Retired officer Henry Wreathall shares some items from his collection.
Scroll down the page for Henry’s recollections of each photograph.
(Click on each photo to enlarge)
Henry liaised with BTPHG member, Tony Haigh, who took the following notes:
HW/1 Home Office CID Course at Wakefield c.1966.
Twenty four officers pictured.
Two BTP officers shown at 2 (Henry WREATHALL) and 6 (?) DANDO (first name not remembered) but was stationed at Bristol.
(Webmaster’s Note: There was a Kenneth Herbert Dando, based at Bristol. Sadly he died in 2011.)
HW/2
Inspector John MORRELL and his dog Flash. Sadly, in 1960, after travelling to London to see the Chief Constable regarding a new dog school, he collapsed and died on the train journey home.
HW/3 Regional First Aid Trophy at York c.1972.
Six BTP Officers and 1 civilian pictured:
(left to right)
PC Don SHOOTER
PC Maurice BAKER
Jack BELL (St Johns Ambulance Trainer)
Superintendent HUGHES
Sergeant Don CASS
PC Clarence GILBERT
Sgt Henry WREATHALL.
HW/4 Home Office Refresher Course at Solberge Hall, North Yorkshire – October 1964.
Thirty One officers pictured.
Two BTP officers shown 22 (Henry WREATHALL), the second is called Ian Murray but it is not possible to say which officer is him.
HW/5 First Aid Finals at York April 1970.
PC Maurice BAKER
PC Don SHOOTER
PC Clarence GILBERT
PS Henry WREATHALL
The wife of a railway manager (who presented the cup)
Inspector Len COLLETT.
HW/6 BTP Long Service and Good Conduct medal awards at York c. 1974.
Thirty Two officers pictured
Only six officers are identified and are as follows:-
4 Don HANCOCK
6 Len BACON
8 Henry WREATHALL
9 Kenneth BATTY
21 Sam GOSSOP
31 Superintendent HUGHES.
HW/7 First Aid Competition at York c. 1970.
Pc Leslie BARTON
PC Clarence GILBERT
Inspector Len COLLEY
John BELL a railway guard and first aid trainer
Pc Donald SHUTER
Pc Maurice BAKER
Area Commander Leonard BRADLEY.
HW/8 A practical exercise during the first aid competition at York c.1970 (see also HW/7)
Henry WREATHALL is the last officer pictured at the far right of the photograph.
HW/9 Newspaper cutting
Henry WREATHALL is the subject of a ‘Personality Profile’, June 1968.
HW/10 Retirement
Associated British Ports magazine
Titled ‘PORTS’, dated april 1983
Popular Sergeant
When Sgt Henry Wreathall of the Humber Division of British Transport Police, retired earlier this year, he was given a warm send-off by colleagues with whom he had served over the years.
Sgt Wreathall’s popularity was shown by the large gathering of about 150, including officers from London, Manchester and Leeds, who attended his farewell presentation in the B.T. Police Club at Hull’s Alexandra Dock.
Supt. Gotts, Divisional Commander, presented him with pieces of crystal glass subscribed to by his former colleagues. Sgt Wreathall joined the B.T. Police in 1952 after serving as a special constable with Hull City Police. He served at all our Humber ports.
For five years after his promotion to Sergeant in 1960, he was in charge of the B.T. Police dog section at Hedon until its closure in 1965. During his service, he received two commendations. He was in the first aid movement for 32 years, and for many of them was captain of the division’s successful police team.
The picture (courtesy of the Hull Daily Mail) shows Sgt, Wreathall (2nd left), being presented with his farewell gift by Supt. Gotts.