Commissioner Metropolitan Police fwds Roll of PCs - why?

[AdrianBruce]

Just come across one of my relatives who was apparently in the King's African Rifles, so I've been trying to investigate him as something different. (I know TNA has a list of NCOs seconded to the KAR, so that's on my list to see one day.)

Frank Ernest ATTWOOD has an MIC listing:-

Kings A Rfles Sgt 104542

Drag Gds Sgt 104542

There's actually no entry in the roll and page box for him and a very faint and mostly illegible sentence in the remarks box commencing "Card...". But I reckon that's because he has another MIC under the Hampshire Fusiliers as Frank E Attwood:-

Hamps Yeo Sjt 104542

This time it has the Victory and BWM roll and page details filled in, alongside a reference in the remarks box that exactly matches the KAR / Drag Gds MIC.

However, the oddity is not about the KAR or the double MIC but about the Met. Police. On the reverse of the KAR / Drag Gds MIC, is the note:

"Commr Met Pol fwds Roll of PCs ent to Meds [illegible] 12.1.21"

which I interpret as "Commissioner of Metropolitan Police forwards Roll of Police Constables entitled to Medals [illegible] 12.1.21"

What I don't understand is why the Commissioner of Metropolitan Police gets involved? I know Frank was in the Met, certainly after WW1 - no idea when he joined. Surely if he'd just been a "normal" soldier, he'd have got his campaign medals without any intervention from his employer?

Why was the Met involved in this MIC at all? I feel I'm missing something.... Thanks for any thoughts...

[spof]

Hi Adrian

As I understand it. quite a few men in the Met before the war were ex-servicemen/Reservists and they had to quit the Met when they were recalled and then reapply for their jobs after the war. With the numbers of men involved in the war and the communications available at the time, it was easier to contact the Met directly for recent joiners or known veterans rather than trying to track down individual men. I can't recall which organisations but I have seen similar for other large public bodies.(It may have been the Post Office)

I doubt if the Commissioner of the Met was personally invoilved though.

Glen

[AdrianBruce]

Glen - thanks for your thoughts. I take your point about ease of contact - however, that seems to me to be applicable to the beginning of the war, when the Army wanted to get its reservists out of the Met.

In this case, we're at the other end of the war, indeed, after the war, when the medals are being issued, and I can't see why the Met would take the initiative for ex-soldiers. After all, the medals have to be issued based on the Army's own records.

Unless... Would police officers ever be entitled to BWM and/or VM by reason of their service in the police??? Possibly attached somewhere with military connotations?

[butler]

There are similar comments on many cards where soldiers were serving in the Territorial Forces in 1921, where there names were submitted by the GOC of their Division in accordance with ACI 526. I have always taken this to have been done so that those still serving in uniform would be prioritised in receiving their medals so they would then be able to wear them when required on duty.

[AdrianBruce]

I have always taken this to have been done so that those still serving in uniform would be prioritised in receiving their medals so they would then be able to wear them when required on duty.

Oh that's a thought... Seems to make sense to me. Thanks.

[Keith_history_buff]

@Toontraveller

Hello there,
Has the nominal roll of constables entitled to medals, as dispatched by the Commissioner and dated 12 January 1921, ever come to light?

Best wishes

[Toontraveller]

Keith_history_buff

 

Good morning.

 

I am not aware of the original (or copy) of the nominal roll of Constables (or any rank of Metropolitan Police Officer) from the Commissioner dated the 12th January 1921 still being in existence.

 

I certainly have never seen or was aware of the document  within the records of the Metropolitan Police Service  (MPS) Heritage Centre.

 

There are a considerable amount of artefacts/books  still in storage which the  museum professionals at the Heritage Centre will look to review and fully document over the next few years . I would however  expect such a document to have been held at the Heritage Centre and not in storage.

 

Over many years volunteers at the MPS Heritage Centre have been compiling a list of Metropolitan Police Officers who did serve and die during WW1, compiled from official Police Orders and records. Last estimate about 4,500 served in WW1.

 

I can certainly help any forum member if they suspect the person they are researching was a Metropolitan Police Officer. If they were an MP Officer  I will share the ( if appropriate permission is given and with due acknowledgement of the source of the information) information with the MPS Heritage Centre so it will assist if any person makes an  enquiry in the future at the Heritage Centre.

 

The Metropolitan Police does not hold any service records of officers for that period.

  

Not all Medal Index cards (MIC)  for what ever reason are noted with the phrase "Commissioner of Metropolitan Police forwards nominal roll" ( or something similar) indicating they are connected to the Metropolitan Police.

 

Kind regards.

Edited 25 February , 2021 by Toontraveller
spelling error

[Keith_history_buff]

Thank you for taking the time to provide such a comprehensive answer.

Best wishes
Keith

[Toontraveller]

Keith, no problem, happy to help.