Law, order and crime ~ Part Three: The Women’s Auxiliary Police Corps in WWII Aberystwyth

The final part of my research into law, order and crime in Aberystwyth during the Second World War will focus on the Women’s Auxiliary Police Corps (WAPC). As with my prior research, all of the information found in this article was gathered from the County of Cardigan Standing Joint Committee Minutes from 1939-44 and the second volume from 1944-48, which were found in the Ceredigion Archives. They contain reports from the Chief Constable of the Cardiganshire County Police Force who relayed information about local crime rates and statistics, general police activity and some limited information about the WAPC being established, and later disbanded, in Aberystwyth. Whilst the books cover policing in Ceredigion as a whole (which will henceforth be referred to as the historic Cardiganshire county), the majority of the information relayed here is specific to the Aberystwyth area.

The Women’s Auxiliary Police Corps was formed in the August of 1939, despite the government not planning to enrol women as constables in the National Service Handbook. Out of the 60,000 police constables across England and Wales at the beginning of the war, fewer than 300 were women but this number would grow by 1945. The duties of female police officers were restricted in the early years of the war, with many only handling situations involving children, female enemy aliens or refugees. This description of WAPC activities is complimented by the reports of the Chief Constable of the Cardiganshire County Police Force, who mentions the local branch of the WAPC in his notes. Unfortunately the notes do not go into extravagant detail, but I have included below all of the information I could find.

Before the war began, reference was made at a Borough Council Meeting at Aberystwyth to the effect that the services of women police were not required. However, the Chief Constable pointed out in his report that “during the last four months there have been 84 charges against juveniles”, and under these circumstances women police were not only required but necessary.(1)  In the January of 1940 the Home Office approved of the resolutions passed at last meeting, and police accommodation was agreed for the Women’s Auxiliary Police Corps. However, this did not prevent the Aberystwyth Borough Council from communicating with the police force and “protesting against the employment of Women Police in the Borough of Aberystwyth”(2).  Nevertheless, the Chief Constable explained that they would only be engaged for the duration of the war.

By June 1940, the WAPC was proving itself to be extremely useful; they helped police juvenile offences and were exceptionally useful in the search and control of female enemy aliens. The Chief Constable claimed that “it would have been impossible to carry out some of the instructions contained in Home Office circulars without them” (3).  While speaking about one particular member, he stated that “she has been invaluable in making enquiries on suspected aliens, and her knowledge of German has proved extremely useful” (4).  By March 1941 offences against the person, more especially against female juveniles, was increasing and the Chief Constable viewed this “lapse of morality by young girls and boys between the ages of 11 and 15 with very great concern, but I can assure the Committee that every effort is being made to stamp it out and that the Women Police are constantly on the lookout for any signs of further outbreaks” (5).  The four girls involved were been dealt with by the Magistrates in a salutary manner and all except one were sent to Approved Schools. 

By the end of 1941, the county of Cardiganshire employed 11 members of the Women’s Auxiliary Police Corps, which was a lot in comparison to other Welsh counties during the war. Flintshire employed 4, Anglesey and Pembrokeshire employed 2 each, Breconshire employed one, and Radnorshire, Montgomeryshire, Merionethshire and Caernarvonshire did not employ any. The number of Women Police patrolling on beat included one sergeant and three WAPCs, the latter of which were embarking on advanced training in London. Two women drivers were also attached for permanent duty, as well as two reserves. These women would also attend training at the Lancashire Driving School. This number would rise to 14 in Cardiganshire in 1942. In the same year, the police force faced a checking visit from the Colonel, who criticised the force’s filing system and arranged for one WAPC to attend a short course. However, by 1945 when the WAPC were inspected the inspector expressed great satisfaction with what she had seen.

While The WAPC was disbanded in Cardiganshire on the 31st of March 1946, the duties of the WAPC had lasting effects on policing nationwide. The Second World War established women as essential parts of the police force, and their work allowed many women to later join as women constables; in September 1947 the Chief Constable referred to 2 policewomen being given probationary appointments in the force in Cardiganshire. 

Blog by Zoe Cashman

Notes

(1) - (5) Standing Joint Committee Minutes, 1939-44, County of Cardiganshire

 Sources:

“History of Women in Policing.” Greater Manchester Police, 2018. Accessed 10 September 2021. https://gmpmuseum.co.uk/collection-item/history-of-women-in-policing/.

