we are referring to, although there was a brief article in the Daily Express on May 23

rd 1994

announcing the Porsche’s arrival. The Met are also quite good at taking official photos of important vehicles, but none appear to exist of the Porsche, although there is one of the BMW underneath Marble Arch. So research material is a little sparse to say the least. So do the rumours and legend stand up? I’ll let you know in a minute. Let’s talk about the car itself first. Looking like a cross between a 944 and a 928, the car was introduced in 1992 and was replaced in 1995 by the Boxster. It had a 2990 cc 4-cylinder 16 valve DOHC engine that pumped out 240 BHP at 5500 rpm. It had a top end of 158 mph and a 0-60 sprint time of just 6.1 seconds and returned a mere 15 mpg. There were three types of 968, including the base model, the 968 Turbo S and the 968 Club Sport. In total just 2776 were built worldwide so they are quite a rare beast. The CS model we are looking at here differed from its brethren because it had its interior trimmings ripped out to make it much lighter and therefore a much sportier car. No leather trim, no air-con, no stereo, no electric sunroof, windows, seats or mirrors and no central locking either. Even the sound deadening material

was left out to save weight, so road noise was greatly increased. It was a true sports car not just in name but in truth. It is said that once you have driven a 968 CS you won’t want to drive anything else, you’ll love it that much. The down side for the officers that crewed the cars was that the ride was harsh and skittish, which given the amount of time we usually spend in our patrol cars must have proved to be quite tiring. I remember the excitement experienced by the arrival of a similar car in the late 1990s. The Subaru Impreza is a great car but similarly endowed with harsh suspension and I recall climbing out of the car we had after a few hours on patrol feeling absolutely knackered! Great fun but hard work. Back to the rumour and legend then. The first item we can quell is that there weren’t six Porsche’s but one, which I’m actually quite disappointed about. I suspect that this came about partly through the aforementioned rumour mill and partly because the car was passed from one traffic garage to another which may have given the impression that there was more than one. The Met didn’t purchase the car either, in fact all four performance cars were loaned by their respective manufacturers. The second legend to fall by the way side is rather more amusing in that the selected drivers didn’t get an all expenses joy ride out to Germany to thrash the new toy around some race track for a week. In reality the special training consisted of a supervisor, check testing a number of advanced drivers to ensure that they had kept up their skills. If they had they got to keep the keys to the Porsche. It proved to be somewhat divisive as only a handful of officers (6 or 8) passed the selection process although the number of applicants is not known. The Porsche and the BMW were the favoured cars to drive (well they would be wouldn’t they!) but they did have their draw backs. When dealing with the public most of them spent more time asking questions and looking at the cars than they did worrying about the penalty points that were coming their way! There were a lot of envious glances from both members of the public and Police officers from local stations and neighbouring forces. There were also a lot of adverse comments aimed at the crews, like “It’s not right, it’s the tax payer that foots the bill, blah, blah, blah….” and that was just from other officers! In the Daily Express article it was stated that “motoring organisations had criticised the idea and say it could encourage more high speed chases in which young car thieves have died”. And an AA spokesman is quoted as

Words by Steve Woodward

Photos by Christopher Taylor PORSCHE 968 CLUB SPORT

PORSCHE 968 CS PROFILE

2990 cc

4 cylinder 16 v DOHC

240 BHP

158 MPH

0-60 MPH in 6.1 seconds

15 MPG

POLICE COMPETITION

© Christopher Taylor 1994


saying “Such high performance cars can be a dangerous temptation for joy riders wishing to match their skills against the police. Officers will have to assess each situation to see whether there’s a danger to the public. We are obviously concerned”. These oh-so-typically limp wristed responses were rebuffed by Inspector David Jones of New Scotland Yards Traffic Division who stated that “The Porsche is not a toy, although that is what the cynics will say. It is designed to give us a sporting chance against those who ignore our requests to stop after they’ve done something wrong, whether it is reckless driving or ram-raiding”. The Porsche was finished in white, complete with colour

