bigjarofwasps

Fascinating glimpse back

in time, via this little piece of silent film.
 

https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-the-battle-of-cable-street-1936-online

William PRICE

Born 01/08/1884 Highgate London

Bricklayer before he joined the Met (employed by an A Chapman of Noel Park Estate, Wood Green).

Joined 19/02/1906 as a PC in H Div (Warrant No 92896),

Height 5' 10 1/2" 

Weight 11 st 2lbs

Complextion dark

Eyes brown

Hair dark brown

Single man when joined. His address then being 38 Eleanor Road Bowes Park.

William & Martha Jane nee Gibbons, married on the 20/11/06, at Ferme Park Baptist chapel, Hornsey.

Awarded the 1911 Coronation Medal.

Remained at H Division until the 04/04/1914 when he was posted to K Division.

The Sidney Street Siege, took place during William's service in H Division, around 200 officers from the Met & City police involved. Given his address at the time it is highly likely that he took some sort of part in the events.

He was promoted to Station Sergt in 1923 served there as both a PS and SPS in K Div. 

21/09/1923 92896 William PRICE from PS101K To SPS.

Posted to J Division as Insp on the 26/02/1926

Pensioned 16/03/1931 as an Insp in J Div

Recalled as reserve officer 31/08/1939 and joined K Div (Bow) which is next to his old J Div – he was living in Dagenham in 1939. 81 Oval Road South Dagenham (with Martha).

He resigned as Insp in K Div on the 31/07/1942 - his police service was one month short of the three years for a Defence Medal 

On the 1911 census he is listed as living at 37 Dellow Buildings Dellow Street, Shadwell, with his wife Martha Jayne (26) and two sons William George (3) born Whitechapel and Alfred Frederick (1) born Stepney. 

Another son, Stanley was born 1912.

Martha died in Norfolk 1962.

William died at 3 Kirkley Park Road, Lowestoft, on the 10th July 1963.
 

The first picture is a famous Sidney Street siege photograph. I believe William Price is the Bobby identify as 3.
 

Picture 1 was taken around 1914

Picture 2 was taken in 1902

Picture 3 was taken in 1911

Picture 1 he would have been 18

Picture 3 he would have been 27

Fascinating read Alan, thanks for sharing it with us!!!!

47 minutes ago, paul wood said:

The Gazette gives the basic employment of the recipient a wide range of  people in government employment receive it including prison officers, naval shipyard workers, anyone basically of non executive rank, they tended to be retirement presents. When looking recipients up, supposing the man Is Fred Bloggs, do not look up Fred Bloggs but Bloggs, Fred and shazzam all will be revealed.

 

P

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks Paul.

How do I go about accessing the rolls? 

Although these medals are not specifically police related.
 

I believe that members of the The Post Office Investigation Branch could be awarded this medal?

Do any rolls for these medals exist?

Do these rolls confirm what role the recipient worked in, or do they just say Royal Mail? 

On 04/09/2021 at 17:37, Shots Dave said:

The following medal is named to 1288 CONST.U.A.PUNCHIRALA,CEYLON POLICE FORCE .I have no proof of the award of the War Medal 1939-1945, but would like to think that whoever went to the trouble of mounting and displaying them did. If anyone has/can find any further information on the recipient it would be gratefully received.

 

Cheers

 

Dave

Found this group to a Ceylon Police Officer, thought it might be of interest?

This trio to Insp T A Miskin. 

PC feared account of Hillsborough tragedy would be 'magicked away' if changes refused, jury told

Jurors were today told of claims made by Maxwell Groome, a former PC with South Yorkshire Police

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/pc-feared-account-hillsborough-tragedy-20591452.amp

A PC's account of the Hillsborough disaster was changed to remove criticisms of police, but notes about drunk fans were kept in, a jury heard.

PC Maxwell Groome was on duty for the match at Sheffield Wednesday's stadium.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-56987464.amp
 

PC Maxwell Groome had been on duty at Hillsborough during the disaster. A line in his original statement reading, “The control room seemed to have been hit by some sort of paralysis,” was removed in an amended version.
 

https://socialistworker.co.uk/art/51744/Solicitor+advised+police+officer+to+review+criticism+of+top+cops+after+Hillsborough+disaster

Interesting that he was awarded the war medal and not the defence medal or indeed both?

Also curious that he has the British war medal not the Indian? 

Interesting theory Alan!! Such a shame all aren’t identified. I wonder whether PC Phipps is in there somewhere? 

On a similar theme is the above thread, although not Watkins related, thought it might be of interest? 

On 19/07/2021 at 05:12, dpk said:

Interesting- if the Reverse was translated from English to Welsh, 'For Exemplary Police Service' would appears as something like 'Ar Gyfer Enghreifftiol Gwasanaeth Heddlu'. (according to an online translator.

Unfortunately the medal itself remains in English. It’s just the engraving of the rank which is done in Welsh. 

On 27/06/2021 at 16:46, bigjarofwasps said:

There’s a Police/Prison Officer

Cyprus Campaign, general service medal currently on EBay, which might be of interest?

