1945/6 Pembrokeshire military/police

[mothball]

I wonder if anyone with military or police expertise could recognise this uniform attached. The photo was dated 1942 at Temby Pembrokeshire.

In 1945/46 my grandfather in the photo was on the electoral roll at Letterston in Pembrokeshire with PO address whilst his wife was living in Pembroke dock running their clothes and drapery business.

Looking on the Internet there seems to have been in a military base and also a prisoner of war camp at Letterston.  The story passed down to me was that he was either a policeman or nightwatchman in Pembroke dock dockyard. But of course I have no idea what he actually did. I have also been told that the pair of them used to be in charge of the NAAFI and I'm wondering if this uniform will throw some light on what he actually did? Many thanks

He did serve in World War I and was born in 1894.

[NSWP]

I am thinking Royal Naval Dockyard Police. The cap badge displayed looks like it, Royal Marine globe and laurel wreath.  Whistle chain and collar numbers also support that theory. I believe Royal Naval Dockyard Police were Special Constables, they were responsible for Dockyard security, patrolling, gates, etc. Your grandfather is wearing his medal ribbons, from WW1, as you indicate he served.  Police medals, i.e. Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medals were normally awarded at 22 years service, I believe. So they would be more like his war medals.

I have both Army service and civil police service, so police uniforms, badges etc interest me.

So you might follow up along those lines, good luck.

[mothball]

Thank you very much for your reply. I had also posted this question on a Facebook group for Pembrokeshire. And somebody else recognised the cap Badge as well (I had been looking for weeks but could not find one online). During World War I he was gunner Jones. I was told that they used ex-service men from other regiments during this period as well. I don't know how much you know about this service he was in. He did tell me that he was a policeman in the docks during the war (Pembroke Dock), but when the electoral rolls came online he is absent from the house my family were living in but instead had a PO Box address at a place called Lettertson Pembrokeshire. I don't know if this was for his own security because there was a military base there but also a prisoner of war camp. There were no docks. It happened on three separate electoral rolls 1945/1946. Many thanks for the confirmation of this because he did tell me an awful lot of stories and lived to be 90+ so I never knew which were true.

[NSWP]

You are welcome. My late father was in the British Army, 1940 to 1962, WW2, Korea, Malaya. As a boy We moved overseas with Army family, germany, giibraltar, malaya and singapore. I did 3 yrs as an army apprentice at Chepstow, 63 to 66. Then famiy emigrated to Australia. I joined the police in Sydney, served until 2003. Got called up for 2 yrs national service in 1969, good morning Vietnam ! Also did 6 years in army reserve, MP.

Hence my interest in military and police stuff. I live 300 km south of Sydney. Take care. Les.

[mothball]

Wow, that is some record! Thank you very much once again Steven

[NSWP]

Hi Steven, I am like a dog with a bone, done more research, hope this does not confuse you, I am pretty sure your grandfather would have been a member of the Royal Marine Police, they were in the dockyards re security from 1922 to 1949, then renamed Admiralty Police.  It was the cap badge that got me on the trail re the Royal Marine link.
Les

[mothball]

Yes I know there are lots of you very enthusiastic genealogists, I am just a mere amateur!

However throwing up these unusual problems I guess are informative to both parties.

I also have a photograph of him and it is dated 1948 with his uniform on sitting in the back garden. I didn't think anything of it but from what you have just written he was probably still working in the docs and also still doing his day job.  Just just to throw in another, it was also said he and his wife 'ran the NAFFI'.  I did think at one time the uniform was to do with that. As you know Pembroke Dock used to be a very important port and quite a few of my family married soldiers.