coded white alloy wheels and it was decorated with standard Metpol striping. It had no roof mounted blue lights (in fact none of the performance cars did) so that the unsuspecting public didn’t see too much in the way of a police car in the rear view mirror. The only blue lights fitted were repeater lights set into the fog lamp recess underneath the front bumper. The Express article shows the car sporting a small Maxim type light bar but this was purely for the photographer. Interior kit obviously included Vascar but no video. So were they a success? Yes apparently, but the experiment was never repeated. Whatever happened to the Mets Porsche 968CS? Well after being used as a patrol car for 18 months or so it spent quite a while sitting in one of the Mets underground garages before going back to Porsche. Does L323 JMO still exist? Well according to the DVLA web site yes it does. Would I like to see it on the PC-UK stand one day as an exhibit? That has to be one of the dumbest questions I’ve ever asked! With thanks to Julian Marsh from the Metropolitan Police Traffic Department for his personal memories of the 968 CS. Steve Woodward is a retired Hampshire Constabulary traffic officer. He has contributed articles to many magazines and is the author of two books, one on the

Editors note; In addition to the vehicles mentioned in the article there was another performance car used by the Met at about this time. This was a Vauxhall Astra GSi 16v which I was told at the time had been introduced to combat the ‘ram raiders’ prolific along the M40/A40 corridor, travelling in from the Thames Valley. I believe that this vehicle was actually owned by the Met and spent it’s service based at Alperton traffic garage which covers the roads mentioned. There was


Before the Porsche

The Porsche and it’s contemporaries were not the first ‘performance’ cars used by the Met for traffic enforcement. The pictures below show some of the earlier ones.

Words: Chris Pullen Photos: Metropolitan Police

1Oxberry M: ‘Unusual Suspects’ The Driving Member December 2003/January 2004 2Johnson AD and Berry RW: British Police Cars of the 1950s

and’60s (Trans-Pennine Publishing Ltd, 2006) 3Walker N: Those Were The Days: British Police Cars (Veloce Publishing, 2001)

A Sunbeam Tiger photographed outside of New

Scotland Yard.

The Tiger was produced between 1964 and 1967 as a

high performance version of the Sunbeam Alpine,

One of the 19 MGC Roadsters purchased to replace the

Sunbeam Tiger.

The MGC had a 2912cc six cylinder engine, capable of

120mph. The Met used both manual and automatic

A Daimler SP250 ‘Dart’ pictured at the junction of

Aerodrome Road and Watford Way Hendon.

The Met commissioned the first of an eventual 26 in

November 1961. They appear to have been introduced

primarily as a response to the ‘Café Racer’ craze

whereby bikers would put a record on the juke box and

race to a local landmark and back before the record

finished. Unsurprisingly this led to frequent and often

fatal accidents and with none of the existing Met fleet

being able to stay with motorcycles capable of over

Possibly the most photographed police car ever was

this MGB with the registration 106FLY.

The car was crewed exclusively by women officers and

like the Daimler was introduced primarily to deal with a

specific problem - this time the numbers of young girls

travelling down to London by hitching lifts in the cabs

of goods vehicles. A fast car was needed to turn

around and catch such lorries spotted coming in the

opposite direction. 106FLY was later replaced by

another MGB registration KGC499D4


The day a Super took a ducking... and a PC missed a break

Rotherhithe Police Station

Chris Lordan

Rotherhithe's first police station was opened on 1 March 1836 at 23 Paradise Street and cost £75 per annum for a period of 21 years. In January 1864 the strength of the station was 117 and formed part of M Division. But in 1865 three new divisions were formed - ’W’ Clapham, ‘X’ Paddington and ‘Y’ Highgate. Somehow or other as a result Rotherhithe ended up on R or Greenwich Division. Due to the revision of boundaries on 22 October 1883 we again became part of M Division with the strength reduced to 73. On 1 April 1965 when force boundaries were brought in line with those of local councils, we lost Deptford as our parent station. We also lost a fair chunk of ground to Deptford that then became P Division. We were then given Tower Bridge as our parent station. Police duty finished at 23 Paradise Street at 6.00am on Monday 6th September 1965. Assuming that duty commenced at 6.00am on 1 March 1836, during its 129 years 1 month and 6 days as a police station, Rotherhithe gave 1,132,188 hours of police coverage! Those who served at the old station will no doubt remember some of it’s features:

Outside loos.

The external spiral staircase, used by many to escape duty officers.

The hot-water storage tank immediately above the one and only inside loo. The furnace was normally stoked with such enthusiasm that the tank used to shake on its supports. Papers were never read in this loo; it was a case of straight in, do what was needed and out!