“Women Police and Women’s Auxiliary Police Corps (WAPC).” Memories of War. Accessed 10 September 2021. www.memoriesofwar.org.uk/page_id__31.aspx?path=0p13p22p.

https://gmpmuseum.co.uk/collection-item/history-of-women-in-policing/

Standing Joint Committee Minutes, 1939-44, County of Cardiganshire, accessed from Ceredigion Archives.

Standing Joint Committee Minutes, 1944-48, County of Cardiganshire, accessed from Ceredigion Archives.

Waterfield, Terry. “Police at War: Second World War.” Open University, 2019. Accessed September 11, 2021. www.open.ac.uk/Arts/history-from-police-archives/PolCit/polww2.html.

 

 

Law, order and crime ~ Part Two: The Cardiganshire Police Force in WWII

The second part of my research into law, order and crime in Aberystwyth during the Second World War will focus on the general activities of the Cardiganshire Police Force. All of the information found in this article was gathered from the County of Cardigan Standing Joint Committee Minutes from 1939-44 and the second volume from 1944-48, which were found in the Ceredigion Archives. They contain reports from the Chief Constable of the Cardiganshire County Police Force who relayed information about local crime rates and statistics, as well as the general wartime activities of the police force which I found too interesting not to include! Whilst the books cover policing in Ceredigion as a whole (which will henceforth be referred to as the historic Cardiganshire county), the majority of the information relayed here is specific to the Aberystwyth area.

An advert was drafted on the 28th of January 1939 in search of applicants to fill the role of Chief Constable for the county of Cardigan. The successful applicant could earn up to £650 per annum, and the role required the ability to speak Welsh and previous police experience. The new Chief Constable was chosen in a meeting on the 25th of March 1939, and it was also mentioned in this meeting that the recently established Forensic Science Laboratory in Cardiff was the location where materials related to local crimes were to be sent for examination by the police force. Cardiganshire employed 42 members in its constabulary force, who were assigned across the county in Aberystwyth, Aberaeron, Aberporth, Adpar, Borth, Bow Street, Cardigan, Devil’s Bridge, Drefach, Goginan, Lampeter, Llanarth, Llanbadarn Fawr, Llanddewi Brefi, Llandysul, Llangeitho, Llanilar, Llanon, Llanychaiarn, Brynhoffnant, New Quay, Pontrhydygroes, Pontrhydfendigaid, Talybont, Tregaron and Ystrad. Out of the 42 members, 11 were stationed in Aberystwyth which included 8 of the 33 constables, 2 of the 6 sergeants and the superintendent. Out of the 21 station buildings, Aberystwyth had the most with 2 buildings in the area, whilst all other locations either had one or none at all. 

 In the months running up to the war inspectors began working on Air Raid Precautions duties, and there were continued calls for assistance by the Military and other forces owing to the political situation. A letter from the Home Office dated the 17th of February 1939 called for police forces to undertake additional duties if a war were to begin, including receiving evacuees and maintaining order amongst an increased population. However, the Chief Constable reported that the war was “a situation which we trust will not eventuate” (1).

Nevertheless, when the war broke out in September the Chief Constable took various actions, including the recruitment of a Police War Reserve and the purchasing of equipment which included 70 sets of uniform (64 men and 6 women), 100 truncheons, 100 police lanterns, 2 type-writers, 100 armlets, 1,500 handbooks, photography equipment, wireless receiving set, additional telephone, 4 motor cars and 2,500 gallons of petrol. The Special Constabulary was reorganised throughout the county with lectures being given in every district and parish, and coastal patrols would operate in conjunction with the naval and coastguard authorities to prevent the landing of enemy agents and the reporting of enemy submarines.

In the June of 1940 the police were asked to find temporary billets for approximately 3,000 members of the British Expeditionary Force at short notice, and most left in July with no reported cases of “drunkenness or disorder” (2).  Several messages were received which gave warnings in connection with the landing of enemy parachute troops, and a group of Local Defence Volunteers formed as an extra safeguard. The Chief Constable recorded further activity throughout 1941, which included regular cooperation between the constabulary force, army, home guard and other services. For example, he noted how the police cooperated with medical authorities with regard to controlling venereal disease in the area, claiming that the number of contacts had been reduced in spite of the difficulty of controlling this form of contamination where large numbers of troops were quartered. The police also gave considerable assistance to the Food Enforcement Officer to enable him to detect certain cases of ‘illicit slaughtering’ and ‘black market’ in the county. Furthermore, with the establishment of firing practice ranges for soldiers between Ynyslas and Borth, every effort was made by the police to aid the army in warning individuals that objects found in that vicinity should be left alone. They even helped monitor floating mines on the sea front in Aberystwyth, which on occasion led to the closing of the Pier. 

