• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Police Horses

Hi Paul and philbee, yes dad was ex artillary bombadier, I think it was about 1923 and he used to say there were 22 in the mounted but I can only see 21, maybe one off sick, his next door neighbour was ex army as well. If I manage to get the big photo on here you will have some fun with that, I will tell you later. He was one of the first to join the mounted as he grew up on a farm and was very good on horseback. He joined in 1920 but I think the mounted was formed about 1922, I will stand correcting on that.


Dave
 
Lyn, I am going to ftnd a way to put the 4 foot 6 inch wtde one on.

Dave

oh crikey dave....i have only ever been able to do that by taking a photo of the photo in 3 parts so good luck with that...

lyn
 
Eddie 14,

If you can put your photo`s on your desktop, then when posting a message on BHF simply drag & drop photo onto your message. Should work. Smudger.
 
That's what I am going to try Lyn. It is the only way ,how they photographed this wide way back then I don't know, keeping horses still was another problem although they were well trained also the speed of film. The other problem I have is it is printed in the old antique colour and it will not come up in black and white. Still I will have a go.


Dave
 
Thanks Smudge, I have not tried that as Lyn got me out of trouble this morning and steveR as well I would presume as he had taken three days to to do what Lyn taught me this morning in 5 minutes. She is a good girl is she!!

Dave
 
Smudge, thinking back I think I did that when I put a photo of Ron Akinson on another thread some time ago. The older we get the more we forget!!


Dave
 
Eddie

Great picture of your father. I will see I can get more from the Museum in the week. I am not altogether sure how many they have but there are probably more.

Steve R
 
This photo is at Duke St station, somewhere about 1930, dad is on the right mounted. It's funny dad was always onto my daughter about keeping her legs well in to the horses flanks at all times, as she has her own horse and competes in shows, and I see he has bat wings.
 
Dad is on the right, the picture is not so good due to it being antique brown. This is taken in front of the station at Duke St, the stables behind this building I believe.

Dave
 
HI EDDIE14
THE FIRST POLICE STATION WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1839 WITH THE SETTING UP OF THE BIRMINGHAM BOROUGH POLICE.
THE POLICE ADVERTISED FOR YOUNG MEN NOT OVER 36 YEARS OF AGE OR UNDER 5;8,; ABLE TO READ ,WRITE AND PRODUCE TESTIMONIALS
OF EXCEPTIONAL CHARACTOR;
the first recruit was george Howick, twenty six , whom joined 23 september 1839
Birmingham got its first two police women on the beat in 1917.;Rebecca Lipscombe and Everlyn miles were lock matrons.
1839 was the year in which the first horse patrols appeared
The first police motor cycle roared into action in 1921
Two way radios were introduced on 5 october 1964 when constables at coventry road police station alpha --- foxtrotted onto the streets
One october 10 1966 Belgrave road police station took delivery of the forces first three Austin A40 Patrol cars ;
Today West midlands police is the second largest in the country, covering an area of 348 square miles and serving a population of nearly 2,6 million
The police helicopter flew 3,315 times in 2008--9 it flies at speed which means two miles of ground can be covered in one minute,s flying time
my grand father was also on the force in the beginng of time and served all three station piddock street smethwick and digbeth and steel house lane
and others was in the legal systems as judge and special jurriors and the magistrates court system as you already know from my old previous threads
best wishes ASTONIAN;;
 
Astonian, dad broke his leg at the beginning of the war when the horse slipped on the cobbles and he could not get his foot out of the stirups quick enough and the horse fell on his leg. He ended up on the switchbard at Steelhouse lane for a period until it had healed.

Dave
 
DAVE;
When a horse falls down on you dave you most certainly know he did you are gauretteed to brake your body
I think back to those days dave almost every road was cobbled stones in those days and in the rain or snow i would have thought they would have
Grounded there horse on a wett or snowy conditions i know at victoria rd they did i used to spend time at the back entrance to victoria road police
at there back of there station they had to come across a very large court yard and there entrace was a big arched exit to walk through i would
stand in there awaiting to see if they are coming out when i was a nipper that was in upper portland street
yes it was a very high cobbled street all up hill and in the snow we would all have to walk up that steep hill in our boots which we got from the mail fund
at digbeth coper shop there was hundreds of kids up there getting kitted out i also recall a couple of coppers from across the road at steel house lane police station on saturday night during the night nipping across the road facing the station and breaking into a gun makers shop but they was seen by other officers and they got nicked just intime that was in the very early sunday morning in 1952 on the subject of the horse i go horse riding down the beach
on some big horses and i know they can be very tempemental and you have to react quick best wishes astonian;;
 
Another picture of the mounted Birmingham/West Midlands Police.


Horse5 (800x641).jpg

There isn't any information with this picture but here are other Police officers marching? in the background. Looking at the Tunic I would think this was probably a 1970's picture.

Picture courtesy of West Midlands Police Museum
 
I can remember my Dad going to an annual parade I think it was at Tally ho.
Mom used to wash his white gloves for the occasion, that would have been in the 1960s
I'm sure Old Boy will be able to remember.
 
Alberta
Perhaps it was a little earlier, difficult to say. Many of the officers are wearing medals from what looks like WWII so 1960 into the early 1970's would fit. We will see what Old Boy comes up with.

Steve R
 
Hi All,

This was almost certainly the annual inspection. Each year the Chief H M Inspector of Police would oversee an inspection of the force. It usually took about a week with the inspectors visiting various divisions and departments etc. On the Sunday after the inspection an inspection and parade took place at Tally Ho. The parade was led by the Mounted Branch and included Traffic Dept and Women Police Dept. It was similar to the Trooping of the Colour.

This was an annual event until it was stopped mainly at the instigation of the Police Federation sometime in the late sixties or early seventies.

Old Boy
 
Back
Top