All the many
corners of the excellent British Transport Police History Group website (1) are
worth exploring. None more so than the
carefully complied list of those who lost their lives in service and the lists
of those who have been honoured by the sovereign for their commendable conduct.
Of course the
latter list includes those who could expect a ‘gong’ because of their rank or the
nature of the job they did, but there
can also be found many whose achievements in policing are of the first order. Among them are officers recognised for their
bravery, sometimes in the most dreadful of circumstances. One thing that is clear is that in every
generation (including the current one) there has never been a shortage of
officers who are willing to risk their lives in the execution of their
duty.
While reading
the lists one name struck me: William
Charles BRERETON. He was a PC (acting
detective) stationed in one of the less glamourous locations on the railway
network, namely the Bricklayers Arms Depot in South London. The area was the subject of intense bombing
during the last war. During an air raid
in 1940/1941 (the date is not clear) he placed his life at risk to rescue a
colleague, Pc William ROWING. The entry
on the BTPHG site reads:
“Whilst
on duty during an air raid and despite risk to his life he saved PC Rowing who
was trapped in a burning building”. (2)
The official
entry in the London Gazette gives a little more detail:
“Awarded
the British Empire Medal (Civil Division):— William Brereton, D.C.M., Acting
Detective, Southern Railway. During an air raid a building was hit by high
explosive and incendiary bombs. The only occupant was thrown by the blast through
a wooden partition and pinned down by debris. Acting Detective Brereton entered
the building, the outer wall of which had been partly demolished, climbed over
the debris and released the trapped man. By the time the rescue was effected
the office was blazing and Brereton's initiative and resource in a difficult
and dangerous situation undoubtedly saved the life of the man.” (3)
The description of him as William Brereton DCM suggested that this was
not the first time he had acted with valour.
Sure enough the citation records the award during the Great War:
“L/12582
Sjt W. BRERETON – For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He fought his machine guns with great
gallantry under heavy hostile fire. He
set a splendid example to his men (26.7.17)” (4)
The Distinguished
Conduct medal (DCM) is the oldest military gallantry medal in the UK. It was awarded between 1854 and 1993 and
ranks below the Victoria Cross (and latterly the George Cross) and above the
Military Medal. The medal bears the
inscription “For Distinguished Conduct in the Field”.
William Charles
BRERETON (who didn’t use his middle name on many documents) was born on 1st
November 1889. He joined the militia in
1907 and later served in Mauritius, South Africa and India as well as in
Salonika and France during the Great War.
During that conflict he was also mentioned in dispatches in 1916 for ‘Gallant
and Distinguished Conduct in the field” and presented with the Russian Cross of
the Order of St George (4th Class) in 1915. The circumstances of the latter award are
unknown but would make for interesting reading.
(5) His war service saw him take
part in some of the worst battles in that dreadful conflict. He was wounded twice – once by a gunshot to
the thigh that caused him to spend several weeks in hospital. (6)
The police
forces employed by the railway companies of Great Britain all recruited heavily
in the aftermath of the Great War.
William BRERETON joined the London Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSC)
Police in March 1919. He spent most of
his service at Bricklayers Arms. The
LBSC became part of the Southern Railway.
During his police service BRERETON never went too far away from his
first posting although he spent some time at Waterloo and at Nine Elms. Shortly before he joined he married Florence
COLEMAN and at the time of the 1921 census he was actually living with his
family at Willow Walk, which was the address of the LBSC depot that later formed
an enlarged Bricklayers Arms. It is not
known whether he lived in accommodation provided by the company.
He spent frequent
periods working in CID and was commended several times for detecting railway
thieves. By the time he retired in 1954
the force had become the British Transport Commission Police and was generally
known as the British Transport Police.
He served for 35 years as a railway policeman and was awarded the Police
Long Service and Good Conduct medal to add to his impressive collection.
William
BRERETON enjoyed 10 years of retirement and died in 1964.
A very
brave man.
Philip Trendall
Jul 2023
(1)
www.btphg.org.uk
(2)
https://www.btphg.org.uk/?page_id=378
(3)
London Gaz dated 12 August 1941 Page 4704
(5)
BTPHG
PRC: BRERETON, William
www.ancestry.co.uk World War 1 Service Records https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1219/images/miuk1914e_124667-00707?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&queryId=d7bbebbf82d1a4464e99ea46307dd2a9&usePUB=true&_phsrc=JoI789&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&pId=87038
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