Police Memories

by Bill Williams

  When the sergeant and Claude arrived one or two items had been disarranged and a chair broken. It transpired the brothers had been left the house jointly but the contents had been left by the last remaining parent to them individually. Having had yet another argument one brother had thrown some items of the other; the second brother had smashed the chair of the first.

  This was the story related to Claude and his sergeant on their arrival. Before anything could be said one brother left the house and arrived back with an axe. The officers feared the worst but it was not to be, nothing was said or done to either of them. Armed with the axe the man smashed up the other chair presumably belonging to his brother. He then put the axe on the table and said “There.”

  It was picked up by the next brother who then smashed up another chair. The reader may well not believe what I write but each brother in turn picked up the axe and smashed an item belonging to the other in turn until the whole room was completely destroyed. No threats of violence were made to each other or to the officers. After some minutes the room was devastated, everything was smashed to bits, clocks, chairs cupboards all save for the heavy table.

  Once completed all was quiet, the sergeant finally spoke, “I see lads, all happy now are we?”

  He turned and left, Claude with him. Claude heard nothing further and never visited the house again.

  Never take anything for granted thought Claude as he recalled an incident only months after leaving the training centre.

  Whilst in company with his parent constable they had been directed to a house in the town centre. It seemed there was an aged man living alone. He had been ill for some time, his life expectancy was not great. He had a lady come several days each week to clean and generally help in the house. This particular morning she had arrived and found the old man in bed. When she shouted he had not reacted. She found him in bed apparently not breathing, blue in the face, his eyes were fixed and he was stone cold. She telephoned the doctor who had said he expected the old man to die and would deal with the matter by calling the police.

  A call was received the doctor said he had expected the death and would the police call an undertaker, once the body had been removed the undertaker should call at the surgery and the doctor would certify death from there.

  In response, Claude and his parent constable had visited the house. On entering the house they met the home help lady who then left. Claude and his colleague waiting upstairs, the old man was as described, cold and looked dead.

  Claude was looking through the window when he saw the undertaker duly arrive in the street outside.

  At that moment a voice said, “What are you doing here.” Looking around Claude saw the supposed dead man sitting up in bed.

  It was a quick run down stairs by Claude to tip off the undertaker whilst his colleague made some excuses, far from the truth to the old man.

  One day each month it was a training day at Copton Police Headquarters. As the session commenced at 10am it was an early start. Leaving Broughton at 8 30am then an hour’s slow journey with constant stopping on the Midland Red bus into Copton. Arriving at Police Headquarters in time to parade, the class of around twenty recruits would line up in the yard at the back of the Headquarters. The training sergeant arrived first and called the parade to order then the training Inspector carried out an inspection, haircuts, polished boots, and a crease (One) in trousers. This was followed by marching just as it was at the training centre though not so intense.

  This procedure over the remainder of the day was lectures on law and handing in ones project set the previous month.

  There was the meal break when officers were actually permitted to walk into the town centre and obtain a lunch at a café down the road from the Police Headquarters and as time progressed an even newer experience to have a three course meal in the new, never seen before Chinese Restaurant, cost of the meal 25 pence, claimed on expenses.

  At the time of these training days at the age of nineteen years and just over, those required to do the training felt it was rather a bore, except one. There arrived a new recruit a quiet man with ginger hair, the name of whom Claude could no longer recall. He did not leave for a meal but took his studying seriously and spent all the day, head in his books including the dinner hour. He retired a superintendent and thus thought Claude in old age, he had well and truly been rewarded and deservedly, for his efforts.

  Back on daily duties, life was much different than in the fantasy world of the training session as necessary as they were. Claude recalled as a young man how as a police officer he saw at first hand the worst in people.

  All things change and eventually a new sergeant arrived to supervise Claude, a man in his early thirties. He had arrived at the rural police force from a large city. He was one of the first of a new breed of police officers in general and senior officers in particular. His name Claude would always recall not that he had done anything spectacular but as a result of his attitude. Having been to university and attained a degree he then joined the police.

  At that time there was a relatively new scheme for rapid promotion. Those who were chosen to participate served two years on general police duties, the probationary period served by all. It was somewhat different however for the officers served in many departments obtaining just an insight into the workings of the police, rather than genuine ground work. When this period was completed they went for a further two years on what was known as the special course at Bramshill Police College.

  Having completed the course they were guaranteed to be appointed sergeants immediately and to the rank of Inspector with the following two or three years. From that time onwards they were set to be promoted to the highest ranks. The new arrival Sergeant Emerson proved to be an ideal man for rapid promotion with little knowledge of dealing the public and the villains amongst them.

