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1 Pre-1829

2 1829 - 1899

3 1900 - 1945

4 1946 - 2007    

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History and the Metropolitan Police

1946 - 2007

Family History

 

1946		Headquarters of the  International Police Commission transferred to Paris (from Vienna)
		The Metropolitan and City Police Company Fraud Department formed.
		George ABBISS (Assistant Commissioner) retired.
		Use of Police dogs began on an experimental basis
	Jan	First Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations held at Central Hall, Westminster
	Jan	First commercial flight from Heathrow
	Jan	R.L. JACKSON succeeded H M HOWGRAVE- GRAHAM as Secretary.
	Jan 3	William JOYCE (Lord Haw-Haw) executed.
	Feb	Epsom Police Station reopens following war damage
		First Bananas since the war arrive at London Docks
	Mar	Police Act (Amalgamation to come into force 1947). Parts of Herts, Surrey and Kent ceded to the Metropolitan Police.
	Mar 11	Chief Constable’ rank re-designated ‘Deputy Commander’.  ‘Deputy Assistant Commissioner’ re-designated Commander’.
		District Commissioners became Commanders
	Apr	New Training School Division formed (TS)
	Apr	Staines Police Station changed from ‘TS’ to ‘TG’
	Jun	Somers Town Police Station closes
		Victory Celebrations take place.   Women Police allowed to take part in VE Parade. Superintendent Peto retired.  Miss Elizabeth Bather, OBE. appointed Superintendent in charge of A.4 Branch.  Miss Bather, the daughter of Winchester Housemaster, she had been the youngest J.P. in Hampshire and a member of the local Council before joining the WRAF.  The marriage bar for Women Police was removed.  New style ‘Bather’ uniform for Women Police introduced.
	Jun 4	Police exhibition at Brighton.
	Jul	Limehouse Police Station opened
	Oct 26	Neville George HEATH executed.
	Nov	World War II inscriptions added to the Cenotaph
	Dec	Kensington Police Station opens
		Underground Railway extended from Liverpool Street to Stratford
1947		Report by Committee on pay of Chief Constables.
		Metropolitan Police faced a deficiency of 4,730 officers as a result of the war.
	Jan	45 Borough Forces amalgamated under the 1946 Police Act.
	Apr 3	Last horse cab licence surrendered.
	Apr 29	Alec de ANTIQUIS murdered trying to stop smash and grab in Charlotte Street.
		Report by Committee of Police Council on Police Uniforms.
		First of four reports by the Police Post-War Committee.
		Report by the Committee of Police Council on Conditions of Service for the Police.
		W.P.S. (CID.) Alberta Watts was the first woman officer to be awarded the Kings Police Medal for Gallantry.  Swimming, tennis, shooting, hockey, athletics and choir sections formed within the Women Police Section of the M.P.A.A. (Metropolitan Police Athletic Association)
	June	Underground Railway extended to Greenford
	Nov 20	Marriage of Princess Elizabeth to Lt Philip Mountbatten.
	Dec	Underground Railway extended to Newbury Park and Woodford
1948		Police Pensions Act.
		Uniform: Start of issue of open-neck tunics, two breast pockets with three pointed flaps. Cuffs with inverted ‘V’ or buttons
		Report by the Committee of Police Council on Special Pensions.
		Report by Committee on Pay of  Superintendents
		Report by Committee of Police Council on Police Rent and Supplementary Allowances
		Oaksey Committee set up on Police Conditions of Service.
		National Police College opened at Ryton-on-Dunsmore (subsequently moved to Bramshill in 1960).
		Indictable crime rate fell to 126,000 crimes, but that was still 40% higher than before the war.
		Women’s Auxiliary Police Corps (WAPC) disbanded. Women admitted to the Police Federation. The age limit for women was lowered to 20 as an experiment.  18 Pembridge Square was acquired as an additional house to Pembridge Hall Women's Section House.  Peto House in Aybrook Street, named after Miss Peto,  replaced Wandsworth Section House for women in training.
	Jan	British Transport Commission Police formed upon Nationalisation of railways
	Feb 13	PC 807 ‘Y’ Nathanael EDGAR (Wt No 128623) shot while on plain clothes patrol when questioning  a suspect burglar (Donald George THOMAS) in Southgate.  Died from wounds
