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Memorial details

Memorial type
Roll of honour or book of remembrance
District
Luton
Town
Luton
County
Bedfordshire
Country
England
Commemoration
First World War (1914-1918)
Ceremony
  • Presented
    Date: 28 May 1920
    Attended by: Chief Constable Griffin was asked to accept and officially acknowledge receipt of the Roll of Honour on behalf of the force.
Lost
Lost
WM Reference
7591

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Previous locations
  • In the Parade Room
    Luton Police Station
    Stuart Street (off Buxton Road)
    Luton
    Luton
    Bedfordshire
    LU1 1SD
    England

    OS Grid Ref: TL 08778 21172
    Denomination: Undefined
Description
A framed illustrated Roll of Honour, with ornate border and the Luton Borough Police crest top-centre. The hand-drawn border framed a stylised laurel wreath, containing images of all the Force's officers who served, as well as details of their military service. (N.B. When the Roll of Honour was created it listed only one fatality, but a further man named upon it - William George Byron - died soon after).
Inscription
TO THE HONOUR OF THE MEN/ OF/ THE LUTON POLICE FORCE/WHO SERVED IN THE GREAT WAR /1914-1919/ (names)
Inscription legible?
no
Names on memorial
Byron, William
Carter, George
Causebrook, John Henry
Chandler, James
Cooper, Percy John
Franklin, Thomas William
Fuller, Arthur George
Goss, Alfred
Graves, Cecil
Harbord, Thomas William
See details for all 16 names
Commemorations
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 16
    Served and returned: 15
    Died: 1
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Police rank, full name, military rank, Regiment, decoration, whether died
    Order of information: Undefined
Components
  • Roll of honour
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Paper
  • Frame
    Measurements: height c900 mm, width c600 mm
    Materials: Wood
Condition
History
This original WW1 Roll of Honour was on display in the Parade Room of the former Luton Police Station building until it closed in 1976. (After the Police Station moved into the newly-built premises that year, the former Station building was sold to the General Post Office). During the transfer of contents from the old premises, the WW1 Roll of Honour went astray, and has never since come to light. (A replacement monochrome reproduction of it was therefore created - see our record WMR 86988).
Costs

Comments: The creation of the Roll of Honour was funded through the generosity of an anonymous donor.

Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Reference
  • Luton Reporter Tuesday 1/6/1920 reported: 'ANONYMOUS GIFT TO THE POLICE FORCE Through the generosity of a donor who wishes to remain anonymous Luton Borough Police Force has been able to fittingly commemorate the war service of its members by an extremely handsome and artistic roll of honour, massively framed in gilt. It contains portraits of all the constables who left the force to join the Army and Air Force during the war mounted in a medallion arrangement and surrounded by laurels and bordered by the borough arms, flags of the allies, pictures of war scenes and floral illuminations and also bears the inscription "To the honour of the men of the Luton Police Force who served in the Great War 1914-1919." The roll of honour was secured through the instrumentality of Chief Inspector Janes, Warrant-Sergt. Speight. and P.c. Simpkins and Chief Constable Griffin was asked to accept and officially acknowledge it on behalf of the force at the parade on Friday afternoon at which he took leave of the force. Chief Inspector Janes, in handing over the gift, said the roll of honour would serve to show children yet unborn who might ultimately become members of the force that in the hour of the country's need the members of the force were not failing in their duty. In accepting the gift Chief Constable Griffin said they were greatly indebted to the townsmen who had honoured the force by providing a lasting testimony to the response of the force at the time of the great call'. www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002208/19200601/028/0002
  • Our record of the memorial that was made to replace this lost original Roll of Honour can be found at www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/86988
  • www.worldwar1luton.com/object/luton-borough-police-roll-honour
  • 'The Men Who Wore Straw Helmets', by Tom Madigan, (published by The Book Castle, 1993)

This record comprises all information held by IWM’s War Memorials Register for this memorial. Where we hold a names list for the memorial, this information will be displayed on the memorial record. Please check back as we are adding more names to the database.

This information is made available under a Creative Commons BY-NC licence.

This means you may reuse it for non-commercial purposes only and must attribute it to us using the following statement:

© WMR-7591

For queries, please contact [email protected].