yeovil at war
Special Constables
Yeovil's additional Wartime Police Service
Special
constables have
manifested as
various legal
entities since
1673, but the
modern-day
Special
Constabulary
traces its roots
to the 1831 “Act
for amending the
laws relative to
the appointment
of special
constables, and
for the better
preservation of
the police,”
which was passed
as a response to
industrial
violence.
The role of
special
constables was
redefined during
both the First
and Second World
Wars when large
forces were
recruited both
to compensate
for the loss of
regular members
who joined the
war effort and
to add an extra
layer of
protection
during wartime.
The work was
part-time,
voluntary,
suitable for
both men and
women and
provided
supplementary or
additional help
and support to
the regular
Police Service.
The Yeovil
Division
included Special
Constables from
the district,
not just the
town of Yeovil.
The Yeovil Division Special Constabulary was disbanded in 1946.
Gallery
Special Constabulary posters of the Second World War.
Courtesy of Jack
Sweet
The 1946 disbandment parade of the wartime Yeovil Division of Special Constables in the Petters Way car park. The Yeovil Division included Special Constables from the district, not just the town of Yeovil.
At centre is the Auxiliary Fire Service practice tower. The houses behind that are in Hendford - at the left is glimpsed the Manor Hotel and at top right is Seaton's tower.
