Australian Police

Australian Police

The Thin Blue Line – Australian Police

Police Deaths in NSW – 1788 to 1996 (7)

image_pdfimage_print

In Remembrance of those Police Officers who gave their life

WOLGAST, Frederick William
Constable
21 January, 1921.

On the night of his death, Constable Wolgast was patrolling Centennial Park, Sydney. Hearing a cry of “Stop that man, he pinched that bag!” the Constable joined other passerby in afoot pursuit of a suspected bag-snatcher. Seeing the offender drop the bag, Constable Wolgast picked it up and continued to run after him. When the Constable had closed the distance between himself and the offender to about six metres, the offender suddenly produced a revolver and fired at Constable Wolgast, hitting him in the chest. Though the offender escaped, he was later arrested and sentenced to death (commuted to life). Unfortunately, Constable Wolgast’s wound proved fatal, and he passed away at St Vincent’s Hospital two days later.
The Constable was born in 1891 and joined the New South Wales Police Force on 16 April, 1913. At the time of his death, he was stationed at Paddington.

Return to Honour Roll

 

McGRATH, Frank
Constable
1 January, 1923..

About 10pm on 1 January, 1923 Constable McGrath of the Redfern Police Station was riding on the rear of a Police vehicle escorting prisoners from his Station to Central Police Station. As the vehicle bumped over a rough section of tram lines at the intersection of Park and College Streets, the Constable lost his hold and fell to the roadway. As a result he suffered a fractured skull and died after being conveyed to hospital.
The Constable was born in 1893 and joined the New South Wales Police Force on 14 July, 1914. At the time of his death, he was stationed at Redfern.

Return to Honour Roll

FLYNN, James Phillip
Constable
9 March, 1924.

On the 9 March, 1924 Constable Flynn went to a construction site at Cordeaux Dam, south of Appin, where he arrested the offender Simpson who had broken into an office to steal two pistols. Whilst the offender was being conveyed to Campbelltown Police Station in the victim Mr Clift’s car, the offender suddenly produced a pistol and shot Constable Flynn in the side of the body. Mr Clift stopped the vehicle, and took hold of the offender, however after a furious struggle he too was shot in the groin and Simpson escaped. Mr Clift then drove his vehicle to Appin, however it was found that Constable Flynn had succumbed to his wounds. Mr Clift also died the following day.
The Constable was born in 1897 and joined the New South Wales Police Force on 4 July, 1921. At the time of his death, he was stationed at Cordeaux Dam.

Return to Honour Roll

WILLIAMS, Edgar John
Sergeant 2nd Class
28 August, 1926.

On 28 August, 1926 Sergeant Williams was a passenger travelling with two other men in a vehicle returning from the Dunedoo Court. Along the Leadville – Coolah Road the vehicle skidded, left the roadway and somersaulted, ejecting all three men. The Sergeant was killed instantly, while the other two men were seriously injured in the accident.
The Sergeant was born in 1873 and joined the New South Wales Police Force on 21 May, 1900. At the time of his death, he was probably stationed at Louth.

Return to Honour Roll

BELL, Owen Edwin
Constable
27 February, 1927.

Shortly after 8pm on 27 February, 1927 Constables Bell and Lawman were talking in Auburn Street, Goulburn. Constable Lawman noticed an approaching vehicle that appeared to be travelling directly toward them. He jumped aside, calling a warning to his colleague. The vehicle, however, struck Constable Bell, inflicting serious head and back injuries. The Constable was conveyed to the Goulburn Hospital where he died of his injuries.
The Constable was born in 1883 and joined the New South Wales Police Force on 29 October, 1913. At the time of his death, he was stationed at Goulburn.

Return to Honour Roll

ALPEN, Laurence
Constable
17 February, 1928.

The Constable was a Mounted Policeman and the Officer in Charge of a temporary Police Station which had been established at Richmond Gap during the building of the Kyogle – Brisbane railway line. On the 17 February, 1928, during severe flooding in the area, he was assisting with the clearing of debris from a bridge across Grady’s Creek. He fell from the bridge and was swept away and drowned in the floodwaters.
The Constable was born in 1901 and joined the New South Wales Police Force on 27 May, 1924. At the time of his death, he was stationed at Richmond Gap (Kyogle area).

