Family history research is very popular as a result of fascinating genealogy TV programmes and the availability of the Internet. If your ancestor was a police officers then you can count yourself fortunate as they will have left a, ‘paper trial.’

For instance, you can view the original personnel records of Portsmouth police officers from the 1830s onwards, at Portsmouth Record Office. As an added bonus, from the early days of photography in 1860s the records include a photograph. The record will include any disciplinary offences in great detail. Was your ancestor the constable found drunk one morning on Portsmouth High Street and when his sergeant and another colleague went to ‘remove him’ from the street, he assaulted the pair of them! Drunkenness on duty was a common problem in the police in the 19th century. The records are ‘closed’ for 80 years from date of joining. So they are ‘open’ pre 1930.

At Portsmouth Record Office they allow you to photograph the fragile documents using a digital camera – see below. Practice at home first with flash off. Police history books on sale.

Portsmouth Record Office

At Hampshire Record Office at Winchester you can view, on microfiche, the two-page Examination Book of all Hampshire Constabulary officers from 1839 up to 1926 (at present). These show full details of the officer, such as parish of birth, eye colour, whether he could read or write, previous employer, and if he belonged to a a private health scheme such as that run by the Oddfellows – no NHS then! Somer photography allowed but you can photocopy the micro-fiche.

The second page of the Examination Book listed all postings. It was successive chief constable’s policy to moved constables every five years to a new station as it was feared (with good reason) that they would become, “too familiar with local ale house keepers.”

The Southampton Archives are in the basement of the Civic Centre. They have limited open days so check their web site. You can read the original Watch Committee Minute Books that list the hiring and firing of constables and their mis-deeds. One 19th century constable was disciplined after being reported as having been seen drinking coffee on his beat, in a ‘Coffee Shop!’ Photography allowed there. Police history book on sale.

There are force history books available through Amazon or local book shops.

Don’t forget you can research past editions of Frontline, they go back ten years, using Google. Example; search on: “Hoddinott” site:www.hampshire.police.uk

*KILO SIERRA FIVE ONE *is part auto-biography, part history book on the policing of one of Britain’s toughest cities; Portsmouth. Written by a Police officer who experienced at first hand a turbulent and violent decade, it takes us from his very first days at training school in 1978 right through to the late 1980s and includes national events like the year-long miners’ strike, the Falklands conflict, New Age Travelers, the Greenham Common Peace Camp and the 1987 hurricane. But it is perhaps the local incidents he attended that will make you either laugh, cry or shout out loud in disbelief as he deals with human beings and all their failings, from horrific car accidents to football hooligans he gives us a candid view of what it’s like to be involved in such incidents and how it can affect the lives of those that do.

This book tells the story of his first years in the ‘the job’ and how he very nearly got thrown out because he didn’t measure up. It’s a warts-an-all personal account, a real life Ashes to Ashes.

Steve Woodward

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

STEVE WOODWARD served in the Hampshire Constabulary from 1975 to 2008. He was one of the stars of the BBC TV series ‘Traffic Cops’ and made other appearances in ‘Real Rescues’ and ‘Southern Crime Stoppers’ together with a drama documentary on ‘The Great Storm’. He is an accomplished author and organiser of a large number of charitable events and emergency service shows. He decided to write this book because he says, the Police service, as an organization, fails to tell the public about the fantastic work its frontline officers do on a daily basis.

Volvo Amazon

Throughout this year, the anniversaries of the outbreak of WW2 and D-Day 65 have focused the attention of both the media and the public on the dedication and sacrifice of all the Armed and civilian services who contributed to ultimate victory in 1945.

Many more stories of bravery and service beyond the call of duty have emerged from survivors of a generation that will soon no longer be within living memory. This is one of many reasons that a group of dedicated living history re-enactors decided to portray Home Front civilian police officers. Often overlooked for the contribution they made, the police service was put on alert as early as 1935 and they then prepared for what was called the likely emergency that the country might face. By 1938 in recognition of the fact that in wartime, police duties would substantially increase from their peacetime role, plans were urgently made to massively increase the number of officers.

It was recognised that no other service was so closely linked with the people and none was better able to gauge the mood and feelings of ‘the masses’ than the ‘bobby on the beat’. In time of stress and anxiety, people would turn to the familiar uniform of the law for reassurance, guidance and help in many situations. At the outbreak of war the police had, in addition to the issue of truncheons, been issued with gas masks, helmets and instruction booklets on action required in emergencies.

It was also the responsibility of the police to ensure that the message about and precautions against aerial attacks got into the public arena. With that task came the whole matter of the enforcement of black out regulations. Incidentally, police in a number of Metropolitan boroughs were also responsible for the fire service so additional to their police duties they had to have a basic knowledge of fire fighting.

The Home Guard was under the auspices of Chief Constables and this unfortunately became an uncomfortable alliance in many parts of the country. For every successful working relationship there were many others which were hampered by problems of rank between police officers and former WW1 veterans who were usually called upon to run their local unit of the Home Guard. In other areas of operation however, working relationships were very successful and that was true of the relationship between the civilian and the police units of the Armed Services.

www.policeatwar.com This site is dedicated to the men and women of the wartime civilian and Armed Services police who faced overwhelming challenges in their respective theatres of war. The re-enactors accurately portray police at war and in doing so keep alive the memory and spirit of those times as well as the memory of the men and women who when called into service did their duty without question and for the benefit of this country during those far off yet desperate days.

NOTES

For further details and photographs please contact John on 077 483 10996

Police at War supports charities and the volunteer re-enactors are available for educational and historical projects and events.

8^th September 2009

A History of the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary 1839 – 1966

Available from local bookshops or on Amazon worldwide. ISBN 1-86077-383-4

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For a detailed history of this force see: The Portsmouth Papers No. 2

A History of the Police of Portsmouth

James Cramer

Covers period 1241 to 1967

ISBN 0 901559 02 4

Available from Portsmouth Record Office

Southampton papers No. 8 (1972)

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