This memorial resides at  Wolverhampton Central Police Station, Bilston Street, Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton Borough Police Officers Killed during WW1 1914-1917

14448 Pte Charles Albert Victor MOISEY
Died 17/11/1914
Perth Cemetery (China Wall) France. Grave 11.J.29
1st Bn Grenadier Guards

13920 Pte Henry George KIDD
Died 16/09/1916
La Neuville British Cemetery, Corbie. Grave 11.E.11
2nd Bn Grenadier Guards

8561 Pte John Arthur SPENCER
Died 20/02/1915
Chocques Military Cemetery. Grave 1.A.27
2nd Bn Coldstream Guards

7304 Pte A Street 
Died 09/09/1914
Highland Road Cemetery, Portsmouth.
3rd Bn Coldstream Guards

7424 L/Cpl R Kent
Died 07/11/1914
Panel 34 Ypre,(Menin Gate) Memorial 
3rd Bn Worcestershire  Regiment

9382 Pte P Cunniffe
Died 19/05/1915
Royal Irish Rifles Graveyard, Laventie.
1st Bn Worcestershire Regiment

Second Lieutenant S Teasdale
Died 31/07/1917
Panel 36 & 55 Ypre,(Menin Gate) Memorial 
10th Bn York & Lancaster Regiment

47402 Serjeant  S Jones
Died 20/01/1916
Tancrez Farm Cemetery
3rd Trench Mortar Bty Royal Garrison Artillery

2419 Serjeant L.Jeffries
Died 23/10/1916
Wolverhampton Borough Cemetery
185th Heavy Bty Royal Garrison Artillery

NB. It is unclear at this time which Pte J Lane of the DLI is commemorated on the Wolverhampton Borough Police Memorial so both have been included until the correct individual can be established.

Pte 42882 J Lane
Died 23/10/1916
Guards Cemetery, Lesboeufs
22nd Bn Durham Light Infantry

Pte 19/1075  J G Lane
Died 11/05/1916
St Vast Post Military Cemetery Richebourg L’avoue
19th Bn Durham Light Infantry.

 

Wolverhampton Borough Police Officers Killed during WW2 1939-1945 

14241809 L/Cpl Arthur William WARD Died 07/06/1944 RanvilleWarCemetery, Normandy, France Staffordshire Regiment serving in Number 4 Commando during D-Day Operation Overlord. Originally buried with other members of 4 Commando at GR 12917598 (Hauger) Map 7F/2 France. Concentrated at Ranville 12/06/1945. Visited on the 70th and 72nd anniversary by members of Wolverhampton Police and commemorated.

Simkins Harry Gunner 14506157
attd. 301 Field Regt. East African Royal Artillery.
Born 28th March 1916 at Melton Mowbray son of Ernest and Sarah Ann Simkins. He married Ellen Maud Turner 30th November 1940.
Column 6. East Africa Memorial, Nairobi War Cemetery, Nairobi, Kenya.
Killed in Action 12th February 1944 aged 27.
At the outbreak of war Harry was a serving Police officer having joined Wolverhampton Police force 31st May 1938. Prior to joining he was employed as an iron worker; he had also served for 3 years 123 days in the Royal Horse Guards. The 1939 register records him living at the Police Barracks Red Lion St. Wolverhampton. On 7th January 1943 Harry joined the Army on war service to return to the Police Force at the end of the war.
1,348 passengers including 996 members of the East African Artillery's 301st Field Regiment, 271 Royal Navy personnel, 19 WRNS, 53 nursing sisters and their matron, nine members of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry and a war correspondent, Kenneth Gandar-Dower were aboard the troopship SS Khedive Ismael. The ship was torpedoed and sunk en route to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) off Adoo Atoll, Maldives by the Japanese submarine I-27. SS Khedive Ismael was part of Convoy KR 8 and was escorted by the heavy cruiser HMS Hawkins and destroyers HMS Paladin and HMS Petard. Paladin lowered boats to rescue survivors and Petard released depth charges. The troop ship had sunk too quickly to launch any lifeboats, but her Carley floats floated free, and some survivors were able to board them.
After three patterned depth charge releases the Japanese submarine was forced to the surface. The two destroyers engaged her with their 4-inch guns, but the submarine submerged again and took refuge beneath the survivors. The destruction of a submarine that might sink more ships took precedence over the lives of survivors, so Petard resumed the attack with first depth charges, then 4-inch shellfire and finally torpedoes. The depth charge fuses had to be set to detonate at the shallowest depth, and they killed or wounded many people who had survived the initial sinking. The seventh torpedo finally destroyed I-27, sinking her with all hands. The battle had lasted two and a half hours.
Of 1,511 people aboard Khedive Ismail, only 208 men and 6 women survived the sinking and subsequent battle. 1,220 men and 77 women were killed sadly including Harry. The sinking was the third largest loss of life from Allied shipping in World War II and the largest loss of servicewomen in the history of the Commonwealth of Nations.
At the time of his death Harry's home address was recorded as 11 Red Lion Street Wolverhampton, Harry left his wife £200 in his will.

 

The Memorial photograph and names were kindly provided by retired Police Officers John Carey and Graham Smith.