After the shocking death of Sergeant Beard there was one more murder of a police officer .
Police Sergeant William Morris
On 10th November 1895 Sergeant William Morris and Police Constable Cornelius Harding were on duty at Viney Hill in the Forest of Dean. They came upon a group of men who had been to Blakeney and on the way back had stopped off at a number of pubs and so were all drunk.
A scuffle broke out between the police officers and the group of men, both police officers were hit with stones and the group of men ran off. Police Constable Harding regained consciousness but Sergeant Morris died of a fractured skull and broken neck.
Three colliers James Morgan, George Morgan and George Hill were arrested for the murder of Sergeant Morris and the attempted murder of Constable Harding . They were later convicted of manslaughter.
Several other Police officers have died on duty over the years.
Police Constable Stephen Smith.
Constable Smith dropped dead suddenly in the street on 20th March 1864.
Police Constable George Philips
Constable Philips was hit by a train at Sea Mills on 11th January 1872.
Wilts and Glos Standard
Police Constable Maurice Selby
Constable Selby died 5th February 1874. He was found in the back of a cart that he had been ‘hitching’ a lift in while on his beat.
Police Constable Henry Harrold
Constable Harrold was hit by a goods train near Bitton railway station on 18th February 1880. He was on his rounds from Oldlands Common Police Station.
Police Sergeant Frederick Hale
Sergeant Hale died on May 28th 1904 in what was said to be mysterious circumstances. He was last seen on patrol at midnight heading towards the Wagon Works and had arranged to meet Police Constable Bartlett at one o’clock but he did not make the appointment. The sergeants body was later found in the canal it was believed that he had tripped over one of the mooring rings and had fallen in. The Officer was unable to swim and as the spot was a lonely one if he had called out there was no one to hear him. There had obviously been some local speculation over the officers fate as the Gloucestershire Chronicle of June 11th 1904 states; ‘there were no marks of violence and the suggestions of foul play which were made in some quarters are absolutely groundless.’
Police Sergeant Charles Robinson
Sergeant Robinson died on 10th July 1915. He ripped his hand on barbed wire while crossing farmland at Hatherley this led to blood poisoning which proved to be fatal.
Police Constable Frederick George Treasure
Constable Treasure died on 26th November 1915 of heart disease while returning to Tuffley police station after completing vehicle checks on Bristol Road.
Police Constable Ernest Cooper
Constable Cooper died on 8th November 1916 as a result of injures he received in a bicycle accident while on duty.
Police Constable Walter Hayward
Constable Hayward died on 26th July 1920 in the Royal infirmary Gloucester as a result of an accident, a couple of days before, while cycling at Oxenhall, just outside Newent. He was one of the first officers to enlist at the start of the First World War and had rejoined the police after the war had ended.
Special Constable Ronald Smith
Special Constable Smith died on 19th August 1940. He had been on guard duty near Lydney from that evening from six to ten p.m. he was in his car returning to the station with another special constable when he was shot by a member of the home guard dying a few minutes later. His death was classified as a ‘War Injury’.
Inspector Fitzroy Taylor
Inspector Taylor died suddenly on 23rd May 1942 while on duty at Dursley.
Police Sergeant Joseph Ireland
Sergeant Ireland died on 2nd July 1945 while on duty at Blakeney after a few hours illness.
Police Constable Wilfred Clarke
Constable Clarke died on 29th January 1946 after becoming ill on duty.
Police Constable Morton Chappell
Police Constable Morton Chappell was killed whilst on duty on 16th April 1964 at about 5 o’clock. He was employed on traffic patrol duty and had stopped a lorry on the main Gloucester to Bristol Road near Claypits. The lorry and the police car were both close in on the nearside, stationary and the two men had been talking for some time when another lorry ran into the stationary one and struck both men killing Police Constable Chappell instantly. The driver of the stationary lorry died later.
Police Constable Paul Pursehouse
On 15th March 1967 Motor Patrol Officers Police Constables Paul Pursehouse and Gerry Wyatt were involved in an accident at Peter’s Cross on the A48 while on patrol in their Austin Westminster patrol car. Police Constable Pursehouse was killed and Police Constable Wyatt seriously injured.
Superintendent Alfred Newman
Superintendent Newman’s body was found in the River Severn at Minsterworth on 13th June 1952.
Chief Inspector Kenneth Rogers
Died on 28th November 1989 on his way to work.
Died 26th February 2007 after being taken ill at work
Further information about Officers who died on duty for all forces can be found at http://www.policememorial.org.uk/
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