Remembering and investigating in equal measure

As the weather is cold and frosty our thoughts are turning to the warmer months. We still have a few slots left for talks and attendance at events this year but they are filling up quickly.

Remembrance 2025 was a triumph for the volunteers who managed to trace the family of Herbert Hall, the last officer from Gloucestershire Constabulary to be killed in the Second World War. His story was featured in the last newsletter. To begin with all we had was a name and a date of death but on Remembrance Day at Police Headquarters this year, following our research, we had members of his family attend and we were able to present them with a model of the plane that he had been flying at the time of his death. His story is now on the Police Archives website. 

We now need to see what we can find out for next year's Remembrance at HQ; we are especially looking at the officers from Gloucestershire Constabulary who fought in the Battle of Qatia. Watch this space and the website for updates. 

Another of our volunteers is transcribing pocketbooks from Wotton under Edge and we are working to identify officers who served there. It is amazing what turns up when you look.  

This is the only photograph that we have been able to find of Superintendent Ellison but he is in a prison uniform! Read about him here

If you have any police related photographs we are always happy to receive Jpegs via gloucestershirepolicearchives@gmail.com and queries can also be sent to the same email address. We are also able to scan photographs in our office at the Heritage Hub.