By 1942 members of the police force were being released to the Armed Forces, reducing the strength of the Force to 40 Regulars and 37 War Reserves, with a few officers asking permission to volunteer for the services. There were worries about a depletion of the police force as it would be difficult to police the county, especially given the rural location. Police training was undertaken, where an officer was trained in the classification of finger-prints during a 6-week course. The police also took part in the training of children at local schools about road safety and the highway code; this involved the use of a children’s motor car and a constable driving under the instruction of the child, who was shown necessary road signs and beacons. It was hoped that the skills learnt would help decrease infant mortality in terms of road safety. 

The police force developed further by 1943, as the photography department had become proficient in the use of ultraviolet, infra-red and micro photography, all of which were of immense help in the scientific detection of crime. The Chief Constable believed that “this is the first county police force to be able to successfully undertake these forms of scientific photography” (3).  The use of new scientific evidence even helped solve a case of anonymous letter writing, which had been prevalent in the county in recent years. Further techniques of crime detection used by the Cardiganshire Constabulary included introducing a scheme for the registration of pedal cycles, which they hoped would reduce the theft of bicycles and assist the police in tracing original owners. This scheme was brought to the notice of the public through the press and the cinema. 

In 1944, the Home Office revoked the Fire Prevention Order, which was put in place at the beginning of the war. This put an end to the scheme for fire-guard duties on police premises, where members of the force stationed at Aberystwyth performed fire guard responsibilities in their off-duty time. Heroism in the local police force is also demonstrated by a constable receiving a bronze medal from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, for his displays of courage when rescuing a dog from a disused lead mine shaft, 40 feet deep, at Grogwynion. The events at Grogwynion incentivised the police to investigate dangerous mining shafts in Cardiganshire, where a survey found that only 17 were protected, and 187 unprotected. Throughout 1945 police appealed to owners and occupiers of land where the mines were to be found to have the shaft mouth protected. 

When the war ended in September 1945, soldiers who returned to the police force were able to take a refresher course in Cardiff for around a month. A report was released on the strength and distribution of the Cardiganshire Constabulary the following year which identified that there was one constable to 1,103 people and 8,863 acres of land, which demonstrated that there was a desperate need for more police. Following the war there were calls for a refocus on preventative policing and “the man on the beat”, where the presence of a patrolling constable acts as a deterrent for criminals. It was important for a constable to know what to do when a crime was discovered, and how to make the most of information and sources that may be available. The strength of the detective force left a great deal to be desired, as duties were mainly performed in Aberystwyth and the immediate neighbourhood with an occasional visit to some out-station to assist a crime. The Chief Constable stated that “during the last seven years our crime has increased greatly […] I do not see any prospect of a decrease; in fact, conditions are such that we must be prepared for a further increase” (4).  After the war effort depleted the constabulary force and caused more crime to occur, it was essential to increase the Cardiganshire Constabulary by 21 members in order to “meet our post-war problems”(5).

Blog by Zoe Cashman

Notes:

(1) Standing Joint Committee Minutes, 1939-44, County of Cardiganshire

(2) Standing Joint Committee Minutes, 1939-44, County of Cardiganshire

(3) Standing Joint Committee Minutes, 1939-44, County of Cardiganshire

(4) Standing Joint Committee Minutes, 1944-48, County of Cardiganshire

(5) Standing Joint Committee Minutes, 1944-48, County of Cardiganshire

Sources:

Standing Joint Committee Minutes, 1939-44, County of Cardiganshire, accessed from Ceredigion Archives.

Standing Joint Committee Minutes, 1944-48, County of Cardiganshire, accessed from Ceredigion Archives.

 

 

 

 

 

Law, order and crime ~ Part One: Crime rates and statistics in Aberystwyth during WWII

The first part of my research into law, order and crime in Aberystwyth during the Second World War will focus on crime rates in the local area and how they were affected by wartime. I was lucky to have help from the Ceredigion Archives, who kindly provided me with the County of Cardigan Standing Joint Committee Minutes from 1939-44 and 1944-48. The books contain reports from the Chief Constable of the Cardiganshire County Police Force, who produced round-up of crime at the end of every March, June, September and December of each year in question. Whilst the books cover policing in Ceredigion as a whole (which will henceforth be referred to as the historic Cardiganshire county), they contain valuable information and statistics about local wartime crime rates, the type of crimes that were committed and how certain crimes were dealt with by local police forces.

Prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, the tasks of local police forces largely involved dealing with petty criminals, controlling traffic and keeping the peace in their district. Approximately sixty crimes were reported in both 1937 and 1938 according to the County of Cardigan Standing Joint Committee Minutes 1939-44, and during the first half of 1939 the main crimes that were committed involved Civil Cases, Road Traffic Acts, Lights on Vehicles, Dogs Acts and Disobeying Bastardy Orders. When Britain declared war on Germany on the 3rd of September there was a slight increase in crime, especially in cases of Larceny, Road Traffic Acts and with the introduction of the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act, which “allowed the government to issue whatever controls and regulations it felt were necessary to pursue the war effectively on the Home Front” (1).  The acts that have been mentioned thus far held the highest numbers of convictions throughout the entire war, though there are some interesting additions over the years. Some of the additions were results of government intervention during the war, but others are demonstrative of how people were affected by life on the Home Front. 

The first half of 1940 saw a steady rate of convictions; there hadn’t been a sharp rise following the outbreak of the war, but there was an interesting case of sedition which could be demonstrative of local angst or government distrust at the introduction of new restrictive laws. There was an unusual number of juvenile offences, which could result in the young offender being sentenced to time in an approved school or a Borstal, but the Chief Constable attributed this change to the influx of evacuees into the area from the cities. However, in the latter half of 1940 the crime rate sky-rocketed, with 764 people being proceeded against in comparison to earlier numbers of around 200. The majority of these cases involved Emergency Powers Regulations, with a number of others including lighting offences. I believe this was in direct relation to fears of bombing; with enemy bombs landing in the county there was an urgent need to prevent blackout offences, and the Chief Constable reported that “no casualties have occurred so far, but one light, more especially in a coastal town, may involve the loss of many lives” (2).  This fear was universal all over Britain, and police forces all over the country had to ensure that no lights from houses or shops could be seen from outside. It was only by the upmost vigilance on the part of the Police, assisted by reasonable penalties imposed by the Magistrates, that this offence was thought to be eliminated.

In 1941 there was a further increase in crime in Cardiganshire, with the report attributing the rise to the increasing population caused by evacuees, refugees and the growing military presence. He claimed that “the military population in the county is of fluctuating nature and with some of the intakes individuals with criminal records are enlisted in the Army, unknown to the officers concerned” (3).  While the majority of offences were related to Emergency Defence Regulations, there was also a rise in juvenile larceny with the majority of offences being committed by evacuees. This was not peculiar to Cardiganshire, as juvenile crime was apparent all over Wales and England during the Second World War. The rise of juvenile crime was attributed to a lack of parental control due to evacuation, no male figures in the home and the general instability of life during wartime. To thwart this issue the Chief Constable suggested introducing a preliminary to sending young offenders to Approved Schools by establishing a Disciplinary Training Establishment. It was believed this would act as a deterrent to other juveniles as placing them on probation seemed to have little effect. There was also a small rise in convictions against men who went against the National Service (Armed Forces) Act, which made it compulsory for men aged between 18 and 41 to join the armed forces.

There was a noticeable decrease in crime in the local area in 1942, with the numbers of those proceeded against averaging approximately 350 each quarter. However there was a large increase in crimes under the Game Act, with 27 people being proceeded against in the first half of the year. The Chief Constable noted that “considerable assistance had been rendered to the Food Enforcement Officer to enable him to detect certain cases of ‘illicit slaughtering’ and ‘black market’” in the area (4).  This increase coincides with the rest of the country, as the rationing of most foodstuffs by mid-1942 led to the increase of black market activity nationwide. Despite a further decrease in crime overall, 1943 saw further convictions based on wartime legislation, including the Consumers Rationing Order, Control of Motor Fuel Order, Home Guard Regulations and the Prisoners of War and Internees Order. The successful prosecutions under the Prisoners of War and Internees Order were in respect of fraternisation with Italian prisoners of war, though the Chief Constable does not elaborate further on the issue in his report. Crime rates continued to fall overall throughout 1944, although certain offences saw an increase; a number of locals were proceeded against for crimes under a series of Defence Regulations which included Billeting, Cultivation of Land and Public Mischief. The number of those prosecuted under general Defence Regulation laws would continue to rise until after the war was over.
 