The furnace, when stoked as described literally glowed bright red!

Playing table tennis around a 9 inch diameter supporting pillar in the basement.

The many doors that again aided our escape from duty officers walking around the station carrying the now obsolete Book 92 in which we had to book in and out of the station for whatever reason we were there.

The squeaky stairs leading to and from the canteen - only about 15 steps which normally took us a good two minutes to negotiate when slipping in for a midnight cup of tea.

The canteen itself. Enter after 5.30pm and Vi, the cook, was gone.

The layers of dust everywhere, even though Jim and Wally had just cleaned the place!

The humping of coal and coke for the many fires.

The fascination of the old place that is missed by most who served there.

The funniest memory I have was when I threw a bucket of water over the Superintendent! I pursued another PC into the outside loos after he had drenched me. Hearing a slight noise behind a cubicle door I tipped a bucket of water over the top - just as the PC appeared from elsewhere. After hearing some very recognisable grunts from the loo I did not even have the courage to come in for midday tea, let alone stay and apologise! Today the building is externally the same - although it is hardly recognisable inside. It houses three or four computer firms - and there is not a spec of dust in sight. Perhaps the biggest two occasions for the Force at the station were the funeral of Field Marshall Sir William Maynard Gomm, and the opening of the Rotherhithe Tunnel by the Prince and Princess of Wales. Sir William Gomm was Lord of the Manor of Rotherhithe from 1822 until he died in 1875 at the age of 91. His vault was about 50 yards from the old station - and the new station is directly opposite Gomm Road, named after him. More than 1,400 Force officers were involved in the Rotherhithe Tunnel opening ceremony on Wednesday 10 June 1908; 9 Superintendents, 46 Inspectors (including 5 mounted), 125 Sergeants and 1,262 PCs (including 35 mounted). The original Police Order for the ceremony is on the wall at the new station.

Rotherhithe Police Station from 1836 to 1965

It is nicknamed the Haven because the name Rotherhithe


The site occupied by this station was bought in 1924 for £5,000 from the Port of London Authority and was known as Landale Lodge. The name is still commemorated in Force flats behind the station called Landale House. The station itself boasts a room that no-one can find. Although the basement plan shows the room, there are no doors or windows to it! In the garden is a willow tree planted as a small sapling about 15 years ago - and now as tall as the building! Its roots are strangling the water pipes and the council want it removed - but due to the diameter of its trunk it has become a protected tree. No doubt many who served here remember our Lil - the best cleaner anyone could ask for. The only thing held against her was that we had to use ice skates when playing table tennis! She was a wizard with the polish. Now she is happily enjoying retirement. In the station we have a replica of the testament to the award of the British Empire Medal to PC Henry Heath on 13 June 1970. Unfortunately Harry died shortly before the presentation, which was for his work for the Police Federation. Also at the station are six reminders of the old station:

A brass lion’s head; one of a pair that adorned the old doors of the old station;

A painting once used as a cover for John Bull magazine showing PCs leaving the station in single file to be posted to their beats;

Audrey Flack, our telephonist;

Mike Gomm;

Dave Cole;

Me, Chris Lordan, who when I retire in 1991 (posted to Rotherhithe in 1961) will be the last link between the old and the new.

This article was first published in ‘The Job’ of the 16th January 1981. Chris has however added some additional information: I have attached a couple of images (one shown) of a painting by an artist, Mr. Thompson. It was commissioned by the magazine John Bull and used as the magazine’s cover on 27/09/1952. It depicts the night duty staff from MR being marched to their beats. There is some poetic

licence as the Angel pub is behind the nick and the girl was in the mind of the artist. On the rear of the painting he wrote something similar to “you normally see a pretty girl when you can’t do anything about it”. The dog however was “real” as it used to wait every night for many months and follow the lads only leaving them when the last reached his beat. The painting was presented to the station in 1952 and hung in the reception hall. In the painting are two officers known to me (1) PC 279’M’ Phil GROGAN MR 1947 to 1980 = 33 years and (2) PC 240’M’ Bill STALEY MR 1948 to 1980 = 32 years - both great men loved by all the local residents. In 2008 the painting was presented to a civilian station officer on her retirement after serving 9 years at MR. The area of Rotherhithe is, I believe, unique inasmuch that it still has three buildings still standing that have had ‘police’ occupation.


