Battle of Cable Street, Whitechapel 1936

[bigjarofwasps]

I recently bought a WW2 Defence Medal and Police LSGC to a PC Sidney Albert William LAMBERT J Division. These medals weren't part of my normal collecting sphere, but because of the reasonable price I could pick them up for and the fact that PC LAMBERT had also served in H Division in the 1930's I thought I'd add them to my collection. During his service he was with J Division twice, I had originally hoped that perhaps I could find some evidence that connected him to Bethnal Green itself during WW2, as I was aware that this area of London was heavily effected during the Blitz.

It turns out that PC LAMBERT was living in Chingford in 1939, so I strongly suspect that he was stationed there as well, Chingford also being on J Division. Chingford as it happens was also heavily bombed during the Blitz.   http://bombsight.org/explore/greater-london/waltham-forest/chingford-green/

PC LAMBERT's service papers reveal the following..............

Born Bermondsey 22.05.1908
Height 5` 11"
Trade Warehouseman
Marital status Single, Married & then Widower wife died 29.09.1946
Warrant number 119684
Joined J Division (Bethnal Green) 22.04.1930
Posted H Division (Whitechapel) 01.06.1933
Posted K Division (Bow) 04.04.1938
Posted J Division (Bethnal Green) 13.03.1939 collar number 348
1939 census states living in Chingford with his wife Rose
They had a child together in 1943
Awarded LSGC medal 15.08.1952
Retired aged 46 25.04.1955 having served 25 years and 3 days 
Died 22.10.1982
 

What I learned next was something that I'd never heard of all had any knowledge of, the Battle of Cable Street Whitechapel...

On the 4th October, in 1936 large crowds of people gathered in London’s East End, an area of the city that had a large Jewish population, in an attempt to stop a march through the area by the British Union of Fascists (BUF). The protests turned into a riot with anti-fascist demonstrators clashing with Police, large numbers of demonstrators were arrested and even larger numbers of them (and Police) were injured. But they did manage to prevent the march from taking place.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cable_Street

 

 

As it stands now it's a work in progress and I'm still working on ascertaining any hard evidence that LAMBERT was present/involved in this incident, although the fact that 6000 officers from all over London were present, I don't think it's unreasonable to assume that an officer stationed directly Whitechapel would have been present.

150 arrests were made and scores of people were injured. 

 

That being said, if anyone has an interest or any knowledge of this incident, I would very much like to hear from you. 

 

 

 

Edited January 25, 2019 by bigjarofwasps

[Alan Baird]

 Hi,

Thanks for that Gordon, as I had never heard of the ''Battle of Cable Street'' very interesting and policed by 6,000 officers, that is massive.  It just shows the tensions that were around in 1936 and building up to the start of the Second World War in 1939.

 

[bigjarofwasps]

[Craig]

Gordon,

            Less than 3 minutes walk from Cable Street is Sidney Street. Scene of the famous siege. Have a Google on Peter the Painter. Winston Churchill was Home Secretary and turned up for the shoot out.

 

Craig

[bigjarofwasps]

[bigjarofwasps]

80 years ago today. 

[bigjarofwasps]

Cable Street Mural 12th Feb 2020. 

[Mike McLellan]

There is a wonderful mural in the Detroit Institute of Arts painted by the world famous Diego Rivera. I’ve not seen another mural, until this moment, that I’ve admired as much. What a beautiful piece of wall art. Absolutely stunning. I wish I could see it in person. Thanks for posting!

[bigjarofwasps]

Mile End pogrom a week after the battle of Cable Street. I suspect Constable LAMBERT, would have been involved in the police response to this as well. Certainly an overlooked if not forgotten piece of East End pre WW2 history...
 

https://romanroadlondon.com/mile-end-pogrom-battle-of-cable-street/

[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

[bigjarofwasps]

Although no police officers stationed at Chingford police station came to any harm during the Second World War, an officer from Walthamstow, having taken time off from duty ar- rived home only to be cut down by shrapnel as he stood on his doorstep in Tufton Road, fumbling 'for the front door lock. The station itself was saved from major damage in spite of a number of near misses and an incident where a V2 rocket landed in Pole Hill, only 100 yards from the station.
When, at 5pm on Wednesday March 7th 1945, a Nazi V2 rocket weapon fell close to the Petty Sessions building the court was just finishing its daily business. Although it was wrecked, no-one was hurt.

http://www.brynelliott.co.uk/index_htm_files/ChingfordPoliceStation1888-1998.pdf

Bombs dropped in WW2 on Chingford

http://bombsight.org/#14/51.6242/-0.0105

[bigjarofwasps]

Cable Street 1944.

[bigjarofwasps]