 

144086076677

 

(I’m not the seller)

Final price £93.01 + postage and packing. Not an unreasonable amount I thought? 

Just out of interest, what are these bars made of? If it’s silver I fear many my have been scraped?

There’s a Police/Prison Officer

Cyprus Campaign, general service medal currently on EBay, which might be of interest?

144086076677

(I’m not the seller)

This sounds like a cracking idea!! Leave it with me.

Two examples of British LSGC’s awarded to Australian recipients.
Note that the naming does not include their rank. 

WANTED

Am trying to locate a British police LSGC to an Australian Police recipient.

They were issued between 1956 - 1975 and can be told apart from a British example, as the engraving is either just initials and surname, or none U.K. police ranking.

If anyone has an example that they’d consider selling or swapping, please PM.

My Great Grandfather John Propert was in the Merchant navy. 

He was an electrician,  onboard the SS Justicia, when it was torpedoed and sunk in 1918. He survived the sinking. 
 

Handwritten on the back of his portrait photograph he has recorded.

First torpedo 2.35 pm July 19th, 1918

Second TWIN Ts  8.35 am July 20th, 1918.

Sank 1.50 pm July 20th, 1918.

Thanks again DPK. This information is greatly appreciated!!!

I must say, I too am baffled as to were all the U.K. type LSGC’s are! There’s certainly no shortage of British ones for the same period in the U.K.!
If we compare them to say the South Atlantic Medal, relatively few of them were issued and a relatively recent award, yet they come up on the market fairly regularly and command a far higher premium.

The examples I’ve seen also come with far more service history than a U.K. one normally would. Is it possible to obtain service history or are the examples I’ve seen just been lucky to have this information with them? 
 

Thanks dpk! 
 

Very interesting! 
 

This has certainly opened a whole new collecting sphere to me.
 

However tracking any down seems to be another story, they certainly don’t appear to be as easily obtainable as a U.K. version would be!!!

On 12/01/2021 at 09:35, dpk said:

I also noticed this- not only the placement of 'Const' is unusual (never seen it there), the quality of the impressed letters seems rough. It may be the light or condition of the medal but the impressions seem to be a little rough or 'jagged' on their edges- all others I have seen are a smooth and almost polished look. The earlier cupro-silver or cupro-nickel versions still haved a very smooth naming style while the later rhodium-plated versions are almost mirror-polished.  Have attached images of a rhodium and cupro version for comparison.

Is it possible the ebay offering is an unnamed version acquired by someone and later named, or a dodgy offering?

 

I’m wonder now whether this medal was perhaps an Australian Police LSGC issued between 1956-75?

The crude type of engraving being perhaps burr engraving? 

Clive Johnson book Australian's Awarded that this medal could be either impressed when gazetted and issued by the UK but with initials and surname.  He goes on the say more commonly when awarded locally (in Australia) it will be burr engraved with initials surname and sometimes rank.

I’m told that there is a book by a chap called Clive Johnson called Australian's Awarded. In that he states that this medal could be either impressed when gazetted and issued by the UK but with initials and surname.  He goes on the say more commonly when awarded locally (in Australia) it will be burr engraved with initials surname and sometimes rank.

1 hour ago, Marcon1 said:

Hiya,

 

According to The Medal Yearbook the medal was also extended in 1956 to police officers serving in Australia, Papua New Guinea and Nauru.

Australia replaced this medal in 1976 with the (Australian) National Medal.

As English Police LSGC Medals are named, it is most likely this was also done with the Australian issues.

 

Kind regards,

 

Marcon1.

Thanks Marcon1,

Just trying to see if there’s going to be a way to identify the recipient as being an Australian Bobby without any sort of  paperwork or other providence.
 

Would there perhaps be a clue in the rank? 

Another option I thought was given the period in question 1956-1975 would they have been issued in the white cardboard box? Would this box have the particular force documented on the label like U.K. forces did? 
 

Whilst researching something else I stumbled across this group. I have since learned that the British Police LSGC was also issued to Australian Bobbies. Not heard of this before, has a whole new collecting sphere opened itself up to me?

Can anyone answer these questions for me?

When did this this practice start and cease?

Is there a way to tell them apart from a British issued one? Are they engraved? What type of engraving is used? Do they have rank and name like a British one? Are the ranks different?

What about other commonwealth countries, Canada for example did they use this medal as well? 

Certainly the highest rank, I’ve ever seen on an LSGC.

Assistant Chief Constable 

King’s Police Medal ‘PERCY MELHUISH. SUPDT. DEVONSHIRE CONSTABY’

British War Medal 404291 . CPL . P . MELHUISH . R.A.F

Victory Medal 404291 . CPL . P . MELHUISH. R.A.F’

WWll Defence medal 1939 - 1945

1937 Coronation Medal CHIEF . INSPR . P . MELHUISH . DEVON . CONSTASTY’

Police along Service Medal PERCY MELHUISH . ASST . CH . CONST.

Note that his rank is engraved after his name, not seen that before either.