I am not and never have been a Mason but the following was recently passed to me by a Masonic historian and may be of interest. Robert Bartlett

Charles William Rawson Royds - Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Cape Royds in Antarctica was named after him

Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Royds KBE CMG ADC FRGS was a career naval officer who later served as Assistant Commissioner "A" of the London Metropolitan Police from 1926 to 1931. Royds was born 1 February 1876 in Rochdale, Lancashire. He attended Eastman's School in Southsea and became a Naval Cadet in June 1892. In August 1892, he went to sea in the cruiser HMS “Immortalité”, HMS “Australia” and HMS “Barfleur”. In 1898, he received early promotion to Lieutenant for his skilled command of a boat that picked up a man who had fallen overboard in the Baltic. In 1899 he sailed to the West Indies aboard HMS Crescent Royds was initiated into the Navy Lodge at an Emergency Meeting on 9 July 1901. This was a double ceremony along with Ernest Shackleton. He too was proposed by RW Bro (then) Vice-Admiral Sir Albert Hastings Markham “PDGM Malta” and seconded by Vice-Admiral William St Clair “PGD PDPGM Middlesex”. Almost immediately afterwards they both joined the 1901 National Antarctic Expedition, led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott to Antarctica that aimed to be the first to reach the South Pole. From 1901 to 1904, Royds was First Lieutenant of the RRS “Discovery”. He was passed (23 May 1904) and raised (2 June 1904) by St. Albans Lodge No. 2597 while in New Zealand

He then joined the battleship HMS “Bulwark” in the Mediterranean and in 1907 transferred to HMS “King Edward VII” in the Channel Fleet. In January 1911, he became the first Executive Officer of the battleship HMS “Hercules”, and in August 1913 transferred to the same post in HMS “Iron Duke”, another new battleship and flagship of Admiral Jellicoe. On 31 December 1914, Royds was promoted to Captain and became Flag Captain to Admiral Sir Stanley Colville, commanding Orkney and Shetland. Six months later he was given command of the battleship HMS “Emperor of India”, an unusually important command for a junior Captain. He remained in her until January 1919, and was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) on 3 June 1919 for his war service. He was the last captain of the Royal Naval College Osborne and then became Director of Physical Training and Sports at the Admiralty. From October 1923 to 15 October 1925, he was Commodore of the Royal Naval Barracks at Devonport, his last naval appointment. On 1 January 1926, he succeeded Sir James Olive as Assistant Commissioner "A" in charge of administration and uniformed operations, which also carried the courtesy title of Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. In March 1926, he retired from the Royal Navy on promotion to Rear-Admiral. On 3 June 1929, he was appointed Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE) in the Metropolitan Police Centenary Honours, and in the same year was made an ADC to the King. On 23 May 1930, he was promoted to Vice-Admiral on the Retired List. Royds died suddenly, on 5 January 1931, while still in office as Assistant Commissioner, suffering a heart attack while attending a rehearsal of the Strauss Ball at the Savoy Hotel. Royds was a very large man, standing well over six feet tall. In 1918, he married the widowed Mary Louisa Blane, a former actress. They had a daughter named Minna Mary Jessica Royds. Cape Royds in Antarctica was named after him.

The following three articles come courtesy of Robert Bartlett .. Notable Coppers


Special Constable William Eustace 1865-1946

From papers sent to Robert Bartlett July 2012 by Tony Davie; unfortunately the document is not dated. The research appears to have been undertaken by a medal enthusiast PC394 X Patrick S Grierson of the Metropolitan Police. The following has had the medal detail removed for the more general reader. William Eustace joined the Metropolitan Police in 1886 and retired in 1913 as a Divisional Detective Inspector after 27 years service. During his service he was awarded Queen Victoria’s Jubilee Medal in 1887 with the 1897 bar; King Edward VII Coronation Medal in 1902; King George V Coronation Medal in 1911. On his retirement he moved to Lightwater in Surrey and in 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War he became a special constable at Bagshot. During his service there he was awarded the Special Constabulary Long Service medal with bars; The Great War 1914-1918; Long Service 1929 and Long

