Compiled by Inspector Philip Trendall
Foreword and Acknowledgments
The mastermind of the National Roll of Honour,
Sergeant Anthony Rae, is owed a huge debt by the whole police
service. PC Kevin Gordon has supplied information from BTP records
and provided much encouragement. Superintendent John Hennigan has
acted as the Force's representative on the project and has helped
greatly by not asking when the work would be finished. Ex-Detective
Viv Head contributed some original research and was kind enough to
give advice based on his long-standing study of the history of the
force. As ever the staff of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
have combined helpfulness and efficiency. Thanks are also due to
the many officers throughout the force who have assisted in various
ways. The British Transport Police Federation also deserves credit
for their support of the work being done to compile the National
Roll. Finally mention must be made of the indefatigable Janis
Morecock of Stratford BTP station whose practical help in this
venture, as in many other things, cannot be overstated.
List of abbreviations
| ARP |
AIR RAID PRECAUTIONS |
| BTC |
BRITISH TRANSPORT COMMISSION |
| BTP |
BRITISH TRANSPORT POLICE |
| CI |
CHIEF INSPECTOR |
| DC |
DETECTIVE CONSTABLE |
| DS |
DETECTIVE SERGEANT |
| GNR |
GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY |
| GWR |
GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY |
| LMS |
LONDON MIDLAND & SCOTTISH RAILWAY |
| LNER |
LONDON & NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY |
| LNWR |
LONDON & NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY |
| LT |
LONDON TRANSPORT |
| MR |
MIDLAND RAILWAY |
| SC |
SPECIAL CONSTABLE |
| SWR |
SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY |
| SR |
SOUTHERN RAILWAY |
Introduction
One of the largest gaps in police history is
the absence of a single roll of honour for the service. Few forces,
with the notable exception of the Metropolitan Police, have kept
detailed records. The many amalgamations that have brought us to
our current system have accounted for the loss of many records,
which in other areas of occupational activity would have been
carefully guarded in national archives. At last a project is under
way to create a national list of officers who have died as a result
of their duties. This project has been almost exclusively the work
of one man, Sergeant Anthony Rae of the Lancashire Constabulary,
who has worked to collect the necessary information to produce a
National Police Officers Roll of Honour which is as complete as
possible. Without him there will be no National Roll and nor would
many forces have such detailed information about their own losses.
The British Transport Police Roll of Honour owes much to the
information originally provided by Anthony Rae.
The list that follows is unlikely to be
completely accurate such is the fragmentary nature of the
information to hand. It will be a continuous task to update and
correct it for as long as new research can uncover the names of
officers who have died. It is to be hoped that any additions to the
roll will record deaths that took place long ago.
Classification and methodology
At the time of writing 28 names appear on
the roll of honour. The classifications used in the roll follows
the practice of the National Police Roll of Honour which is further
explained later. The principle cause of death is accident. Four
officers have died as a result of violence.
The National Roll classes used in the British
Transport Police Roll of Honour are as follows:
Acts of violence: includes all forms of
unlawful killing (murder, manslaughter etc).
Misadventure: refers to death resulting from
accidental injury incurred in the performance of a duty involving
special risks (eg. rescue etc).
Accident: refers to death resulting from
unforeseen accidental injury whilst on routine duty.
Enemy action: is death as a result of injuries
incurred during wartime air raids.
Death by natural causes: is included if it
occurred while performing a particular duty which contributed to
the death (eg. heart attack whilst chasing a suspect).
The names included in the Roll have been put
forward from various sources. The details of each death have been
confirmed. For inclusion the basic circumstances of the death have
been checked against at least two sources. Where conflicting
information was found, further research was conducted until a
reasoned judgement as to accuracy could be made. In many cases the
starting point was the list of names provided by Anthony Rae who in
turn took most of his information from his detailed study of Police
Review.
