Fallen officers’ families invited to memorial day reception

26 March 2025

The families of fallen West Midlands Police officers are being invited to attend a special reception as part of this year’s National Police Memorial Day service.

For the first time in the annual event’s 21-year history, the service is being held in Coventry Cathedral.

“National Police Memorial Day is one of the most important dates in the policing calendar,” says Tim Rogers, secretary of West Midlands Police Federation.

“It gives police officers of all ranks, politicians, civic dignitaries and other key stakeholders the opportunity to come together and stand with the families of fallen officers to remember those who have given their lives while carrying out their policing duties.

<Thanks to Anderson Photography for the picture>

“It is incredibly important that we acknowledge the sacrifice those fallen colleagues made, but also recognise the impact an officer’s death has on the loved ones they left behind.”

The memorial day service rotates around England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each year. Most of the services hosted in England have been held in London, but Lincoln was the venue for the 2021 event.

This year’s it will be held in Coventry on Sunday 28 September.

Memorial Day

“It is a real honour for the memorial day service to come to our region,” said Tim, “As a Federation, we are organising a reception for our fallen officers’ families before the service and hope as many as possible will be able to join us.

“We would urge them to contact us to let us know if they are interested in attending and also to get more details of what we are planning.”

Around 5,000 police officers have died while on duty in the past 180 years. The West Midlands Police Museum website lists almost 150 West Midlands officers to have died on duty.

The first officer recorded is Robert Twyford of Birmingham Police who was shot while on duty in 1806 and died in 1814, aged 54, from lung damage caused by the gunshot wound.

Bombed

Coventry itself was heavily bombed during the Second World War, with the cathedral being hit in the most devastating raid on the city on 14 November 1940.

Seven Coventry City Police were killed on that night: Albert Bawden, 38; Frederick Barratt, 50; William Lambe, 26; Thomas Lowry, 16; William Timms, 23; Kenneth Rollins, 30, and Harry Berry, 34.

An eighth officer, Bertram West, is listed as dying on 15 November 1940 in the continuing air raids. He was 17.

Fallen officers’ deaths were largely unrecognised until Joe Holness set up the National Police Memorial Day after his Kent Police colleague, Jon Odell, was brutally killed in Margate in December 2000. The first service was held in 2004.

The memorial service is held each year on the nearest Sunday to 29 September, which is Saint Michael's Day with Saint Michael being the patron saint of police officers.

The memorial day aims to:

Remember police officers who have been killed or died on duty

Demonstrate to relatives, friends and colleagues of fallen officers that their sacrifice is not forgotten

Recognise annually the dedication to duty and courage displayed by police officers.

The families of fallen West Midlands Police officers interested in attending the memorial day service and Federation reception should email the Fed office as soon as possible.