[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by Mark2009

My grandfather Fred Todd served on Accrington Police Force but then joined the Guards machine gun company with service no 6797. From what I have read the Police did not seem to have been automatically exempt from conscription. (I had always presumed this would be a reserved occupation) .
I wonder if this was the case in Accrington as if the serving Police officers were conscripted , I can imagine a situation where it was difficult to maintain a Police force? Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks, Mark

Several members of Accrington Borough Poice force were ex-military known as reservists, to be in Accy police at that time you had to be nigh on 6 ft or over, quite a number of them were recalled at the beginning of the war into the Guards, one served in the Queens Bays and took part in the Cavalry charge at Mons, capturing and disabling many Krupps guns.
When I was a kid I knew Fred and his brother Nathan. Nathan rose in the ranks in the police, and when he was riding around in the staff car wearing his best uniform, wi all that scrambled egg on his cap, and epaulettes we called him Herman Goring. Another I remember very well was Joe Firth, we meet up again when I started work at Langs, Joe was the security guard.
Even though they had their recall papers they had to get permission from the Watch Committee to leave for camp.

Hope this helps.