	Apr 16	Capital punishment held in abeyance pending Parliamentary vote. Re-introduced Jun 10.
	May 4	PC  C. J. HARRIS shot at Forest Gate
	May 29	PC  H. KAY shot at Acton.
	Jul 30	Criminal Justice Act.
	July	XIV Olympiad opened at Wembley
	Oct 16	Peter GRIFFITHS sentenced to death for murder of Jun Anne DEVANEY.
	Nov	First part of the Metropolitan Police Laboratory moved from Hendon to New Scotland Yard (Second part moved in Jan 1949).
	Dec 31	Metropolitan Police War Reserves disbanded
1949		Report by  Lord OAKSEY’s Committee on Police Conditions of Service recommended small increase in pay and London weighting
		Sir W ARBUTHNOT LANE appointed Chief Commandant of the Metropolitan Police Special Constabulary (until 1958)
		School Crossing Patrols introduced  (250 recruited)
		Uniform: Blue shirts and black ties introduced for Pcs and PSs
		Cricket and Walking women sections formed in the Women Police Section of M.W.A.A. Establishment for Women -338. Strength 235 uniform and 21 CID.
	Jan	Second part of  the Metropolitan Police Laboratory moved from Hendon to New Scotland Yard.
	Jun 30	Ranks in Metropolitan Police altered: Introduction of the Chief Superintendent Rank (Police Order  30 June 1949)     Superintendent to Chief Superintendent;     Chief Inspector to Superintendent;     1st Chief Inspector and Sub-Divisional Inspector to Superintendent
	Sep	Central Line Underground extended beyond Loughton and Epping
1950		The Metropolitan Police Roll of Honour, displaying the names of officers killed in the 1914 - 1918 and 1939 - 1945 wars, was unveiled at Westminster Abbey by the Queen
		First women Special Constables recruited
	Feb	General Election - Labour returned by small majority.
	Mar	Arthur E. YOUNG (Assistant Commissioner ‘D’) succeeded Sir Hugh TURNBULL (retired) as Commissioner for City of London Police
	Mar 9	Timothy John EVANS executed.
	Apr	Captain RYMER-JONES appointed Assistant Commissioner ‘D’.
	Apr 1	Uniform: Open neck tunics extended to all Divisions.
	May 26	Petrol Rationing ceased.
	Oct 2	New Legal Aid Scheme
1951		Commissioner Harold Scott introduced training of cadets aged 16 - 18 to become police officers
	May	South Bank Exhibition and Battersea Pleasure Gardens.
	June 14	Long Service and Good Conduct Medal for 22 years service introduced
	Jun 25	First batch of  Metropolitan Police Cadets started training at Hendon.
	Aug 4	Amalgamation of A.R.O. 2 (Bethnal Green) with A.R.O. 1 at Piccadilly Place.
	Sept	Temporary Police Station at South Bank Exhibition subsequently re-used for the first Feltham Police station (until 1971)
		Metropolitan Women Police Sports Club formed.  Netball section formed.
	Oct 25	General Election.
	Oct 27	John STRAFFEN committed to Broadmoor.
1952		Sir (Stanislaus) Joseph BAKER appointed Receiver.
		The Dixon Report advocated many changes in the Metropolitan Police, including greater civilianisation.
		Special Escort Group created for state visits and ceremonial occasions
		Women Police first took part in Nijmegen Marches.
	Feb 2	Death of King George VI.
	Jul	Last London Tram at New Cross Depot
	Oct 8	Harrow and Wealdstone train crash.
	Nov 2	PC 5000 ‘Z’ Sidney George MILES (Wt No 119962) shot dead while attempting the arrest of two suspects on a warehouse roof in Croydon (CRAIG and BENTLEY case).
1953		Commissioner Sir Harold Scott retired. Succeeded by Sir John NOTT-BOWER.
		Recruitment of Civilian Fingerprint Officers
		Superintendent rank re-graded into Grades I and II
	Jan 28	Derek BENTLEY executed for murder of Pc 550’Z’ Sidney Miles at Croydon in Nov 1952
	Jun 4	Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Women Police were put in charge of 30,000 school children who were given viewing places along Victoria Embankment, for the Coronation.  Police Council established; election of Federation women advisers.  First Aid Competition for Grace Lucas Trophy introduced.
	Jun 26	Introduction of Research and Planning Branch.
	Jul 1	Re-organisation of the force (Implementation of Part 1 of Dixon Report).
	Jul 15	John Reginald Halliday CHRISTIE executed for multiple murders at 10 Rillington Place
	Oct	Television used for the first time in England in a murder hunt. Photographs of William PETIT televised in connection with murder of Rene Agnes BROWN at Chislehurst on 9 October.