Return to Honour Roll

ALLEN, Norman Thomas ANDREWS, Ernest
Constable Constable
3 January, 1931.

Constable Allen was shot in the street at Bondi Junction whilst attempting to detain an armed and deranged man, Kennedy, who had earlier had an altercation with a local shopkeeper. Constable Allen had been in the area directing traffic, and when informed of the incident, attended and confronted the offender. When the Constable approached him from behind, the offender spun around and shot Constable Allen in the chest at point blank range. The offender than shot the Constable twice in the heart, inflicting fatal wounds. Shortly afterwards, Constable Ernest Andrews, unarmed, off duty and heading for the beach, passed by in a tram and saw the crowd gathered around the body of Constable Allen. Alighting from the tram, Constable Andrews joined the pursuit of the offender who had returned to his home in Lawson Street, Bondi Junction. On arriving and finding the front door locked, Constable Andrews walked to the rear of the dwelling and burst through the back door. Unfortunately the offender had apparently expected this course of action, and was waiting with rifle raised. As the Constable lunged at the offender, he was shot twice in the chest. The offender then produced a knife he had been carrying and stabbed Constable Andrews in the throat. About this time Sergeant Seery and Constable Johnson from Waverley Police Station reached the dwelling and began to smash the glass in the front door. Although they were also fired at by the offender, Constable Johnson managed to fire at Kennedy, hitting him in the chest. Seery and Johnson then smashed their way inside, where they found the offender in a bedroom bleeding to death. He died that night.
Constable Allen was born in 1901, joined the New South Wales Police Force on 14 May, 1926 and shortly thereafter resigned. He rejoined on 26 September, 1928. At the time of his death, he was stationed at Waverley.

Constable Andrews was born in 1908 and joined the New South Wales Police Force on 24 April, 1929. At the time of his death, he was stationed at George Street North Police Station.

Return to Honour Roll

WHITELEY, George Thomas
Sergeant 3rd Class
25 March, 1931.

About 4am on 25 March, 1931 Sergeant Whiteley attended a fire at the Momalong Hotel, Berrigan. During the fire, a gas cylinder exploded and a piece of flying metal struck the Sergeant in the face, killing him instantly.
The Sergeant was born in 1886 and joined the New South Wales Police Force on 15 March, 1910. At the time of his death, he was stationed at Berrigan.

Return to Honour Roll

CARMODY, Patrick William Matthew
Sergeant 3rd Class
19 April, 1931.
On 30 December, 1926 Sergeant Carmody and Constable Delaney responded to a complaint of suspicious persons at a building at the corner of Elizabeth and Devonshire Streets, Sydney. The Sergeant climbed a fire escape ladder at the premises, however as he was doing so fell, dropping a distance of over six metres. He was taken home where a medical examination discounted any fractures, however revealed that he had jarred his spine and injured his back muscles. Over the next couple of years the Sergeant’s health failed due to the original injuries sustained in the fall, and he was discharged medically unfit on 30 April, 1929. He died on the 19 April, 1931.
 

The Sergeant was born in 1887 and joined the New South Wales Police Force on 3 January, 1911. At the time of his injury he was stationed at the Regent Street Police Station.

Return to Honour Roll

 

McCUNN, Joseph BUSH, Clifford James
Constable Constable
5 August, 1932.
On the Evening of the 5 August, 1932 Constables McCunn and Bush were performing special traffic duty, on foot, at the southern end of the Sydney Harbour bridge. During the operation they were stopping passing vehicles, using a torch. A vehicle appeared travelling from the northern side of the harbour, and was signalled to stop by one of the Constables. The vehicle did stop, however, and struck both Constables with considerable force. Constable Bush died instantly, and Constable McCunn died about an hour later at the Royal North Shore Hospital.
Constable McCunn was born in 1909 and joined the New South Wales Police Force on 30 October, 1929. At the time of his death, he was stationed at No. 11 Division.

Constable Bush was born in 1906, and joined the New South Wales Police Force on 26 October, 1927. At the time of his death, he was stationed at Central Police Station.

Return to Honour Roll

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *