The Sergeant positioned at the side of the desk remained standing, as did Claude. It seemed an eternity before the superintendent a man aged in his mid to late forties, with grey but wavy hair, sporting a pair of reading spectacles on the end of his nose forcing him to look over them giving him an even more austere expression on his face.
Claude was later to discover he was an ex naval officer in line with many of the older police officers at the time who due to the World Wars and National Military Service had served and on completion of their forces duty brought their military training and values with them to the police service.
Claude stood to attention as his superior as they were known in those days contemplated. The officer finally spoke.
“Friendly is it? I am Superintendent Bannerman, I have your report here from the training centre if you wish to speak with me on any matter ensure in the first instance you contact your Sergeant, chain of command you know. You are on probation so you will be watched and reports submitted on your progress here and whilst on your training days at Copton, you can go now.”
Sergeant Briggs spoke next, “Follow me,” and he walked passed Claude to the door and down stairs to the rear office or parade room, followed closely by Claude.
Once inside a chain of events was set in motion, which would be repeated on every shift for the next two years.
Claude sat at the long table joined by two other officers, one a little older than him the other aged about thirty.
“This is Constable Friendly, fresh from the training school,” said Briggs.
“This Friendly, is Constable Rob Olden, he will be your parent constable, won’t you Olden, and guide you around for a few shifts. Olden was man in his late twenties, ruddy complexion, and sandy coloured hair slightly balding, Claude had seen him arrive and had a giggle as he wore his Helmet slanted to one side. This caused Claude to think of the “Drill Sergeant” at the Training Centre who, on seeing a helmet either too far over the forehead, forward or backwards, had shouted, “That man there with a latrine bucket on his head.”
The other officer was introduced as Constable Lee Edwards and apparently from his accent had originated not far from Claude’s home in North Wales; he had a habit of using the word “Tidy” to note his approval and therefore was known amongst his colleagues as “Tidy Edwards.”
The Sergeant then read out various items, including details of a stolen vehicle, Claude saw both the other officers turn to a pink insert in their notebooks and write down the details.
With that two such books landed on the desk in front of Claude, “These are yours” said Briggs and continued “Put them inside your note book,” came the instruction from the three stripes.
One was pink and it was headed, stolen vehicles, there is a yellow one headed, missing and absconding Persons.
This done the sergeant then related various matters for the officers to attend to such as complaints of noise, vehicles parking on the pavement in the town and just one stolen car from Copton, there were no missing persons or absconders.
He then said, “Friendly, for your information the town is divided into two beats town north and town south. Olden you will patrol the whole area for a day or two showing Friendly around, including the vulnerable property to be checked on nights. You will keep points on the hour at High Street in town north and Liverpool Street in town south. Edwards you will patrol town north and the estates keeping point at High Street on the half hour.”
The parade broke up and Claude was shown the various books and registers that had to be completed at the appropriate times. There were several, vehicles and persons seen at night whilst on patrol between midnight and six am. A book with various vulnerable properties including, banks, the post office, chemists, Jewellers, clubs which held a drinking licence. There was a book containing the Police Gazette published by New Scotland Yard circulating details of serious crime and wanted and missing persons nationally.
Proceedings were interrupted when Sergeant Olden arrived back and said, “Friendly put your hat on and go outside an ambulance will be here shortly with a body being transferred to the mortuary. You will be met Sergeant Parry from the rural. Claude hastily found his helmet and was standing outside the police station only moments when the expected ambulance arrived. It stopped, the attendant got out opened the rear doors and Claude climbed inside.
This was the first occasion he had seen a dead body. It was an elderly lady and all these fifty years he recalled her still. She was wearing a woollen hat, purple top and a grey skirt and dark coat. She lay lifeless and as the vehicle moved away the body moved two and fro, eventually there was a small but steady stream of blood running from under the dead soul and dripped down onto the floor. The ambulance stopped and the rear door opened, the ambulance crew lifted out the stretcher come bed and conveyed it and its silent cargo inside the mortuary. Sergeant Parry was waiting inside and said Friendly “Go over there find the booking in register and write down what I tell you.”
Claude did as he was asked and wrote down the deceased’s name and address, the officer dealing and where the incident had occurred, killed by a passing mini bus she having walked into its path from behind a stationary bus upon which she had been travelling. This done the ambulance crew departed.
“Right then lad,” said Sergeant Parry, “Is this your first one?”
“Yes,” replied Claude.
“Ok lad, take off all her clothes and put them in this bag.”