Service 1937. In addition to his duties as a Special Constable he

commenced volunteer fire service duties in 1916. He was awarded the National Fire Brigade’s Association bronze medal in 1926 for ten years long service and the national Fire brigade’s Silver medal in 1936 after 20 years service. He had a further five year bar to the medal and qualified for the Defence Medal in the Second World War when aged 77 years. An additional medal, Windlesham Fire

Brigade Long Service Medal, was awarded in 1937 by Windlesham Parish Council in 1937. Mr Eustace told acquaintances that he took part in the search for “Jack the Ripper” during his Metropolitan Police service. It is believed that Mr Eustace whilst serving in the Metropolitan Police together with another officer formed the photographic Section at Scotland Yard. He was known to wear all his medals on dress occasions. Mr Eustace was serving as a special constable and chief fire officer at the age of at least 70 years. He died in 1946 at the age of 81 and is buried in Lightwater Cemetery. It would appear from an article in the Camberley News and Bagshot Observer that Mr Eustace was as serving oldest special constable in Surrey when he died.

Believed to have been taken in 1926

Date unknown but holding rank of Section Leader, Surrey


Police Sergeant 1st

Class Ambrose Rayner

Metropolitan Police 1885-1953

Robert Bartlett

Information from the family: Born 5 June 1985 Warrant number 95008 Cambridgeshire Police for 17 months - not to count for pension Metropolitan Police 7 October 1907 - 28 January 1934 on pension 26 years and 114 days aged 48 on a pension of £208.14s 4d. Conduct certified as exemplary On joining the Metropolitan Police Sergeant Rayner was married with four children He served from 7 October 1907 - 29 January 1934 and his warrant number was 95008. He was PC 130H in 1912.

Ambrose Rayner was awarded 98 commendations by the Metropolitan Police, High Courts including the Central Criminal Court and magistrates courts. He was obviously a born thief taker not afraid of hard work and getting stuck in who drew little distinction between being on or off duty. At one stage he worked closely with Frederick Porter Wensley who was to go on to become the head of CID with the appointment of Chief Constable and one of the original Big Four. A family memoir was written by Ambrose Rayner’s son Richard and is held by the family and the paragraphs below are a shorter version developed by the author of this article. The five page memoir shows that Ambrose was born in the family cottage in Aldridge Lane in the village of Fornham All Saints, Suffolk. As a lad he was given the nickname Army but on joining the police he became Ray. Working on farms as a lad in Suffolk in his early teens he moved to works at Lea Bridge in East London on the railway. His family paid a visit to Ambrose’s

digs and were so appalled by them they took him home. He was soon returned to London to East Dulwich where he worked as an apprentice gardener under his Uncle Richard in the garden of Mr Eno of salts fame. He left Dulwich obviously wanting more challenges than he would find as a gardener and joined the Cambridgeshire Constabulary where from 1905/1906) and was stationed Whittlesford a village next to Duxford. One famous case within the family was the arrest of a man who one seeing the police drove his cart into the middle of a pond first refusing to leave “you want me you come and get me!” After a lengthy stand off the man came out of the pond and was detained. Rural policing was often dangerous as the officers were on their own without

prospect of reinforcement. A wanted man was seen scything his field swinging a large scythe gently side to side. On seeing the police officer he took up a threatening stance with the words “If you come near me I will cut your B----- feet off.” Again the smooth talking Ambrose, who was heavily built and almost 6 feet tall made an arrest without any violence and with probably another charge on the sheet for the farm worker.