'War and Violent Crime - War and Rates of Adult Crime,' War And Rates Of Adult Crime - Violence, Black, Social, and Marke

The local crime rate continued to decrease until the end of the war in September 1945, when it would begin to rise again. The offences that were committed remained similar to previous years, with the most common being offences against Road Transport Lighting Acts, Dogs Acts, Road Traffic Acts and Larceny. However, the end of the war saw the introduction of convictions under the Indecency with Males Act, which had not seen any convictions during wartime but 15 convictions in the following year. During the war attitudes towards homosexuality were forced to relax; men were required to conscript to the army, and everyone had to lend themselves to the combined war effort in order to win. However, this was no longer the case once the war was over, and there was a significant rise in arrests and prosecutions of homosexual men across the United Kingdom as a whole, with a famous example being Alan Turing who was arrested despite playing an invaluable role in cracking the Enigma code. 

In March 1946 the Chief Constable reported that he did “not see any prospect of a decrease” in crime rates, and in fact believed that the police force should “prepare for an increase” (5).  His estimation was correct; crime rates would slowly rise again in 1946 and 1947, with a spike in offences against the Defence Regulations Act in 1947. Locals were proceeded against for a multitude of reasons, one of which involved a breach of the Flour Act which was introduced at the end of the war due to the nationwide shortage and rationing of bread. Tragically, Cardiganshire also saw two people being convicted on charges of Attempted Suicide, which is highly indicative of the mental and emotional turmoil that must have been felt following the war.  

In conclusion, the beginning of the Second World War saw an influx of crime in Cardiganshire county, and this influx was attributed directly to wartime conditions by the local police forces. Such conditions brought a very considerable increase of duties to the service as a whole – not only was the county inundated with evacuees, but with soldiers who were housed in army training camps and refugees fleeing from the bombing of cities such as Birmingham and Liverpool. The introduction of emergency legislation by the government would also have impacted the crime rate, as there was greater government surveillance and many more rules that could have been broken. Furthermore, the later decrease in crime may have been caused by deterrence, as the increased surveillance and “severity of sanctions should reduce illegal behaviour, eventually lowering crime rates” (6).  The increase of crime after the war ended could be related to a multitude of causes, though I believe that a mixture of mental health issues, continuing restrictions and war-weariness may have played a role.
 

Blog by Zoe Cashman

 

Notes:

(1) 'Home Front,' UK Parliament, accessed September 4, 2021, https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/private-lives/yourcountry/overview/homefront/.

(2) Standing Joint Committee Minutes, 1939-44, County of Cardiganshire, accessed from Ceredigion Archives.

(3) Standing Joint Committee Minutes, 1939-44, County of Cardiganshire, accessed from Ceredigion Archives.

(4) Standing Joint Committee Minutes, 1939-44, County of Cardiganshire, accessed from Ceredigion Archives.

(5) Standing Joint Committee Minutes, 1944-48, County of Cardiganshire, accessed from Ceredigion Archives. 

(6)  “War and Violent Crime - War and Rates of Adult Crime,” War And Rates Of Adult Crime - Violence, Black, Social, and Market - J.Rank Articles, accessed September 4, 2021. https://law.jrank.org/pages/2300/War-Violent-Crime-War-rates-adult-crime.html.

Sources:

 'A Short History of LGBT Rights in the UK. British library. Accessed September 4, 2021. https://www.bl.uk/lgbtq-histories/articles/a-short-history-of-lgbt-rights-in-the-uk.

'Home Front.' UK Parliament. Accessed September 4, 2021. https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/private-lives/yourcountry/overview/homefront/.

'Rationing in Britain during World War II.' Faculty of History. Accessed September 4, 2021. https://www.history.ox.ac.uk/rationing-in-britain-during-world-war-ii.

'War and Violent Crime - War and Rates of Adult Crime. War And Rates Of Adult Crime - Violence, Black, Social, and Market - JRank Articles. Accessed September 4, 2021. https://law.jrank.org/pages/2300/War-Violent-Crime-War-rates-adult-crime.html.

Gartner, Rosemary, and Liam Kennedy. 'War and Postwar Violence.' Crime and Justice 47, no. 1 (2018): 1–67.

Standing Joint Committee Minutes, 1939-44, County of Cardiganshire, accessed from Ceredigion Archives.

Standing Joint Committee Minutes, 1944-48, County of Cardiganshire, accessed from Ceredigion Archives.