The procedure commenced both officers removing the clothing item for item, once removed from the body and into the bag; all were logged in Claude’s notebook. The next task was to remove the rings from the deceased. One ring proved difficult and so Sgt Parry being clearly experienced soon resolved the matter. He put a piece of string under the ring and then twisted and pulled in a swivel manner and the ring was off. These were also logged. The final task was to acquire a brown label, marking down the name of the deceased and the reference number from the logging in register, finally put on a tie and label securely onto one of her big toes.
Proceedings were interrupted when on looking up there was a small boy aged about eight to ten years of age standing at the officers side and adjacent to the body. Looking up the mortuary door was open apparently left by the ambulance crew as they departed.
Sergeant Parry spoke, “Hello, little boy now what do you want? “Now you come with me.” He walked around the white cold post mortem table, caught hold of the boy by the hand and led him outside. No shouting, no warnings just all friendly. When he returned nothing further was said on that matter but Parry said, “That is it all done.”
The body was placed in the refrigerator with several others, “You will come here tomorrow, you will be told the time, to witness the post mortem, the officer in the case, me, will be here.”
Proceedings finalised both officers left and Claude was transported back to Broughton Police station in the private car of Sgt Parry, which he used for police duties, receiving an allowance for doing so. Claude was to learn there were three vehicle allowances.
In those days at the main police station was allocated a Large van, nicknamed a “Black Maria,” plus a small general purpose vehicle, it was not normally marked police with flashing lights.
Small police stations were allocated only a general police vehicle, unmarked. Authorised drivers being the sergeants, senior constables and any constable who had been class 1 police driver who had qualified as an advanced driver, such as the patrol car drivers, only drove the vehicles.
One such vehicle was also allocated to each police station manned round the clock by specialist drivers, all male. The sergeants CID officers or criminal Investigation department officers of all ranks used their own vehicles. In rural areas the sergeant used his own vehicle and the constables some used their own vehicles but most pedal cycles, subsequently replaced by motorcycles.
Each larger station was allocated a “Patrol Car,” it was a large powerful car, marked “Police,” fitted wi
th a two-tone siren, blue flashing light and a loudspeaker or PA system. They were crewed by highly qualified drivers who had attended and qualified as advanced drivers. They attended to traffic offences, carried out pursuits, and attended to incidents when no rural officer was available or one, which it was within the town but too far for a foot patrol officer to attend. The crew acted as back up to beat patrol officers and attended incidents as required.
For those officers using their own vehicles an essential user allowance was paid to Inspectors and above plus rural sergeants who by necessity used the car daily, they received a low interest loan to purchase their car then were paid for the miles they travelled on duty. Casual users for sergeants and detective constables who used their vehicles less often they received mileage allowance a little less than essential users and no loan. Finally for the minions, the constable they received a P.S.V or public service vehicle rate, being as described is was the amount one would expect to pay whilst travelling on a bus.
The remainder of Claude’s first tour of duty consisted of being in company with his more experienced colleague Rob Olden. They walked around the town visiting various properties on the outskirts, which had to be checked at least once, if not twice each night shift. They visited business premises in the town checking such items as the location of the safe and from where it could be observed, again during the night.
The premises classed as vulnerable were clubs which sold intoxicating liquor and were licensed to have gaming machines, then called one arm bandits due to the fact users often became compulsive users and thus losing much of their money. If anyone actually won more than they inserted was doubted by non-addicts who declined to become hooked. A saying evolved, “The Bandit has only one arm but it will beat you every time.”
Chemist shops, banks and post offices were among others classed as vulnerable.
Included on the get to know you list were licensed premises or “Pubs,” there was a rule that each such premises was visited at least once each month, normally by a sergeant and a constable or two constables.
In the rural areas officers attended on their own as they worked alone. A "Visits to licensed premises" book was kept at all police stations into which an entry was made stating the time and date of each visit, the numbers of persons on the premises at the time and the names of the visiting officers. If anything was found amiss there was normally a follow up visit by the station commander and a sergeant. If necessary the police would object to the renewal of the licensees licence. It was commonplace for the police to object to extensions of hours, at the magistrate’s court, normally in those far off days such objections were upheld.
It was common practice for towns to have local Coroners, normally a solicitor. Inquests into deaths were held in town halls or local courtrooms.
Juries were often required and as the Inquests were held about 4 pm during a week day, easy targets for recruits to serve as members of a jury could be found from a class of business men who were always closed at such an hour. Public houses or licensed premises opened Monday to Friday at 10 30 am or 11 am and closed at 2 30 pm or 3 pm depending on the area. They reopened at 6pm until 10 30 pm but 11pm on a Saturday. It was common practice therefore for a beat officer to be directed to visit licensed premises requesting a landlord agree to sit on a Coroners jury, they always agreed.