  He had already been made an authorised police driver of patrol cars, and soon proved he was able to use his skills.

  Soon after his arrival he was on foot patrol with Claude and after some time made a very interesting analogy. “If you want to know what a man is really like and what he is really thinking patrol with him between 2am and 4am. It is quiet, a man is at his lowest ebb at that time, spoken to correctly he will reveal all you wish to know,” he had said.

  On another occasion to show the type of man he was and the type of person this new breed of senior officers were likely to be, this is what transpired.

  Claude was on night foot patrol alone without any communication, checking an estate nearly two miles out of the town. It had been practice for the night patrol car to arrive in the area having checked the property in nearby villages. They often passed the area where Claude was checking and so stopped and picked up the lonely beat officer and gave him a lift back into town for midnight and in time for a warm drink.

  On this particular night Claude had just finished his checks and was about to call in and liase with the night security officers at the factory gate of one business. It was and had been done for years by all night officers; a cup of tea and chat was always on hand.

  On this particular night the patrol car arrived slowed down but unusually didn’t stop. The observer called “Emerson is in the other patrol car parked down the road; he is sitting in the dark watching you.” The patrol car drove off.

  Claude was learning, he went into the security office and spoke with the night officer then made a call to the police station, “Just to check, if there was anything happening?” told no, he left and walked down the road. After about one hundred yards he came upon the black patrol car parked in a gateway, all in darkness, showing no lights. Although it was 11 30pm long before his witching hour the under handed methods of Sergeant Emerson were revealed. As Claude walked passed, the sergeant called to Claude. “Been to the security office have we.”

  “Yes,” replied Claude, “Just to check if there is anything happening.” He walked on.

  Emerson drove to the factory gates and the security officer repor
ted to Claude the next time he was on nights, that Emerson had asked if the story was correct and if Claude called for drinks. He was told the story was correct and no police officer ever had drinks.

  Claude was on foot patrol one dark wet winters evening when he was stopped by a passing motorist, who had given a lift to three young men thumbing a lift in the pouring rain. When he had arrived home and on going into the rear of his car he found that the two youths in the rear had slashed the long rear seat and its backrest. A fine reward to someone who had helped them out. The motorist neither new or could describe the youths as they had been wearing heavy clothing and balaclavas.

  On another night shift, Claude had arrived in the office for his refreshment break at 2am. Only just seated, the front door of the police station opened and a man walked to the counter. Claude had just arrived from the rear office with a drink for his colleague. The story and its consequences the new arrival was about to reveal was an indication as to the worst of people and the depths which ones fellow human beings would descend.

  “I am a lorry driver,” said the man, “A night driver I have just travelled along the main road just outside Broughton on a sharp bend there is a tree on a traffic island. A sports car has driven into it, the man and woman inside are dead, worse said the driver they are newly weds there are notices on the car, just married. Come with me I will show you where they are.”

  Claude’s colleague was an authorised driver and so together with the lorry driver they went at top speed to the scene. On arrival it was just as the driver had described, a sharp bend with a tree on a traffic island on the left hand side of the main road but with a side road along two sides so that the tree appeared to be on an island. When the three left the police vehicle they all stopped in utter disbelief. During the time since the lorry driver had passed and stopped then driven on for help about thirty minutes. Some person or persons had stopped. The bodies of the car occupants had been stripped, their suitcases rifled and items scattered everywhere.

  The accident had involved only the one vehicle clearly it had been travelling too fast, left the road and hit the tree both occupants killed instantly. Some dreadful person or persons passing had then stripped the bodies and stolen items. Such is the sin of man, in an isolated area in the middle of the night, no witnesses; no one was ever traced for the crime.

  On another occasion he had been on foot patrol in the town centre when the superintendent no less had arrived in his car and indicated to Claude to get on board, the on call sergeant was already seated in the front passenger seat.

  Claude recalled how funny the superintendent looked sitting in his car going to an incident, obviously called from home it being very cold, he had for some reason put a tea cosy on his head. It was far more than Claude dare do to say anything or laugh until he was seated and out of sight. It seemed that a tea cosy was all right to wear even on duty though jeans and white open neck shirt were not.

  “We are going to a fatal accident,” said the sergeant, “You will do traffic duty.”

  When they arrived at the scene Claude saw the local beat officer was already in attendance. In the road was the body of a young man; the offending vehicle had failed to stop. The next day Claude was instructed to attend the post mortem.

  The preliminaries completed the examination was well under way when the pathologist said, “Come over here young man I will show you something. This young man was killed whilst walking in the road, at the time of doing so he was half turned and more than likely thumbing a lift.”

  Claude looked into the body cavity and the pathologist continued.

