Fallen Hartlepool police officers to be remembered at ceremony

From left to right, Assistant Chief Constable Dave Orford, PC Glen Henderson, retired PC and standard bearer Dave Cuthbertson, Chief Inspector Catherine Clarke and Inspector Ed Turner

Officers from Durham Constabulary are travelling to Ypres, in Belgium, to take part in The Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate tonight.

Chief Inspector Catherine Clarke, Inspector Ed Turner, PC Glen Henderson and retired PC Dave Cuthbertson will parade the force standard during the event and lay a wreath to remember those police

officers who lost their lives during the war.

The Last Post ceremony has taken place every evening since November 1929. From 7.30pm, the roads surrounding the Menin Gate come to standstill and the area falls silent as people gather to pay their

respects to those who fell during battle.

At 8pm, the Last Post sounds before a minute’s silence is held, with wreaths laid afterwards.

Over three days, they will also visit the graves of 20 former Durham Constabulary officers who are buried or remembered in memorials in the Ypres, Somme and Arras sectors, where individual tributes will be left to each of the officers.

Among those being remembered are:

John Fletcher Nicholson: Joined Durham County Constabulary on January 7, 1914 and was recruited to West Hartlepool. Resigned on May 31, 1915 to join HMF as part of the Royal Engineers 225th Field Company. In July 1917, the company was involved in the Battle of Pilckem Ridge, during which Nicholson was killed in action.

Thomas William McGuire: Joined Durham County Constabulary on May 15, 1905 and following previous postings was transferred to West Hartlepool in September 1912 before resigning in September 1915, when he joined the Durham Light Infantry. In March 1918, his battalion made their way to the Rosieres area where they were involved in heavy fighting and he was one of 400 casualties.

Ch Insp Clarke said: “We wanted to pay tribute to those who made an extraordinary sacrifice.”