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    © Imperial War Museums 2026

    Memorial

    Lincolnshire Constabulary WW1 Roll of Honour

    Lincolnshire Constabulary WW1 Roll of Honour

    Source: Copyright Lincolnshire Police

    1/6

    Current Location

    Next to the display cabinet, outside the canteen, Lincolnshire Police HQ, Deepdale Lane, Nettleham, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN2 2QE, England

    OS Grid Reference

    TF 00192 75588

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    Names listed on this memorial

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    © WMR-92737

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    Type of Memorial
    Roll of honour or book of remembrance
    WMR Reference Number
    92737
    Description
    A large rectangular glazed-framed Roll of Honour that records all of Lincolnshire Constabulary's officers who served in the Armed Forces in WW1. The upper section of the Roll lists those who died; the lower section records all those who enlisted (including those who died, who are therefore named upon twice). The lower section records the date that each man joined the Armed Forces, the military units in which he served/died, his rank and any distinctions he was awarded, and (for those who survived) the date he was demobilised or discharged. N.B. The Roll is known to contain a few errors re initials and dates. (Replica copies of the Roll of Honour were originally displayed in each of the Constabulary's Divisions, including one that was placed in Gainsborough Police Court).
    Inscription
    Lincolnshire Constabulary./ ROLL of HONOUR, ROLL of SERVICE and DISTINCTIONS/ won by the Members of the Lincolnshire Constabulary who/ joined His Majesty's Forces during the Great War 1914-1919./ IN MEMORIAM/ (25 Names)/ ROLL OF SERVICE/ (135 Names) N.B. Those who died were listed twice on the Roll of Honour: once in the upper "In Memoriam" section, and again in the lower section, re all those who had enlisted.
    War
    First World War (1914-1918)
    Number Commemorated
    135
    Served
    110
    Died
    25
    Information shown
    Military rank, date of enlistment, forenames, surname, Military unit, date of death or demobilisation, decorations
    Order of names
    Casualties are listed chronologically by date of death in the upper section; in the lower section, all who enlisted (including casualties) are listed chronologically by date of enlistment
    Custodian
    Lincolnshire Police

    Components

    Roll of honour

    Made from: Paper


    Condition: Good


    Frame

    Made from: Wood - Oak


    Condition: Good


    • The master copy of the Roll of Honour, bearing 135 names, was placed in Lincolnshire Constabulary's HQ after WW1; duplicates of it were erected in each of their Divisional HQs, including Gainsborough Division's HQ in Gainsborough Police Court. On 16/7/1920 the Gainsborough News reported: "A Roll of Honour, which hangs in the Gainsborough Police Court, bears testimony to the excellent service the members of the Lincs Constabulary rendered to the country during the Great War. Among those who were killed in action, and who in pre-war days were stationed at Gainsborough, are:- Pte. John Drury, Lincs Regt., died Nov 14th, 1914; Pte. Herbert Moody. Military Medalist, Lincs. Regt., died April 14th, 1917; Pt. John Padley, Royal Flying Corps, died Oct, 19th, 1917; Lance-corpl. Donald McKenzie, Cameron Highlanders, died Sept. 1916. The following are the names of those constables, stationed at Gainsborough, who served during the war and have returned home safely:- Q.M.Sergt. Chas. Little, R.A.F., Military Medalist; Sergt. Joseph Freeman, S. Wales Borderers, Military Medalist; Co.-Sergt.-Major Saunders, Rifle Brigade and Machine Gun Corps, Meritorious Service Medalist; Sergt. Edward Abell, Military Medalist, South Staffs. And Ptes. J. A. Cole, John Creasey, Sergt. Ernest Markham, Pte. Fredk. Bly Pte. Ernest Vickers, Lance-corpl. Albert Gilbert, Pte. Ben Smith, all of the Mounted Military Police; Pte. Sydney Brewster, Lincs (sic) Foot Police; Pte. Arthur Barsley, Army Service Corps; Gunner Moses Theaker, Gunner Chas Taylor, and Lance-corpl. Harold Watson, Royal Garrison Artillery; Pte. Walter Smith, Royal Marine Artillery; and Pte. Ernest Ayto, Military Foot Police. The Roll of Honour contains136 [sic] names altogether, 25 of whom were killed in action. Six of the constables stationed in Gainsborough were awarded the Military Medal". (Whilst this Gainsborough newspaper's report understandably focused on the names of the Gainsborough Police officers named on the Roll of Honour, the fact that the report mentioned that the Roll listed "136" names of former Police officers, 25 of whom had died, confirms that the one it mentioned as being in the Gainsborough Police Court was actually that Division's replica copy of the Lincolnshire Constabulary's full WW1 Roll of Honour, the master copy of which -actually listing 135 enlistees- was at the Force HQ in Lincoln).
    • Details of the Gainsborough Division's replica copy of the Lincolnshire Constabulary's full WW1 Roll of Honour can be found at https://www.lincstothepast.com/MemorialDetails.aspx?objectid=1888645 (That Lincstothepast webpage remarks that the location of the Gainsborough Division copy of the Roll of Honour is unknown, due to the closure of the the Gainsborough County Police Station in 1972. It is possible that that replica copy may now be in the privately-owned Old Nick Museum in that building; that Museum reopened after refurbishment in February 2019, see https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/take-look-newly-relaunched-old-2549917 ).