National Police Officers Roll of Honour
In Remembrance of those Police Officers of the United Kingdom
and British Islands who have Lost their Lives in the Line of Duty

 AVON & SOMERSET CONSTABULARY

Lest We Forget

Parish of St. George

Const James Pearce

Died 8 September 1840

Fatally beaten and stoned by several men freeing a prisoner.

Parish of Bathampton

Const John Bailey

Died 28 June 1847, aged 52

Beaten to death when he attempted to stop a public fist-fight.

Bristol Constabulary

PC Joseph Dunkerton

Died 22 April 1840

Found drowned in the River Frome.

PC Joseph Roberts

Died 21 June 1842, aged 30

Fatally beaten with bricks and his own staff while attempting an arrest

PC Thomas Brewer

Died 9 August 1843, aged 37

Drowned when he fell in a dock while on patrol on a stormy night.

PC Henry Chanter

Died 13 September 1848

Drowned at Welshback on night duty.

DC John Pim

Died 17 May 1849, aged 32

Fatally bludgeoned by two men he warned for causing a disturbance.

PC William Connebeare

Died 21 May 1856

Found drowned in a pond at Clifton Downs whilst on night patrol duty.

PC Christopher Wickham

Died 25 September 1862, aged 39

Died from injuries received when stabbed arresting a disorderly man.

PC Richard Hill

Died 24 April 1869, aged 31

Fatally stabbed during a violent struggle to arrest a man for assault.

PC William Counsell

Died 22 June 1872, aged 37

Drowned when he fell into the dock whilst patrolling his beat at night.

PC Albert John Mason

Died 5 June 1909, aged 30

Collapsed and died of heart failure on parade for the force inspection.

SC Gilbert Thomas Shortman

Died 25 September 1940, aged 29

SC George Bryant

Died 25 November 1940, aged 57

Killed off duty in enemy air raids.

PWRC Robert Holmes

Died 3 January 1941, aged 33

Killed with P/Fm Janes fighting a fire during an enemy air raid.

PWRC Francis John A. Spear

Died 17 March 1941, aged 36 

PWRC George Evans Watkins

Died 17 March 1941, aged 34

Killed together by enemy action while on duty during an air raid.

SC John Ansford Ratcliffe

Died 15 December 1942, aged 19

Accidentally shot by an instructor during a firearms demonstration.

SC Reginald Cyril Phelps

Died June 1944, aged 48

Collapsed and died at the wheel of a police car which then crashed.

DC Reginald Charles Grady

Died 14 August 1945, aged 46

Collapsed and died during a violent struggle to arrest a wanted man.

PC John Llewellyn Meredith

Died 29 January 1958, aged 21

Shot dead on a firearms course by the accidental discharge of a pistol.

Supt Ambrose Williamson MBE

Died 27 April 1959, aged 58

Collapsed and died when finishing duty at the Central Police Station.

PC Anthony C. F. Onione

Died 14 December 1961, aged 35

Fatally injured when struck by a car while on bicycle patrol at night.

D/Sgt Leslie D. Thomas

Died 26 December 1961, aged 47

Collapsed and died while questioning a suspect at a hotel.

DCI Charles Alfred Rason

Died 14 September 1966, aged 51

Killed by an accidental explosion at the forensic science laboratory.

PC John Livings

Died 2 May 1969, aged 34

Fatally injured in a motorcycle crash responding to an emergency call.

Bristol Police Fire Brigade

P/Fm Arthur Wale

Died 27 March 1906, aged 46

Crushed to death while fighting a fire when the building collapsed.

P/Fm Albert Ernest Smith

Died 7 April 1909, aged 30

Killed while fighting a factory fire when the building collapsed on him.

Insp Charles James Harrison

Died 2 August 1916, aged 54

Killed when the floors of a building collapsed while fighting a fire.

Insp John George Crossman

Died 11 June 1934, aged 37

Fatally injured when his fire engine crashed on an emergency fire call.

P/Fm Gilbert James Vincent

Died 24 November 1940, aged 27

Killed by enemy action with an AFS officer while on duty in an air raid.

P/Fm Albert Edward Janes

Died 3 January 1941, aged 45

Killed with PWRC Holmes fighting a fire during an enemy air raid.

P/Fm Ronald Thomas Guest

Died 27 February 1941, aged 32

Killed by enemy action while fighting fires during an air raid.

A/Sgt John Henry Bees

Died 11 April 1941, aged 34

Killed by enemy action while fighting a fire during an air raid.

P/Fm Herbert Alfred Low

Died 14 April 1941, aged 25

Fatally injured by enemy action assisting in an air raid in Coventry.

P/Fm Walter Henry Northcott

Died 24 April 1941, aged 31

Killed by enemy action assisting to fight a fire in an air raid at Plymouth.

