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    Dave Wilkinson

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    Posts posted by Dave Wilkinson

    1. Without wishing to "stir" the proverbial, I do think that the continual churning out of medals by the UK Government seems to be spiralling out of control. We will soon bring ourselves into line with those other nations (I won't name them) whose uniformed representatives adorn themselves with what seems to be endless lines of medal ribbons. Some of those individuals are obviously very young in service and yet have two or more lines of ribbon to their credit already. What are they for I ask myself, completing their recruit course successfully, or perhaps good attendance for six months?

       

      Before my retirement, I spent 20 plus years working in a law enforcement capacity at the Port of Dover and had almost continuous involvement with HM Immigration Service and its later re-incarnation. So, there is little I do not know about their work. Its gone from a non-uniformed, non-confrontational role to a rather aggressive arm of the Home Office. They went from wearing a smart civilian lounge suit to adopting a uniform which so emulates that of a bobby complete with batons and handcuffs hanging from their belt, that they are often wrongly described by many as "police", a term which they themselves seem to cherish. The term "Border Force" appears to be out of step with the Government's wish to be "Service" oriented. The police have (in the main) long since ceased to use the term "police force", so I wonder why there is this desire to present an image which is so out of keeping with what people expect. Do they embark upon dangerous assignments? Probably. But I know from my own experience that they go about their enforcement work "mob handed" and seldom if ever operate on their own. So the risk of them being injured or attacked is reduced significantly. The same could also have been said for the old HM Customs & Excise. If they were dealing with the public there were invariably five or six of their staff present. One further comment I would make is that they are supported by a very active Union and have the right to withdraw their labour at the drop of a hat. Not that the general public would give a hoot if that were to take place, as indeed it has in the past, with very little effect. So, they've got themselves a Long Service & Good Conduct medal. They've joined the "club". Well done!

       

      Personally, I've always thought that the elderly gentleman who operates the School Crossing Patrol near where I live has a particularly dangerous job. He's on his own and often faces anger, aggression and risk of assault most days. I'm tempted to start an on line petition suggesting that after two years continuous service he should get a medal. Now that's a thought!

       

      Dave.   

       

              

    2. On 13/12/2023 at 04:15, dpk said:

      Have seen these two badges recently, trying to identify what they are for. They may have (but not confirmed) a link to Liverpool Police. Crown shown may be EVII or GV. Any information most welcome!!

       

      David- dpk@iinet.net.au

      Liverpool possible crop.jpg

      I can confirm that these items have no connection whatsoever to Liverpool City Police.

       

      Dave.

    3. He's clearly not an unintelligent man otherwise he would not hold the position of Chief Constable. As such, he would surely have known quite well what the protocols are in respect of the wearing of medals. If he wasn't (which I doubt), then there are people around him who would surely have told him.

       

      Prior to being appointed CC of Northamptonshire, he was with Greater Manchester Police. in fact he was the divisional commander of the two policewomen, Nicola Hughes & Fiona Bone who were murdered there several years ago. As to when he began wearing medals to which he is not entitled, I don't know.

       

      He also attracted publicity recently by saying that he would pay personally for a supply of union flag "thin blue line" patches for his force to wear on their uniforms, saying that it was important to remember the sacrifice of police officers who loose their lives when performing their duty. 

       

      His decision making ability appears to be seriously flawed, which having regard to the position he holds, must be very worrying for those who rely upon him to make such decisions.

       

      If you look back over the past few years its amazing how many Chiefs', Deputies', and Assistants' that find themselves the subject of disciplinary investigations, many of which result in premature retirement or other methods of disposal, resulting in their departure. There must be something seriously wrong with the way these individuals are selected for these positions. Many of the old style Chiefs' will be spinning in their graves.

       

      Dave.   

    4. DPK,

       

      Its interesting to see that the medals to which you refer are "created" by individual Australian police forces as opposed to being a "national" award approved by Parliament. That suggests that (two or three?) individual forces have found the need to "fill the gap" for want of better words. If that were to happen here in the UK, and I don't think that legally there is anything to prevent it, then such medals would be regarded as "unapproved" and would need to be worn on the opposite side of the chest to awards approved by the Sovereign by Royal Warrant under his Sign Manual. 

       

      The creation of such awards and monetary allowances'  here by individual forces would be akin to the merit and commend badges which some UK forces issue. Nothing more and nothing less.

       

      I think it unlikely that (unlike Australia) UK forces would go it alone.

       

      If such a thing were to come to fruition here nationally, and it was not far reaching in terms of eligibility, there would quickly be a petition created to award medals posthumously to every police officer killed on duty (or pensionably injured) since the beginning of the last century. Where is the line to be drawn?  

       

      In my opinion the whole concept of medals being issued (for whatever reason) appears to be getting out of hand. Everybody wants one, in some cases whether they are entitled to it or not! If care is not taken many will become nothing but questionable/meaningless trinkets   

       

      Dave.  

       

       

    5. 18 hours ago, bigjarofwasps said:

      Is D the 1953 Coronation Medal, perhaps? 

      Yes, it is. You can see it more clearly if you zoom in on this medals on the photo of him getting his QPM.