PC Rayner Cambridgeshire Police1

Ambrose’s wedding in Suffolk2


Ambrose left the country policeman’s life of very long arduous hours which could include walking 20 miles a day after about 18 months for the rough and tumble of life in the east end of London with the Metropolitan Police. He started duty on the 7 October 1907 in East London which was then as it continued to be for a few more generations a hard and difficult place to police where no doubt the physical attributes of the policeman were important. Ambrose was a big, tough and strong farm boy used to hard work and with the attributes of a police constable used to being on his own, making decisions and talking his way out of trouble. If that did not work no doubt the large hands evident in the pictures above came into use. The talents of PC Rayner were deployed at Commercial Street, Old Street and at time Leman Street in the Stepney area. His warrant number was 95008 and he was PC 130H in 1912 and may well have had this collar number from the start. He took some time to get established but in 1910 he began to be awarded the incredible number of commendations, reaching a total of 98 by the time he retired, the last being awarded in 1933. In 1911 before he married Ambrose was living in a section house when he and other residents were called out to respond to what became the siege of Sydney Street, responding for reasons lost with time, dressed as merchant seamen. The body of Peter the Painter was not found in the burn rubble of the premises but the section house sergeant had money making wheeze. The sergeant enjoyed pig’s trotter for his supper and having eaten his fill he threw the bones on the fire later retrieving them from the ashes selling them to the unsuspecting as the bones of Peter the Painter recovered from the fire! Soon after marriage Ambrose and his wife were waiting for a train on Westminster Bridge when he spotted a team of pickpockets working on passengers boarding the trams. Telling his wife to make her way home he waded in and arrested the gang of probably three men. Ambrose was knocked to the ground and given a good kicking ending up at St Thomas’s Hospital where he was detained for a few days. Later, Mrs Rayner identified the pickpockets at an identity parade and they were sent to prison. The family believe that at some stage in his career Ambrose attended an execution in Pentonville as a witness and he was also to witness the beating of a man with the “cat.” It is thought that Ambrose spent much of his service as a detective sergeant who on one occasion escorted the Prince of Wales (Edward V111) around the seaman’s hostels in Limehouse afterwards receiving a letter of thanks from the Prince. He was also to escort a Lord Lloyd around Whitechapel and received a silver cigarette case engraved with his lordship’s monogram as a thank you. Harding mentions Ambrose Rayner in his autobiography [My Apprenticeship to crime - an autobiography by Arthur Harding] at the start to Chapter 10. “A police officer of the H Division was prominent in sending many of these villains

to prison; his name was Detective Sergeant Ambrose Rayner who dressed as a seaman would hang about the haunts in the worst districts, and was very successful in clearing the night prowlers from the streets. This officer had the reputation of being a very officer for apprehending many pimps or ponces, mostly of alien birth who infested the Aldgate and Whitechapel districts.”

5

The Flying Squad formed in 1919 by Frederick Wensley who had been a close colleague of Ambrose was the natural placement for so active a thief taker. It is not certain when he was to join the Squad but it is thought not long after its formation. Unfortunately Dick Kirby the historian of the Squad has no reference to Ambrose. It was however when they had vehicles as one day when the family were due to go on holiday to Suffolk a large van pulled up outside their house. Inside the back of the van were a table and a couple of benches down the sides. In the sides of the van were Louvre windows to allow those inside to keep observation on what was happening in the street. The family were driven to Liverpool Street station and off they went on their holiday. He was in the CID and was promoted to 3rd class sergeant on the 9 September 1919, 2nd class sergeant 24 June 1920 and 1st class sergeant 5 August 1929. He was transferred to G Division 5 June 1933. Even with his family out walking in the East End Ambrose’s police brain was constantly in first gear pointing out to his children men standing on street corners identifying them as notorious pick-pockets and the once he had arrested; some more than once. With a sheepish grin the men would acknowledge Ambrose and the greeting “Hello Guv!” One Sunday Ambrose took his son

This half photo was found in Lemon Street some years ago

and held by Rayner’s descendants. Ambrose was thought by

family to be fourth from right back row but when enlarged

the collar number reads 452H. It is not certain what the


to Club Row to a street market where birds and animals were sold. Ambrose was looking for pickpockets. They were to meet Prince Monolulu “a coloured man who used to wear very colourful clothes and a headdress of brightly coloured ostrich feathers.” Monolulu claimed to be an Ethiopian prince but was in fact a racing tipster selling tips to the gullible whose real name was Peter Carl Mackay (or McKay). He met Ambrose as a long lost brother. It is not known if Rayner had enough of the endless hours associated with specialist CID duties and asked to be returned to uniform or he was moved without asking but this is what happened on the 5 June 1933 and the picture left shows him as PS GR21

6. In

just over 6 months after moving to G Division Ambrose was to retire. Ambrose retired 28 January 1934 when his conduct certificate states “Exemplary”. On his retirement the Daily Mail described him as “Father Confessor to the Underworld and The Uncrowned King of the East End”. He was 48 and had served in the Metropolitan Police for 26 years and 114 days his service in Cambridgeshire not counting towards his pension which was set at £208.14s 14d. After retirement Ambrose worked for the Tobacco Trade Industry as an investigator looking into unfair trading practices. On the outbreak of war in 1939 Ambrose returned as a member of the First Police Reserve keeping his collar number GR21

