A Scottish Policeman?

[ellenbrora]

I wonder if anyone can help to identify the uniform in the attached photo.

A friend's family believe(d) the chap in the photo to be James Patrick Sutherland, 1898 to 1923, in his "WWI uniform".

I'm pretty sure this is not an army uniform, although I am no expert! I reckon it to be a police uniform. The man spent his whole (sadly short) life around the Wick, Caithness area, and was a Printer to trade. I can find no WWI forces record for him so far. The family have no knowledge of him having been in the police.

So... is this a police uniform? If so, which police force? What time frame? Could it be a special constable's uniform?

Another family member was a police officer in Glasgow in the early 1900's, and it is possible that the photo is actually he.

Would appreciate thoughts and suggestions as to where to further research.

Ellen

[ScouseBoy]

He could have been in the Corps of Military Police.

Or he may have been Royal Dockyard Police, at Rosyth or Scapa Flow

Was the chain for his watch?

[ellenbrora]

Thanks ScouseBoy, all possibilities which I will have to look into I guess. There are no records or even family stories to date which would indicate that the man they believe this to be lived or worked anywhere but Caithness.

I'm afraid I don't know about the chain, the family have little or no additional info re the photo. If it is police, then this could be his whistle chain.

Ellen

[ev]

Hi ,

Could it be this cap badge ?

BADGE - Scotland - Caithness-shire Constabulary cap badge 1902 to 1930
https://www.flickr.com/photos/conner395/2300719826/in/album-72157628023732016/



ev

[Skoosh]

Ellen, wearing his war ribbons & fancy frogging on the sleeve but No 14 is a very low number to be a Glasgow polis? don't recognise the badge.  The Glasgow force was the oldest in Britain & traditionally manned by Hielan-men who never stood any nonsense, often single handed.     The police museum in Glasgow might be worth a try for his records.

http://www.policemuseum.org.uk/

Skoosh.

[Archivos]

If it's looking like it's Caithness (the badges do look similar), you could try contacting the Highland Archive Centre in Inverness.  They hold some Northern Constabulary records, and should be able to tell you where records for Caithness are - they might be in Wick, at the archive centre there.

Their contact details are on their website at www.highlifehighland.com/highland-archive-centre/

[ellenbrora]

Ev - thanks, that really does look like the badge, which would fit with the time frame and location for James P Sutherland.

Skoosh - I thought too that No 14 would be a pretty low number for a Glasgow cop, although numbers were re-used. I know that because I spent some years in the police myself and was given a "second-hand" number     It does look even more likely now that this chappie was in Caithness. I really need to try again and find some record of him having served in the forces during the war.

Thanks all for input so far. More welcome!

Ellen

[ellenbrora]

Thanks Archivos, will do that.

Ellen

[MonicaL]

Ellen, just for reference, link to the Lanarkshire Police History archives www.glasgowlife.org.uk/libraries/the-mitchell-library/archives/collections/police-archives/Pages/default.aspx

Monica