I am always Collecting
Memories, however this one is a little different. I traveled in May (2012) to
London to have this experience. I was motivated
by the wife’s need to see the U.K. and the Baltic Capitals.
Prior to
arriving I checked a few things out. I quickly learned that the Metro Police
and the London City Police are two separate departments. Metro seems to
be everywhere, while the London City Police cover a small area of London. Their jurisdiction is nicknamed the “Square
Mile.”
Size is not
always important, especially when the subject is History. The City Police go
back to 1839. At the time the Metro Police Force was in its’ infancy. While
Metro’s jurisdiction grew, the London City Police elected to maintain
their own identity.
Their
Headquarters is located at 37 Wood Street. It is also the home of the London City
Police Museum. It is a small
facility. An appointment is required to view the exhibits.
Werner Roper, a former New Jersey Transit Police
Chief, accompanied me on this adventure. We brought our wives for protection, and to remind us of the time. The first thing we did was get lost, but the
Metro Police were there to help. They pointed out the way, and called ahead so
our guide would be expecting us.
Our escort was Bob Cottvill . He also served
as guardian of those famous Helmets
and Badges. He is retired from Her Majesty’s Defense Service. Bob has studied
the London City Police for several years. The Gentleman was most happy
to see a couple of guys from New Jersey, and even happier to share his
knowledge of this great little museum.
He made it huge!
Bob started our tour by discussing
communication equipment. I enjoyed seeing an old Police Public Call Post.
All one had to do was open the bright
blue door and pick up the phone. I remembered, as a boy, seeing “Police Call
Boxes” mounted on telephone poles in Newark, N.J. . Ours
were smaller – by a ton. They are also very collectible.
From the bright
blue phone system Bob showed us an old wood communications tool. He said: “I
bet you never saw one of these before.” My wife said: “Yes I have! There are two hanging in my house.” I am sure
she was thrilled to show her expertise. I know I was quite proud of her.
The wooden
device was a Police Rattle. It was a means of signaling each other while
working the street. They were used in the 1800’s. In London they were replaced by
Police Whistles.
A short
distance from the rattle was, appropriately enough, a nice collection of old
whistles. They were in a nice display under glass. My wife had nothing to say
about them, but I know she has observed a few on “my” wall back home. At least
she wasn’t looking at her watch.
Communications
in old London was unique. Click’s and Clacks was the only tune in town until
tiny whistles came into existence. Tweets
was a major leap forward, then in 1886 Guglielmo Marconi gave us the wireless radio. A few years later Wi-Fi arrived on the scene.
The museum
has a couple of items that link communications and tragedy. The radio in the
museum’s Moorgate Exhibit was used by police in response to the greatest
rail transportation tragedy (at the time) in peacetime London.
In terms of physical size this was a small exhibit, yet
it signals just how vulnerable we all are. Clicks
and Clacks wouldn’t work in this situation, but looking back, thirty-seven years, the data suggests that the modern twentieth
century radio also could have worked better. That's history, and we learn from it.
The event
took place on the morning of February 28, 1975. A train arriving at Moorgate
Station failed to stop. It continued through the station towards a dead end
stop. It hit the wall at 40+ mph.
Over forty
people were killed. City Police Officer Margret Liles, was trapped for
twelve hours in the tunnel. She was
freed only after her foot was amputated. Moorgate Rescue Operations lasted for
four days.
The last man
out was the Engineer – Leslie Newson. His failure to stop the train caused the
accident. Why this happened was not established.
Since this
incident we have built radios with transmission systems that work better
underground. On the tracks we have developed a switch that automatically stops runaway trains. Ironically this is
called the “Mooregate Switch.” History has taught us well.
A short
distance from the Mooregate exhibit was a display featuring a wooden scale
model of some old buildings. Our
Guide explained that this was a model of the Exchange Buildings where
thieves attempted to rob a jewelry store. The “bad guys” were foreign nationals
looking for a way to fund their cause. This sounds familiar, but this attempted
robbery took place in December of 1910.
The gang led
by Jacob Gardstein and Peter Piatkow tunneled from one building to another. The
target was the safe in a jewelry store located on Houndsditch Rd. When the
sound of their digging was heard the local police were summoned to the scene. The police surrounded the building, entered it,
and attempted to secure it.
Things did not
go well.
Three Officers died at the scene of what has been remembered as the Houndsditch
Murders. Dead were: Sergeant Charles Tucker, Sergeant Robert Bentley,
and Constable Walter Choate.
The bad guys
initially made it out of the area, however Gardstein was wounded. His partners
carried him a short distance, and then left him in an alley to die. The others
found safety in a nearby apartment; however days later (now Jan 1911) someone
gave the police a tip as to their whereabouts.
What
happened next has gone down in history as the Siege of Sidney Street. A
combined force of City Police and Metro Officers could not get control of the
area. The needed assistance and, in particular, better guns. Help came from the
“Scots Guard” stationed in London Tower.
Also
arriving at the scene was a curious Sir Winston Churchill. He and Police
discussed bringing in a cannon to knock the building down. As they talked a
fire erupted in the buildings.
Churchill taking
charge ended a quick confrontation between Police and Fire Officials by ordering
the Fire Department to “Stand Down.”
The building continued to burn and
ultimately ended the siege.
Today “Sidney Street” is under control. A
hundred years have passed, and “Yes” my wife finally noticed the time.
The last
order of business on this visit was for me to have my picture taken in one of
those Famous Helmets, visit and London Tower, and thank Bob Cottvill for
sharing his memories of the “Square Mile Bobbies” and this fabulous museum.
The bright blue box is a Police Public Call Post installed in the city By London police.
An early communications device known as a Police Rattle. It was used up to 1886.
A Radio used in the 1975 Moorgate Disaster.
London City Police Officer Margret Liles who trapped for twelve hours in the Moorgate Tube Disaster.
1910 Paper with pictures of Constables: Tucker, Bentley and Choate who were killed in what has become known as the "Houndsditch Murders." They were responding to a robbery attempt of a jewelry store.
Dennis and Lois Beyer (L and Werner and Carolyn Roper (R).
Dennis Beyer with Display of London Badges
Dennis Beyer and Bob Cottvill