7. He was

put in charge of a group of Specials and War Reserve at a small sub-station in Whitechapel but soon lost his enthusiasm leaving the Metropolitan Police to become a part-time Shelter Marshal and again working for the Tobacco Trade Industry organisation. Ambrose had a close call during the Blitz. Having checked “his” shelter he was walking back home which was close by, when he

Daily Mirror 1953 The Terror of London’s East End

8

Ambrose Rayner the “Terror of London’s East End” in the 1920s and one of the last links with Scotland Yard’s Big Four died in London yesterday at the age of 67. He joined the police force in 1907 but it was in the years after the First World War when he was an assistant to Chief Inspector Freddie Wensley that he achieved his almost legendary fame. His haunts were the darkest areas of the east End where he came to know every move in the intricate pattern of the underworld. To the petty crooks and burglars of the area he became almost a mythical figure and his work brought him 97(sic) official commendations during his years of service. War Service Before he retired in 1934 he was transferred to the Flying Squad. Even when he left the police Force he did not stop his work. He was employed up to the war as a company investigator and although in his late fifties he returned to the police for some time during the war as a plain clothes sergeant.


heard a bomb coming down. He threw himself to the ground and the bomb fell a short distance away in a nearby street. He was just about to get up when he heard a thud as a heavy object fell a few feet away which turned out to be a large block of granite which was now embedded in the pavement. The granite had flown over two blocks of houses for nearly a quarter of a mile. Ambrose Rayner died on 31 August 1953 after almost 20 years on police pension aged 67. Note from Dick Kirby - historian of the Flying Squad: As to where Ambrose was posted when those commendations were awarded is difficult if not impossible to say. In those days, officers were not necessarily posted to the Flying Squad and if they were, they would have been shown as 'COC1', which covered a multitude of departments. Many officers were simply 'on loan' to the Flying Squad - one of its most famous officers was Frank 'Squibs' Dance but although he remained with the Squad for about 15 years, he was never officially posted there - he was simply 'on loan' from 'Y' Division. To muddy the waters even further, if Ambrose had been commended in Police Orders for an arrest on another division - say 'E' Division - he might be shown as PC Rayner 'H' Division but all the time, it might have been as part of a Flying Squad case.

A selection of Rayner’s 98 commendations

The list of commendations is from his Central Record of Service

No Date of Police Order Amount Commendations and Awards by

whom and for what service Correspondence

no

1 31.12.10 6s Commendation robbery 18119

9 29.2.12 7/6d Commendation highway robbery with

violence

20 29.11.13 - Commendation false representation

police officer 49700

23 28.2.14 - Judge County of London Sessions shop

-breaking (other officers)

34 16.9.14 - Judge County of London Sessions

burglary (other officers)

47 31.8.16 6s Commendation stealing & receiving

(other officers) 76541

59 15.5.18 - Judge County of London Sessions larceny & receiving property (other

officers)

66 30.9.18 5s Commendation shop-breaking (other

officers) 95669

73 31.5.21 £1 Commendation Common Serjeant

Central Criminal Court housebreaking, larcenies etc., (other officers)

125221

78 1.5.23 10s Commendation Deputy Chairman County London Sessions – van

larcenies (other officers) 230/PMH80

85 29.7.27 £1 Commendation Common Serjeant

Central Criminal Court conspiracy to defraud (other officers)

