This picture of the Special Constables of Mansfield, was taken sometime in the 1940’s. I believe it was taken at the rear of the Police Station when it was on Station Street.
The Specials, as they were called, were made up of men from all walks of life, they were all unpaid volunteer Police Officers, having the same powers as the Police Force.They became involved in nearly all the same tasks as them, dealing with antisocial behaviour, patrolling the streets and town, also dealing with complaints and solving problems. Having said that, they did get uniforms and any expenses.
They were actually an unpaid link between the regular police force and the people in the community.They were part time law enforcement officers working with Police Stations and the regular police. There is only one Special Police Force that I know of that were paid full time salary, and that is the Atomic Energy Police.
My Father in law was a Special Constable for many years, and is one of those in the photograph. He was my wife’s father, Thomas Allsop, a fine man from Woodhouse.
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I knew someone named Allsop in Cavendish St. in Woodhouse, wonder if this man was him, or related.
He had a daughter called Christeen and a son who’s name I don’t recall, I think they moved to Mansfield round about 1950. Does anyone know them?
I was put into a home at that time so have never seen them since
I was a Special Constable, and subsequently a Section Officer, in Mansfield from early 1981 until 1990 when I moved away. We were stationed at the old Station Street Police Station throughout that period. This was a time of great transition for the Special Constabulary. Great days – and a fine bunch of colleagues (both special and regular). I look back on those times with great fondness and with many happy memories.
It wasn’t always easy work – especially during the miners strike of 1984-85. Many of our officers were working miners and we all worked long hours – doing our own jobs every day and then turning out for police work every evening. Probably the hardest thing I have ever done was submit my resignation before moving away from the area.
My Grandpa was a Special Constable, Albert Green . I still have his little black book
Hello Alan,
Thats a fine picture you’ve put up there. My Great Grandfather was a ‘special’ around that time. Would there be a chance you had any names to put to the faces? His name was Harry Tomlinson and he’d have been about sixty years old at the time.
Many thanks in advance.
Hello Paul, I promise not to make any reference to your name, that is unless your father went to High Oakham School and I played football with him. Must be quite interesting being a Special in our old town these days. Very different in my days there, the only time I did any policing was, a Regimental Policeman in the Armed Forces in the Middle East.Those were the days.
The British Transport Police, Ports Police and Tunnels Police are all Special Police Forces too. I am currently a Special at Mansfield but I dare say our numbers are less than a quarter of those!
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