  “See here, the ribs on the right had side are all fractured, yet the right arm is not broken, feel, the arm bones are in tact.”

  Claude felt as directed but even to the time of writing what he felt meant nothing to him, though he did not say.

  The pathologist then said, “Arm not fractured, but ribs are indicates the young man had his arm in the air at the time the vehicle struck him, consistent with thumbing a lift.”

  On another occasion Claude was just leaving the police station at 2 am having taken his meal break when a lorry stopped. The driver left his cab and walked towards the police station. Meeting Claude at the door he related that some minutes before he had been driving along the road when a motorcyclist had approached very closely. The driver had thought it was a near miss but on looking in his mirror he did not have sight of the motorcycle continuing. Having stopped and checked the road, there was no sign of the rider or his machine. There was no damage to the lorry; neither did he hear a collision.

  Claude updated his colleague and the two of them and the lorry driver returned to the scene. The road was checked; there was no sign of a motorcycle or anyone lying on the road or verges. The driver was adamant and in those days thorough investigations were made. They used the radio in the police car and sought help from the fire service. When the brigade arrived they used their searchlight on the top of the appliance and assisted checking the fields on either side of the road. No trace was found of a machine or rider.

  The search was just about to be called off as daylight broke when one of the fire service officers yelled, “Look up there in the tree.”

  All heads peered upwards and there in the large tree was a body and a motorcycle wedged on the branches.

  The brigade was able to recover both and although the machine had suffered little damage the rider was dead.

  An investigation indicated the rider of the motor cycle had come around the bend on the centre white line, hit the front offside wheel of the lorry, hence no damage to the body work then both had been catapulted upwards and become entangled in a tree.

  Chapter 15

  His concentration was interrupted with a knock on the door and simultaneously a voice called Claude, the children are here come or you will miss the show, He had completely forgotten that it was the day a party of school children were visiting to perform for the residents.

  It was billed as a nativity show. How many of those had he seen thought Claude? He packed up his equipment and headed off with Angelina to the main lounge.

  When they arrived the room was packed, fortunately Joe had saved two additional seats.

  Matron appeared and was on form.

  “Clients and residents,” she never gave it a miss thought Claude.

  “We are honoured today to have the Reverend Clinton to visit us and also Copton School for juniors to perform a nativity play, first of all the Reverend will say a few words on the bible.”

  He related the story of the Nativity as is known by all believers and non believers mostly from their child hood days when one was taught the origins of the Christian faith.

  Having done so he turned to a more modern theme and after a hesitation whilst closely scrutinising the older boys in the visiting group he said, “Now, I regret to announce someone has been to the church and caused damage to one of the walls, jumping over into the play field, it must stop.”

  To justify the change of theme he changed to a religious story and said.

  “I would relate to you the story in the bible of how Joshua approached the city of Jericho and being unable to enter he called upon divine help to bring down those walls, now let me see who here knows anything about the destroying of the walls of such a wonderful city?”

  There was silence when Matron looked across the room and called, “You there Joe, you are a Scouser what do you know about breaking down the walls of Jericho.?

  Joe looked across and said, “Don’t look at me I didn’t do it.”

  The room broke into hysterical laughter, residents, teachers and visiting children. The vicar turned to Matron the story he was telling being ruined due the hilarious laughter from the children and the audience.

  The play instantly began and although it was good it bore no resemblance to the bible story sported in the holy book for over two thousand years.

  The story was based around an Inn, which as usual at Christmas there was no room ev
en for a pregnant woman and her husband. The play was entitled “Breakfast with the Inn keeper’s daughter.”

  Seemingly there being no room at the Inn and when the visiting couple asked if they could stay in the stable they were told the stable was also occupied by the Innkeepers daughter.

  Claude had no idea what the author of the script had in mind but whatever the Inn Keeper’s daughter might be doing in a stable at census time with such an influx of visitors many men, arriving to be counted had not been transmitted to the innocent children who seemed intent in constantly saying there was no breakfast. There was no appearance from the main character, the babe born and wrapped in swaddling clothes.

  The fact that many of the pupils parents appeared from their dress to be of the Moslem and Hindu faiths there may have been a political factor that caused the school to omit the man who had founded Christianity.

  The show however was very entertaining and received a warm reception. At the end the Matron had laid on soft drinks and chocolate biscuits. A very friendly gesture thought Claude, surprising for her with all the talk of cuts and budgets.

  It was not until the next day at the 11am break that although Gladys a kitchen maid was seen entering Matron Raving’s office with the usual plate of chocolate biscuits when the clients and residents arrived, they had none until the following week. It was realised why Matron had been so generous when the children had visited.