235/G/180

97 14.10.32 - Commendation Recorder Central Criminal Court larceny cigarette

coupons 236/UNC/391

98 16.1.33 - Commendation pickpockets 230/PSH/58


9 January 1912 from the Central Criminal Court - PC Ambrose Rayner

Extract

Williams, Lewis (24, coster), McGuire, Francis (27, fruiterer), Barnett, Harry (22, coster), and Southey, Frederick (26, car-man) robbery with violence upon Richard Haynes, and stealing from him 17s 6d, his moneys Mark Cobant, ladies' tailor: On November 17, about 12 midnight, I went into the urinal at the corner of Wentworth Street, White-chapel; Haynes came in after me. There are two entrances to this urinal. McGuire and Barnett came in at one entrance and Southey and Williams and another man came in the other entrance. Southey ran behind Haynes and clutched him by the throat, saying, "It's all right; I have got him tight." The other prisoners rushed in and held prosecutor's hands. Williams put his hand in Haynes's waistcoat pocket. I saw some money drop out of the pocket, a piece of gold and some silver. Williams and Barnett picked it up. McGuire, Barnett, and Southey then ran out. Williams was left with Haynes; he pushed Haynes down to the floor and kicked him in the ribs, saying, "Stay down, or I will out you," and ran out after the others. I saw them all run into Lowlesworth Buildings. Haynes asked me to go to the station as a witness and give a description of the men as well as I could, and I did so. Later that night I went to the station and from a number of men picked out Williams. On November 21 I saw another lot of men put up, and I picked out Barnett; I was not sure of McGuire, so I did not pick him out. Next day I picked out Southey. Police-constable Ambrose Rayner, H Division: On November 17, about 11.30 p.m., I was in Commercial Street. I saw there four prisoners and a fifth man enter the "Princess Alice,' which is about 50 yards from the urinal. About midnight I saw prosecutor and Cobant at the station. A little later I saw Williams in Commercial Street. I told him I should arrest him on suspicion of being concerned with four other men not in custody in assaulting and robbing a man of 17s 6d just previously in Wentworth Street. He said, "It is all through that big bastard that I done it." When told at the station what he was being detained for he said, "What, robbed of 17s. 6d. I should

say so; I have not got it; I wish I had some of it." Next morning he was put up for identification; prosecutor failed to identify him; Cobant picked him out at once. On November 20 I went to McGuire's house, accompanied by a detective from another division. I told McGuire I should arrest him on suspicion of being concerned with' one man in custody and three not in custody in this robbery. He said, "If I had known you were coppers you would never have got into this house, as I knew you had got two in for it." (In fact two had been arrested, but only one had been charged.) On Barnett and McGuire being put up for identification, prosecutor identified both men; Cobant picked out Barnett, and did not identify McGuire. On McGuire being charged he said, "The 'pros.' was drunk when he was britched (robbed); I admit I was there, but I had nothing to do with it, but I saw it done, and it was where Southey broke his ankle." I was present on November 21 when Southey was arrested; he pulled out of his pocket a paper, which he tore up and threw away; the pieces were put together; it is a certificate of admission at some hospital receiving room (Exhibit 1). When Cobant identified Southey he said, "This is the man who held prosecutor by the throat." Southey said, "You are wrong"; Cobant said, "No, I am not; you are now wearing the same shirt as you had on then." When I saw Southey on November 17 at 11.30 p.m. he was not limping. Detective John Newing, G Division, corroborated Rayner as to the arrest of McGuire. Police-constable Walter Churcher 432 H: On November 19 I arrested Barnett. He said, "I expect it was that bastard Marks Cohen (Williams) that shopped me for this lot; I will do it on him." Barnett was identified by Haynes and Cobant. At the station Barnett said, "I can put up with what I get; I have had a good run." On November 21 I arrested Southey. I told him the charge and he said, "I know nothing about it; if I knew you wanted me I should have kept away from this end; I am not afraid of what I get; I am innocent." He was identified by Haynes and Cobant; Cobant said, "This is the man who held the prosecutor by the throat." Southey complained of an injury to his ankle and was taken to the station in a cab. Verdict, Guilty

1http://thebadgerslair.com/images/History/county/Ambrose%20Rayner%20in%20uniform%20-%20PC19%20-%20Cambridgeshire.jpg 2Family photographs Marilyn Rennie 3Alan Moss History by the Yard Information about the Policing of London: www.historybytheyard.co.uk 4Family photo Marilyn Rennie 5http://www.bishopsgate.org.uk/content/1414/Chapters-1-10 6Family photo Marilyn Rennie 7Family photo Marilyn Rennie 8Press cutting held by Marilyn Rennie 9http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/print.jsp?div=t19120109-68

Editors Note: Due to space it has not been possible to include the full article in the magazine. The full version, including a full list of commendations, more extracts from Central Criminal Court transcripts of cases involving Ambrose and more pictures will shortly be available on the Friends website. www.metpolicehistory.co.uk.


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