Mumbles Police and The Great War
by Carol Powell MA
Abridged from 'Law and Postal Order' a book by Carol Powell
Set in Mumbles, it tells the stories of the lives of the local policemen and post office staff working in the village and parish of Oystermouth during a century of prodigious change from the 1850s to the 1950s.
Lying just off Mumbles Road near the Prince's Fountain at Southend, is a distinctive Victorian building, which was once the home of the Mumbles Police Station. It was divided into two parts with accommodation for the Sergeant, his family and the live-in Constables on the left hand side and the station house and holding cells complete with barred windows on the right.
In 1914, many men enlisted in the forces to serve King and Country and Mumbles police, who at that time, were part of the Glamorgan County Force, were among those who left the village to fight in the 'War to end All Wars,' which it was thought would 'be all over by Christmas
It was the practice that Police were often drafted in from outside the locality in order to be impartial and the men lived in at the Police station. Many remained only for a short time before they were moved on.
I do swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lady the Queen in the Office of Constable for the County of Glamorgan, according to the best of my skill and knowledge.
So help me God.
Oath of Allegiance, 1841
Police in training
On 23 January 1915, the Herald of Wales reported that 'Constables Roberts, Griffiths and Hamens of the Mumbles Police Force, who recently enlisted in the Swansea Battalion, now stationed at Rhyl, have been promoted to the rank of Sergeant.' On 26 June 1915, the Herald of Wales also noted that 'PC Harold Vowles of Mumbles Police Station has enlisted in the Welsh Guards. This makes the ninth man in Inspector Davies's district to join.' By August of that year, it was proclaimed that the Mumbles Police Force has the distinction of holding a remarkably fine patriotic record, sixteen of them having joined the army since the commencement of the war. At present, Inspector Davies has only one Sergeant and four Officers with him . . . the popular Inspector deserves great credit for the manner in which he keeps the Mumbles 'immune from regrettable happenings.'
Tragically, three of his men, PC Griffiths (533), PC Dickens (273) and PC Thomas (535), were to die on active service on 13 March 1916, 26 May 1917 and 19 November 1917 respectively. They are remembered on the local war memorials in their home towns.
On 21 May 1918, it was reported in the Cambrian Daily Leader that a crowd of trippers 'of great magnitude' paid a visit to Mumbles on Whit-Monday. The article continued, ‘The exigencies of war have denuded Mumbles of its police force, in fact, only one Constable has been allowed to remain. This has necessitated a great call on Special Constables who, on Monday under the direction of Inspector James and Police Sergeant Williams, did admirable work. Monday's crowd was the most orderly ever seen in the village.'
One of the first to volunteer was Sir Arthur Whitton Brown, who had flown the Atlantic single-handed and was by then living in West Cross. Twenty-three years later, he was recommended as a Commanding Officer of 215 Swansea no. 1 Squadron.
During the war, the British Police including the Mumbles Constables were issued with steel helmets and rifles for their protection, but were not to be part of the military.
Bibliography
Herald Of Wales, 23 January 1915, 26 June 1915
Cambrian Daily Leader, 21 May 1918