Name/Title
Group photograph of Hove Borough Police Special Constabulary c1938 -1942Entry/Object ID
2475Description
Glass fronted wooden framed original photographic print on card of a group of mainly special constables from Hove Special Constabulary thought to have been taken c1938 - 1942. On rear handwritten in pencil "24608 A" and stamped in ink "Copyright Photograph by EW Pannell Ltd". There is an unreadable signature in pencil to the front which could be that of the photographer. Size of Print 5.5 x 14.5 inches, overall size of frame 13x23 inches.Context
A number of things in this photograph identify the majority of those present as special constables. Most of the officers are older than you would expect with regular constables, and they are not only wearing caps but instead of normal badges on these they have crowns. The photograph was taken by a company "E.W Pannell Ltd", which used this company name between 1938 and 1946 and was based at 75 Church Street Hove. The more senior officers in the front row are wearing a distinctive cap badge, as worn by Hove Borough Police and the most senior of then in the centre is the chief constable of Hove, William Hillier, who led the force from 1919 until 1942. The man two places to Mr Hillier's left wearing the Sam Brown belt, is his deputy Chief Inspector G. E Lovell, who as Acting Chief Constable, replaced him. Though this photograph may have been taken anytime between 1938 and 1942, it is most likely that it was taken during the Second World War, when large numbers of extra special constables were recruited to replace regular officers who were called up for military service. The use of crown badges for special constables was very common during the First World War, but less so by the Second World War, by which time many police forces allowed special constables to use the same cap insignia as their regular officers. This photograph gives a very good idea of not only special constables' uniforms in Hove Police in the late 1930s and 1940s, but also that of the regular senior officers, including the use by some of Sam Brown belts.
This item came from Brighton Police station in John Street and prior to that may well have been displayed at the old Hove Police station which was closed in 2013, having been built in 1964.