P/Fm Albert Ernest Barnes

Died 8 May 1941, aged 30

Died in an enemy air raid off duty

P/Fm Frederick George Appleby

Died 2 December 1941, aged 35

Fatally injured by enemy action assisting in an air raid in Hampshire.

Bath City Police

Ch/Con Nelson Ashton

Died 19 June 1937, aged 40

Killed in a road accident while returning from a police conference.

SC Horace Frank Howard Adkins

Died 26 April 1942, aged 36

SC Clifford Daniel James

Died 26 April 1942, aged 46

SC Thomas Rees Lott

Died 26 April 1942, aged 48

S/Insp Charles William Packwood

Died 26 April 1942, aged 53

SC Charles William Parsons

Died 26 April 1942, aged 34

SC William Charles Lionel Barrow

Died 26 April 1942, aged 32

S/Sgt Albert William Hayward

Died 26 April 1942, aged 42

SC Arthur Maurice Perkins

Died 26 April 1942, aged 33

Killed together by enemy action while on duty during an air raid.

P/ms Horace Pearson

Died 26 April 1942, aged 16

Killed off duty in an enemy air raid.

Somerset Constabulary

PC Robert Hill

Died 22 January 1851

Died as a result of injuries received in 1847 when stabbed on duty.

PC Alfred Pavey

Died 7 October 1861, aged 22

Died as a result of injuries received when bludgeoned by two burglars.

PC William Penny

Died 18 January 1862, aged 41

Fatally bludgeoned by three men he was attempting to arrest.

PC Nathaniel Cox

Died 16 November 1876, aged 37

Bludgeoned and kicked to death by poachers he had stopped at night.

Sgt Edwin Edmonds

Died 25 November 1877, aged 49

Accidentally killed on the railway returning home after finishing duty.

Supt William Balkwill

Died 27 July 1900, 43

Died as a result of injuries received when restraining a violent prisoner.

PC John James Escott

Died 3 October 1902, aged 33

Accidentally knocked down by a cyclist whilst on his beat at Chard.

PC Absalom Trask

Died 26 October 1912, aged 46

Collapsed while on patrol and died in hospital the following morning.

PC Victor George Lippett

Died 1 September 1932, aged 32

Fatally injured in a road accident while on motorcycle patrol.

PC Lewis James Tucker

Died 7 February 1939, aged 48

Collapsed and died of heart failure while on night duty at Bathampton.

SC Ronald William Clark

Died 4 September 1940, aged 49

PC Basil Linton Stockbridge

Died 4 September 1940, aged 26

Killed together by enemy action whilst on duty during an air raid.

SC William James Fitkin

Died 8 October 1940, aged 31

Killed off duty in an enemy air raid.

PC Kenneth Edwin Snook

Died 26 April 1942, aged 25

Killed by enemy action while on duty during an air raid.

PC Denis G. James

Died 31 January 1962, aged 43

Collapsed and died at Crewkerne Police Station.

Somerset and Bath Constabulary

PC Christopher Malcolm Hood

Died 23 August 1971, aged 23

Killed in a police motorcycle crash responding to an emergency call.

Avon and Somerset Constabulary

Cadet Sharon Bury

Died 8 February 1980, aged 16

Drowned in the sea while taking part in an adventure training exercise.

PC David George Petch

Died 24 October 1981, aged 31

Killed when his traffic patrol car crashed following a speeding car.

DC Colin John Batchelor

Died 12 July 1984, aged 45

Killed in a police car accident returning from an investigation.

PC Jonathan Michael Stapley

Died 29 December 1984, aged 27

PC Peter Leonard Deans

Died 29 December 1984, aged 25

Killed when their unmarked police car crashed during a vehicle pursuit.

WPC Deborah Leat

Died 27 November 1986, aged 20

Killed when her police car crashed while pursuing a suspect vehicle.

PC Nicholas David Palmer

Died 26 July 1990, aged 27

Killed in a motorcycle accident while reporting for night duty.

PC David Androse MacPherson

Died 1 November 1991, aged 29

Killed in a road traffic accident whilst travelling to report for duty at Bristol.

Sgt Colin Sheppard

Died 16 September 1996, aged 54

Died 17 years after being paralysed in a motorcycle accident on duty.

PC Paul Ralph Cotton

Died 28 July 1997, aged 38

Died of injuries received in a road accident while cycling to duty.

PC Stephen Jones

Died 17 May 1999, aged 34

Killed when struck by a stolen vehicle he was attempting to stop.

PC Sarah Jane Minskip

Died 4 February 2004, aged 26

Killed in a motorcycle accident after an extended tour of night duty.

PCSO David Leslie Adams

Collapsed and died assisting at a road traffic collision near Woolverton. 

Lest We Forget

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Page updated 7 July 2009

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