Bedfordshire Police Roll Of Honour
Commemorating all officers who have died on duty or as the result of injuries sustained whilst on duty since the formation of the County Force and Borough Forces since 1840.
Luton Borough Police - 1876 to 1947
Inspector Samuel Brace
Samuel Brace joined the Bedfordshire Constabulary during 1864 and resigned to join the
newly formed Luton Borough Police in 1876 as its first Inspector, the second most senior
officer in the Force. As yet the precise details are not known but during 1880 he was so
severely injured on duty that it was necessary for him to resign in the November of that
year, sadly he died only six months later, in May 1881.
Bedfordshire Constabulary – 1840 to 1966
Constable Herbert Millington Jay
PC Jay died at the age of 31 years when he was accidentally struck by a lorry after he had
stopped a bus late at night on the 19th of June 1929
Special Constable Sydney Kingham Dunkley
SPC Dunkley died at the age of 45 years when on night duty, when his stationery car was hit
by another during September 1939
War Reserve Constable William Frederick Morris
Former WRPC Morris died from tuberculosis at the age of 53 years in September 1947. He contracted the illness during the course of his duties during the Second World War as the result of having been exposed to extremes of wet weather and resulted in his premature retirement from the Force. It is probable that his overall physical constitution had been affected as a result of his having been a gas casualty during the First World War.
Constable Alfred Donald Warton
PC Warton died at the age of 35 years as the result of injuries sustained when his patrol car
crashed and overturned during April 1948
Constable Robert Housden
PC Housden died at the age of 22 years when he was struck by a car whilst warning traffic of
flood danger at night on the 8th of December 1954
Bedfordshire and Luton Constabulary – 1966 to 1974
Constable John James Weller
PC Weller died at the age of 34 years following a tragic accident in the rear yard of the Road
Traffic Department at Kempston, shortly before going off duty after a night shift
Bedfordshire Police
Constable Geoffrey Ivor Ball
PC Ball was fatally injured at the age of 29 years when his police motorcycle was in collision
with a lorry on the 16th of February 1983
Sergeant Ronald Hunter
PS Hunter collapsed and died from heart failure at the age of 52 years whilst on duty at his
Station on the 30th of December 1985
Sergeant Robert Charles Pearman
PS Pearman collapsed and died at the age of 42 years whilst dealing with the scene of a
Road Traffic Accident on the 11th of December 1995
Constable John Stephen Simmons
PC Simmons died at the age of 27 years following an accident involving his motorcycle whilst
travelling home following football duty on the 5th of August 2006
Constable Jonathan Charles Henry
PC Henry was fatally stabbed in Luton Town Centre at the age of 36 years whilst attempting
to arrest a man who had already attacked members of the public on the 11th of June 2007
This roll of fallen officers has been compiled from Force Archives and the National Police Officers Roll of Honour and Remembrance. Bedfordshire Police gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the Police Roll of Honour Trust in its preparation
The Police Roll of Honour Trust maintains the National Police Officers Roll of Honour and Remembrance on behalf of all the past and present Police Forces of the United Kingdom.
The motto of the Trust is ‘Lest We Forget’ and in furtherance of that aim it not only records current duty deaths but researches historical deaths also, discovering between 30 and 50 annually. For more information about the Trust and its work please visit the website www.policememorial.org.uk
The Roll of Honour commemorates those officers who have died on duty, or as the result of injuries sustained on duty. If you have information about any of the officers listed, or believe that you know of Bedfordshire Police officers whose details are not shown on the Roll of Honour, please contact Keith Jackson at keith.jackson@bedfordshire.pnn.police.uk with
brief information about the officer and personal contact details.