Finally the end of the shift arrived but not necessarily its consequences. Before leaving duty Claude opened the duty register, signed his name and the time 10 pm. Turning the next page saw the letters W.R.D meaning weekly rest day.
The following day just after 9 am there was a knock on the door of Claude’s new place of abode. His landlady answered then she called his name and that one of his colleagues wished to speak with. He spoke with the visiting officer then arrived back inside, went upstairs and changed into his uniform.
Arriving down stairs again his land lady said, “I thought you were on a day off today.”
“So did I,” replied Claude, “I have to go back for 10 am.”
He left almost instantaneously arriving at the “Nick” just before 10 am. On his arrival he signed on duty and then in company with Sergeant Parry he arrived at Broughton Hospital.
Arriving in the car park Claude was directed to collect the keys to the mortuary, which he did. On arriving back at the vehicle he handed the keys to Sergeant Parry who unlocked the mortuary door. The next task was to collect a metal trolley, wind it up to the required height and then open the doors and slide out the body of the deceased placed there the previous day. Finally moving and lifting same onto the white Post Mortem table in the centre of the floor.
They had just finished when the sound of vehicle could be heard. Claude went to investigate not wishing another intrusion as the day before.
The car a Jenson and very expensive looking it had stopped and contained two men, one well dressed in a suit, stripped shirt and tie. The other casual clothes a small man sporting a very large beard. They introduced themselves as the pathologist and assistant.
Both men put on rubber aprons and gloves with some sort of net glove over the rubber, presumably to give more grip.
Sergeant Parry informed the pathologist this was Claude’s first Post Mortem, the first of countless he was to suffer.
Parry next took off his tunic instructing Claude to do likewise. Both officers were now in shirts sleeves, which they rolled up above the elbow, no other protective clothing or equipment was ever available.
With that the pathologist called Claude over to the side of the body and gave him a form to complete and said, “You will complete this.”
Claude walked away to the side bench and had only just arrived when he was recalled and directed to stand at the side of the deceased.
“Watch me, you will learn a lot,” said the doctor.
The assistant placed a wooden table over the feet of the deceased.
The pathologist then said, “Get the form and make these notes.” He added “The body of a lady appearing well nourished in her mid to late seventies, rigor mortise, present.
Sergeant Parry said, "If you feel faint or sick, leave we don’t want you passing out or making a mess.”
The pathologist replied, “Try and stick it, you will learn a lot there is a chair over there if you feel like it get that and sit on it.”
With that he commenced with an incision down the stomach and then removed an organ, slicing it up an examining it. The assistant then directed Claude to bring a scale bowl, when he did so he placed the organ in it and gave it back to Claude to weigh it and note the weight. This was repeated with each organ, liver, heart, lungs, and kidney until the body was an empty shell.
By this juncture there was a horrid smell, one not describable and never forgotten. The Pathologist commented.
“Try and persevere with the smell if you go out and into the fresh air it will be far worse when you return.”
The next was the top of the head it was sawn around by the assistant and the brain removed which was treated in the same manner as the others.
All the organs examined they were tipped back into the body cavity and the long wound sewn up.
Claude was then instructed to wash and wipe up the pathologist tools and on doing so received short shrift from the assistant for attempting to dry several at the same time. Being told of the necessity to carry this out individually to ensure the items all remained sharp.
The pathologist disappeared for a few minutes and then returned with a slip of paper upon which he wrote the cause of death, there was always two, 1A and 1B
Finally he handed Claude five shillings or 25 pence. Claude hesitated but Sergeant Parry said. “You can take it the Pathologist gets paid privately by the Coroner it not being part of his hospital work. He pays the typist for preparing his report and his assistant. The fee of five shillings is standard and agreed with the police authorities. It is the only time you are permitted to take a gratuity.”
This was the first of many post mortems over the
years, some were worse none were better thought Claude as he closed his typing for this session.
It was the next day when he felt in the mood to continue and he took up where he had left off.
Having settled in during the first two weeks then came his first week of night duty. He paraded for duty at 9.45pm there was no sergeant on duty; the previous one had finished at 6pm but was on call at home if required. The shift consisted of one officer working 6pm until 2am, working the office. The two remaining officers having paraded and read the various messages in the telephone book or circulations received from Headquarters were expected to be out on patrol by 10 15pm at the latest.
On leaving the police station on foot they systematically walked all the town streets trying each and every door of business premises. If any were insecure and there was often one or more. The officer would walk back to the police station requesting the office duty officer to check the book containing the key holders of all lock up premises and request whoever was on call to attend to secure premises.
Police Memories Page 20