       

      Dave.

      18 hours ago, bigjarofwasps said:


      Thanks Dave, these are GREAT 👍👍

       

      Forgive my ignorance, but what’s the medal between Lievre’s LSGC and KPM? 

       

       

      Or am I miss identifying the WW1 BWM with the LSGC, and the middle medal is in fact the WW1 Victory medal? 

      2DC48961-68B7-434B-A4A9-C56D3DB828BA.jpeg

      Also struggling with Lamy’s medals?

       

      A -BEM

      B- QPM

      C - appears to have ribbon but no medal?

      D- ?

      E- LSGC

      5059F8F1-8C6D-42F2-92F4-0D79D62C2386.jpeg

      The one on the extreme left (Lamy) with the black ribbon is Order of St. John. Can't make out what "C" is. I'm also stumped with your query re. Le Lievre's unidentified medal. Could be one of the war medals as you suggest.

       

      Dave. 

    6. I have a large file of papers and photos relating to Insp. Lamy and Guernsey Police generally.

       

      I'm attaching a photo of Sgt. Chas. Le Lievre wearing his medals including KPM. His medals are in the possession of his family who are still resident on Guernsey. Another photo shows Mr. Lamy being presented with his QPM by the Governor of Guernsey and finally one showing him during a visit to Guernsey by HM The Queen . As you can see he does indeed have the LSGC medal.

       

      Dave.

      Guernsey Sgt. 1 Chas. Le Lievre KPM.jpg

      Guernsey Chief Lamy Medal Pres..jpg

      Guernsey CO Lamy 2.jpg

    7. The Chief Officer of the Guernsey Island Police during the German Occupation was Inspector Albert Lamy. He was awarded the BEM, in the "Occupation Honours" post liberation and the appended photo shows him wearing the appropriate ribbon. As you correctly say, the "Defence Medal" was not awarded to anyone remaining on any of the Islands during WWII. The reason for this is presumably because the Islands were not defended as such, by anyone remaining there. The armed forces of the Crown were withdrawn and they were all left to their fate.

       

      With regard to the Police LSGC medal, this was awarded to the Jersey and Guernsey Police when it was introduced in 1951. Interestingly, service during the German occupation counted as "approved service" for the purpose of the award of the medal.

       

      Dave. 

      Guernsey. Insp. Lamy.jpg

    8. The "cloth" part of the belt was hidden from view beneath the tunic. The leather straps were allowed to protrude from the "slit" in the tunic waist and hang down. It is not a cross belt. The sword could be carried on either side of the tunic. It was the wearers preference, his tunic being tailored accordingly. Looking at the weapon, I'd suggest that it is not intended to to go with the tunic or belt and is probably a "marriage" having been added to the ensemble at some point.  

       

      Dave.

    9. Very interesting. Excellent detective work locating the image, which is entirely new to me.

       

      For some inexplicable reason, the Metpol. Inspector on the extreme right is wearing on his breast the cap badge of the short lived Devon & Exeter Police (1966-1967). I'm attaching a photo of the small group of badges which were produced for that force. The collar badges were issued and worn. However, the cap badge was only worn by Special Constables and the numbered breast badge was not worn at all. To confuse matters further, the Coat of Arms is that of Devon County Council with no Exeter connection whatsoever.

       

      I suspect that the Met. have used "sample" badges (not related to the Met.) simply to display the proposed uniforms. I've not been able to identify the badges being worn on the breast of the other two bobbies. However, the one being worn by the guy in the centre seems to be the collar badge of the Durham Constabulary, with a small number section fixed below it.

       

      Dave.   

      Devon & Exeter Police..JPG

    10. The Island of Jersey is a self governing British Crown Dependency. It is not technically a part of the United Kingdom, but is part of the British Isles. The King is represented on the island by a Lieutenant Governor.

       

      The States of Jersey Police has its origins dating back to 1853, when a small group of uniformed men were appointed to police the Parish and town of St. Helier. They were known as the "St. Helier Paid Police".  The policing of the remainder of the island was the responsibility of the Honorary Parish Police in each of the remaining eleven parishes.

       

      The uniformed police remained under the control of the Parish of St. Helier until 1952. At that time they were transferred to the control of the Island's Government, the States of Jersey. The strength at that time was 64 men and the title of the force was changed to "States of Jersey Police". That said, their activities were still centred upon St. Helier although they did venture out of the town when requested by the outer Parishes'. They later performed regular mobile patrols throughout the island, but had to inform the relevant Parish Constable of any incidents that they came upon or were called to attend. 

       

      They now provide a policing service to the whole island. However, the relevant Parish Honorary Police still have primacy in respect of the decision to charge offenders. The Parish Centenier is the only person (other than the Attorney General) who has the power to charge an offence and it is he/she who presents the case at the Magistrates' Court. 

       

      The current strength of the States of Jersey Police is 214 officers plus 121 civilian staff.

       

      Below is a representation of the badges worn since their formation.

       

      Dave. 

       

       

      Jersey States.JPG

    11. 16 hours ago, I_♥_Police said:

      Great collection Dave. Is the top left badge the issued cap badge for all ranks and the top right a warrant card holder badge? I assume the bell patch shape is for a wooly pully nato jumper but are the other two coat patches?

