Can you identify mystery WPCs from 100 years ago?
DO you know the identity of three mystery West Midlands Police officers from almost 100 years ago?
Police historians are trying to find out who they are as part of research to mark 100 years of women working as police officers in the force.
They appear in a group picture of women police officers taken in 1919. Historians know the names of the others in the picture but are struggling with these three. They have four names of women police officers from the era and believe three of them might be in the picture.
Corinne Brazier − who has compiled a book with Inspector Steve Rice to mark the #WMPWomen100 centenary − said: “Police files on WPCs Malenda Shawe, Mary Dwelly, Elsie Chapman and Lizzie May Peers did not survive the test of time. PC Chapman spent much of her time as a court matron and the others didn’t stay with the force for long.
“We believe three of these four women are the ones that have yet to be identified from our archive photo but we’ve not been able to match names with faces.
“We’d really love to complete the picture and identify these three women. I’d love to hear from anyone who believes they may be descendants of our pioneering WPCs or anyone who has old photographs or information on our early police women.
“A hundred years of women in policing is a major milestone in West Midlands Police history. These women paved the way for the many female officers we see in the force today.”
The first women to join West Midlands Police were Evelyn Miles who joined the Birmingham City Police in 1917 at the age of 50 and Rebecca Lipscombe who was 60. They were hired as lock up matrons to supervise female prisoners.
There are currently 2,133 female officers working in West Midlands Police which amounts for almost a third of the total. They include Deputy Chief Constable Louisa Rolfe, Assistant Chief Constable Michele Larmour, plus neighbourhood police commanders and unit heads.
E-mail c.brazier@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk if you know who these woman are.