When the Great War began, the Town of Arbroath had a Police Force of twenty, for a population of something over 19,000.

 

From the outbreak of the war, it wasn't until November of 1915, when voluntary enlistment was about to come to an end, that nine of the eleven men of the Police Force, who were of military age, as well as the Chief Constable James MacDonald, requested to be released from their duties to join the military.

Four, in addition the Chief Constable, were permitted to do so at this time.

 

The Chief Constable joined the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders and went to an officer training school, becoming a Lieutenant and going to France in November, 1916.

 

(Chief Constable McDonald in later years)

 

The four constables, all journeyed to Glasgow to enlisted into the Royal Marine Light Artillery, on the 24th of November, 1915.

 

They received consecutive service numbers: David Wyllie – RMA 1386, William Smith – 1387, Stewart Paterson - RMA 1388, David Findlay - RMA 1389,

 

The R.M.L.A. operated huge howitzer guns that took 60 men each to man.

They were part of the navy, being Royal Marines, although they worked in support of the army.

 

Eight policemen from Scotland enlisted into the RMLA in December, four from Glasgow and four from Arbroath.

Of the Glasgow contingent, two came from St Rollox district and two from the Central one.

 

Their group photo was published in the Daily Record on the 31st of December, 1915.

 

 

Stewart Paterson joined the Arbroath burgh Police force in June 1907. He was wounded in July, 1917 by a gunshot wound to his face, however, he retuned to duty the following month.

 

A year after this first wounded he was killed in action on the 10th of July, 1918. Paterson was 31 years of age and had been married for 9 years to Mary Ann, with whom he had 3 children.

 

He was one of nine from his Howitzer to die on that day and are burried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery in Belgium.

 

 

After this initial group were permitted to enlist, a further two gained permission.
Constables William Lindsay and Alexander Sturrock joined the Military Foot Police.

They were reported in the local press as leaving to enlist in Perth, where they did on the 3rd of December, 1915.
They were given consecutive service numbers of P.3096 and P.3097 and went to France on the same date, the 2nd of July, 1916.

 

The roll of the Military Foot Police was to manage traffic, as well as help lost soldiers return to their units and pick up men gone awol.

 

William Lindsay had been a police constable for 14 years. He was married to Catherine Cargill and had two sons.

 

Five days before the armistice, he died in a casualty clearing station at Cambrai of influenza, aged 38.

He is today buried in Cambrai East Cemetery.

 

 

Alexander Sturrock had been a farm servant and joined the Arbroath police force in 1908.

 

He had over 2 years continuous service abroad, before joining the tens of millions who died form the flu pandemic all over the world. on the 27th of October, 1918 aged 35.

He left a widow Helen and three sons aged 6, 4 and 2 months and is buried in Roisel Communal Cemetery, France.

 

 

Three of the seven from Arbroath Police Force were to die on service, that of these, only one died as a result of enemy action, shows how lethal the flu pandemic was.

 

All three men are remembered on the Arbroath War Memorial.