Colleagues 'In Harm's Way'

NAME

DATE

PORT or STATION

CIRCUMSTANCES

CHURCHER William Hubert

16 December 1914

Hartlepool

Killed just outside the front door of the office, by Middleton Harbour dock entrance, by one of the first shells fired by the German battleships during the Bombardment of Hartlepool in WW1. See OAK Harold Charles below.

DENSLEY Alfred William Percy

Assistant Preventive Officer

circa February 1930

Whilst on board the 'Megantic' he opened the doors of the baggage port on the main deck, fell overboard and drowned. According to reports he was apparently under the impression he was stepping on the deck when he opened the doors.

1970

Perished in the Fraserburgh Life Boat Disaster

27 November 1971

Killed by the IRA in crossfire between them and the British Army. Select the 'button' below to see a PDF of the local paper's - Newry Reporter - report of the incident.

Assistant Preventive Officer

12 December 1957

Asphyxiated while rummaging the transom space in the steering compartment of the SS Andros Champion.

KABERRY Gareth 'Joe'

      &

KABERRY Margaret

Preventive Officer

ex WSO (LAP)

8 July 1956

Murdered, together with his wife Margaret, who was pregnant at the time, in an EOKA terrorist attack. Select the 'button' below to see a PDF containing national newspaper reports of the incident.

LENNON John Augustine

Preventive Officer

16 November 1926

Roath Dock, Cardiff

Drowned whilst in the execution of his duties , in the Roath Dock, Cardiff on Tuesday 16 November at 5.30am

NORRIS John Henry

Preventive Officer (Lower Section)

circa17 August 1910

Failure of one or more boarding ladder rungs.

PRECIOUS Fred

Assistant Preventive Officer

December 1942

Inverness

He fell in the dock and drowned during the black-out while on duty.

PRECIOUS William Wellstead

Preventive Officer

18 November 1916

South Dock, Sunderland,

WW Precious was drowned during a gale whilst in the execution of his duty.

WELSBY James V

Preventive Officer

23 October 1965

Liverpool

He disappeared when he fell off the ladder of the MV Parthia into the river shortly after 9pm. He was leaving the inward bound Cunarder returning to the launch off the Sandon entrance to the docks system and was quickly swept away by the tide. Vessels in the vicinity and police on both sides of the river were immediately alerted and the New Brighton lifeboat and Coastguards co-operated in an intensive search, but in spite of this and the use of searchlights his body was not recovered until 11 November.

WILTSHIRE Arthur A

Preventive Officer

January 1962

Having fallen into the quay, it would be easy to think that he may have been under the influence of alcohol but given that there was mention of litigation over two years later, it may well have been an accident due to negligence.

NAME

DATE

PORT or STATION

CIRCUMSTANCES

November 1954

Injured when a large rock was thrown by the IRA through the patrol car's windscreen.

HOPPS Brian

November 1962

Suffered a most unfortunate accident whilst rummaging on board one of the Elder Dempster vessels. A bag of cement burst in his face, the powder flying up in his eyes. Brian was taken to the Eye Hospital suffering a great deal of pain.

late 1950s

OAK Harold Charles

16 December 1914

Hartlepool

Severely injured just outside the front door of the office, by Middleton Harbour dock entrance, by one of the first shells fired by the German battleships during theBombardment of Hartlepool in WW1 - See CHURCHER William Hubert above.

TURNER John Graham Marshall

6 December 1954

Aughnacloy  

Whilst on patrol in the Favor Royal Forest, an IRA gunman mistook his patrol to be the RUC and shot him in the stomach. Select the 'button' below to see a PDF report of the incident by his daughter Caroline Turner.

On 10 May 2001, a sculpture was unveiled in the Custom House, Belfast, to commemorate all HM C&E staff that had been killed in the 'troubles'. A PDF copy of the commemorative booklet that accompanied that unveiling can be seen by selecting the 'button' to the right.