British Transport Police Roll Of Honour
By name
| Name |
Date of death |
Rank |
Force |
Class |
| Charles William Bailey |
21/02/1924 |
DC |
LMS |
Accident |
| Henry Bainbridge |
20/05/1908 |
PS |
NER |
Accident |
| Charles Ballard |
30/03/1900 |
PC |
SWR |
Accident |
| George Edward Barker |
08/05/1941 |
PC |
LNER |
Enemy action |
| Leonard Percy Bell |
01/08/1941 |
PC |
LNER |
Enemy action |
| John Cockwill |
12/08/1942 |
PC |
GWR |
Enemy action |
| Harold Foster |
24/12/1907 |
PC |
NER |
Accident |
| Alfred Haynes |
19/08/1934 |
PC |
SR |
Misadventure |
| Thomas Hibbs |
10/08/1901 |
DC |
LNWR |
Act of violence |
| Robert Kidd |
29/09/1895 |
DS |
LNWR |
Act of violence |
| George William Leefe |
26/03/1907 |
PC |
NER |
Act of violence |
| John Arthur Lingard |
22/09/1914 |
SC |
NER |
Accident |
| Frederick William Loom |
19/01/1913 |
PC |
MR |
Accident |
| Walter McMillan |
25/01/1960 |
PC |
BTC |
Misadventure |
| Peter MacRae |
15/11/1935 |
PC |
LMS |
Misadventure |
| Alfred Marsh |
12/01/1898 |
PC |
L&YR |
Act of violence |
| James McLafferty |
01/10/1954 |
CI |
BTC |
Natural Causes |
| Ernest Moore |
04/12/1906 |
PC |
MR |
Accident |
| David Tanner Murdoch |
20/12/1938 |
PC |
LMS |
Accident |
| John Edwin Pike |
07/12/1938 |
PC |
LMS |
Accident |
| Alan Proudfoot |
20/12/1938 |
PC |
LMS |
Accident |
| William Race |
22/07/1940 |
PC |
LNER |
Accident |
| Raymond Robinson |
29/08/1975 |
PS |
BTP |
Natural causes |
| William Ruston |
04/05/1912 |
PC |
MR |
Misadventure |
| John Scuddamore |
04/11/1858 |
PC |
BUTE DKS |
Accident |
| Thomas William Sedman |
12/09/1923 |
PC |
LNER |
Accident |
| Leonard Wetherall |
03/11/1927 |
PC |
LMS |
Accident |
| George Dodds Whinn |
28/01/1932 |
PC |
LNER |
Accident |
| Keith Winter |
23/10/1970 |
PC |
BTP |
Misadventure |
| John Francis Woods |
08/05/1941 |
PC |
LNER |
Enemy action |
| William Yellop |
07/09/1901 |
PC |
GNR |
Accident |
By date
| Name |
Date of death |
Rank |
Force |
Class |
| John Scuddamore |
04/11/1858 |
PC |
BUTE DKS |
Accident |
| Robert Kidd |
29/09/1895 |
DS |
LNWR |
Act of violence |
| Alfred Marsh |
12/01/1898 |
PC |
L&YR |
Act of violence |
| Charles Ballard |
30/03/1900 |
PC |
SWR |
Accident |
| Thomas Hibbs |
10/08/1901 |
DC |
LNWR |
Act of violence |
| William Yellop |
07/09/1901 |
PC |
GNR |
Accident |
| Ernest Moore |
04/12/1906 |
PC |
MR |
Accident |
| George William Leefe |
26/03/1907 |
PC |
NER |
Act of violence |
| Harold Foster |
24/12/1907 |
PC |
NER |
Accident |
| Henry Bainbridge |
20/05/1908 |
PS |
NER |
Accident |
| William Ruston |
04/05/1912 |
PC |
MR |
Misadventure |
| Frederick William Loom |
19/01/1913 |
PC |
MR |
Accident |
| John Arthur Lingard |
22/09/1914 |
SC |
NER |
Accident |
| Thomas William Sedman |
12/09/1923 |
PC |
LNER |
Accident |
| Charles William Bailey |
21/02/1924 |
DC |
LMS |
Accident |
| Leonard Wetherall |
03/11/1927 |
PC |
LMS |
Accident |
| George Dodds Whinn |
28/01/1932 |
PC |
LNER |
Accident |
| Alfred Haynes |
19/08/1934 |
PC |
SR |
Misadventure |
| Peter MacRae |
15/11/1935 |
PC |
LMS |
Misadventure |
| David Tanner Murdoch |
20/12/1938 |
PC |
LMS |
Accident |
| John Edwin Pike |
07/12/1938 |
PC |
LMS |
Accident |
| Alan Proudfoot |
20/12/1938 |
PC |
LMS |
Accident |
| William Race |
22/07/1940 |
PC |
LNER |
Accident |
| George Edward Barker |
08/05/1941 |
PC |
LNER |
Enemy action |
| John Francis Woods |
08/05/1941 |
PC |
LNER |
Enemy action |
| Leonard Percy Bell |
01/08/1941 |
PC |
LNER |
Enemy action |
| John Cockwill |
12/08/1942 |
PC |
GWR |
Enemy action |
| James McLafferty |
01/10/1954 |
CI |
BTC |
Natural causes |
| Walter McMillan |
25/01/1960 |
PC |
BTC |
Misadventure |
| Keith Winter |
23/10/1970 |
PC |
BTP |
Misadventure |
| Raymond Robinson |
29/08/1975 |
PS |
BTP |
Natural causes |