      The badge on the top left is the second issue cap badge and the one on the left is the current issue cap badge. I'm unsure as to whether they use a warrant badge.

       

      I understand that caps are now seldom worn and day to day they wear a baseball type hat. The two rectangular patches are the first generation patch versions and the bell shaped one is the later type, all three were/are worn on "NATO" type pullovers and outer coats.

       

      Dave. 

      10 hours ago, Graf said:

      Great collection Dave Thank you for sharing

      Thank you for your continued interest.

       

      Dave.

    12. As requested please find below a photo of the insignia worn previously and currently by the Sovereign Base Areas Police.

       

      The force is administered by the Ministry of Defence. That said it is a stand alone organisation and is not affiliated in any way to the Ministry of Defence Police. It was formed on the 16th August 1960 with an initial strength of 40.

       

      They are responsible for policing the British Sovereign Bases at Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus. The force is commanded by a British Chief Constable who is assisted by three other British Police Officers. The remainder of the force are locally appointed Greek Cypriots'. The total strength is 241 attested staff plus 12 civilians. The Chief Constable is also responsible for the management and supervision of the Sovereign Base Prison, HMP Dhekelia.

       

      Prior to 1992, the uniform worn followed the pattern worn by the RAF. A diced band was worn on the cap and the badge consisted of a large metal Queen's Crown. This was replaced in 1991 with the cap badge shown on the left hand side of the photo. Post 1992 a new British Police pattern uniform was adopted, again with caps. On 1st April 1998, the slightly changed design cap badge on the right hand side of the photo was taken into wear. 

       

      The small metal "SBA" monogrammed badges were formerly worn on the epaulettes above the force number. These are now embroidered. The small star badges are worn on the lapel of the tunic jacket.

       

      Dave. 

      DSCF1494 (2).JPG

    13. On 07/06/2023 at 13:52, I_♥_Police said:

      Sorry Dave, very late to this, but they look absolutely great and thanks for taking the time and effort to post. I have a keen interest in the overseas territories Police.  The way this is all presented is great on the boards. I would dearly love to visit alot of these places and hopefully will one day. They may even offer a ridealong type thing through the IPA! Who knows!

      Do you have any other collections from SBAP, Jersey etc?

       

      Historically, the SBA Police do not have very many badges, but those I have I'll post in the next day or so, together with a collection from the States of Jersey Police.

       

      Dave.  

    14. The Royal Antigua Police Force was formed in 1960, following the disbandment of the Leeward Islands Police. For the first five years of their existence they continued to wear Leeward Islands badges and insignia. It was not until 1965, did they adopt their own named badges etc. This coincided with the force being granted the "Royal" title by HM The Queen in that year.

       

      They have had two versions of their badge. The first followed the basic design of the old Leeward Islands badge (left hand side of the photo) with just a name change. The current helmet and cap badge is shown on the right hand side. The helmet worn is the usual white "Wolseley" pattern commonly used by police forces in the West Indies.

       

      Antigua became independent on the 1st November 1981, however King Charles III remains head of state.

       

      Dave.        

      Royal Antigua Police.JPG

    15. Not wishing to undermine the honour bestowed upon these individuals, but I wonder whether the obviously very large stock held, of these EIIR headed medals, had any bearing upon the decision to make these awards.

       

      A good opportunity to get rid of the stock, which presumably would otherwise be "binned".

       

      Keep an eye on the auction sites!

       

      Dave.

    16. 12 hours ago, bigjarofwasps said:


      Thanks Dave, I had my doubts about it being the Met as well. Never seen one wearing a badge like that. Now you’ve pointed out the other bits, that I completely overlooked it’s obvious. Watched the film again and managed to get a slightly better shot of the helmet plate.

      45E04052-77EB-4BD3-B7AB-416B07F8396E.jpeg

      Thanks for identifying the badge as well 👍

      Gordon,

       

      Your second screen shot made me immediately think of Accrington Borough Police. This is their white metal Victorian helmet plate, which they ironically continued to wear (with a chrome finish) well into the 1930's before changing to a KC star pattern. The bobby is wearing a two digit number on his collar and to the immediate right of that is a small version of the Borough arms.

       

      I find old film footage fascinating but equally infuriating. It often has me stretched out on the carpet in front of the telly trying to see the detail on bobbies badges etc. Clearly the sign of a misspent youth!

       

      Dave.

      Accrington QVC HP..JPG

    17. 1 hour ago, bigjarofwasps said:

      Anyone able to identify what this badge is? 

      C5202E53-CC6C-4CF6-B696-FC20F2F001DC.jpeg

      The photo appears to be taken in, at a guess, Lancashire. Its certainly not taken in London. The bobby in the foreground is wearing a white metal helmet plate which is not star shaped. The Met. did not wear white metal helmet badges. The badge he is wearing on his arm is a first aid qualification badge, which the Met. Police did not wear. The other obvious clue is that there is no duty armlet on either sleeve. A Met. man of that period would not be seen on duty without his armlet.

       

      Dave.  

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