Families, Myths and Legends
The experiences of our officers and constables are brought to life by the recollections of families and colleagues. Send us your stories and photographs to add to this interesting memoir.
Our Stories
George Machray at the rear and future Chief Constable, then DS William B.R. Morren, immediately in front
Founding Member, George Forbes Machray born in 1889, was the son of a Leith Burgh Police Detective Inspector, George Anderson Machray.
He joined Edinburgh City Police (ECP) in 1908, retiring in 1934, having served as a Detective Sergeant and as Secretary of the Joint Central Committee (JCC) of the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) and Secretary of the Joint Branch Board of ECP.
Between 1917 – 1919, George served in the Household Battalion and the 1st Battalion Scots Guards in France and Belgium.
George also volunteered for service in the Intelligence Corps in World War II and died in 1959 still serving on the Branch Committee.
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Invitation to Police Pensioners
On 4 November 1946, George wrote to 398 Police Pensioners inviting them to attend a meeting on Tuesday 26 November, to ‘form a Retired Police Officers Association for South East Scottish Area’.
Item 4 of the Agenda was to consider the formation of a National Association of Retired Police Officers in Scotland.
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Minutes of the Meeting
At the meeting on 26 November, George was elected Secretary and Treasurer.
Amongst other matters, it was resolved to form a National Association and not to become a Branch of the National Association of Retired Police Officers of England & Wales.
George Machray’s medals for service in the police and army
Invitation to Police Pensioners
Minutes of Meeting
The Founding of the RPOAS in Edinburgh 1946
George Forbes Machray
The Journey to Equality
1920
After service in the Women’s Royal Naval Service during WW I, Hebe May Kempthorne, (33), was the first woman ever appointed to Edinburgh City Police as Policewoman No. 1, on 8 June 1920. Her pay was 70/- (£3.50) per week. A male PC was on £4. 10/- (£4.50) at this time.
In November of that year, in common with all UK Police officers, her wages were cut to 60/- (£3.00).
In September 1924, Hebe was reclassified as a Woman Detective Constable, and on 30 November 1926, she was promoted to 6th Class Detective Sergeant working with female criminals, victims, and children.
Hebe resigned on 17 August 1928 ‘To be married’ and was granted Certificate of service No. 120.
Hebe May Kempthorne in 1922
1940
In 1940, there were still only 2 Woman Police officers in the force. However, that year, they were joined by 128 women of the Women’s Auxiliary Police Corps (WAPC) worked in clerical, driving and catering duties for which they were paid, £2. 16/6d (slightly over £2.80). Most had no police powers.
In October 1943, 8 WAPC women were sworn in with the powers of a Constable for the duration of the war.
On 2 April 1946, all members of the WAPC were disbanded and reclassified as ‘Police Female Assistants’.
Janet Rae followed accepted practice when she resigned on becoming pregnant in 1944.
WAPC 32HQ Janet Woodrow Bolton or Rae
Pay & Records Department1941 - 1944
WPC 4A Mary Helen Johnston
Edinburgh City Police
1953
Mary Helen Johnston joined ECP in 1953 as WPC 2A based at Braid Place. Her previous occupation was a Female Clerical Assistant in the Aliens Department.
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In 1956, having seen an advert for ‘Police drivers’, Mary applied. The advert was intended for male applicants, but there was no gender mentioned, and after discussion with her senior officer, Mary completed and passed the course.
In 1957, during the Cypriot Emergency, Mary was one of four Scottish women officers to be seconded for 12 months to assist in the recruitment and training of female Cypriot Police officers, working in a control room and the stopping and searching of women at roadblocks. She was promoted to Temporary Sergeant for this posting.
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On her return to the Southside, Mary worked on patrol and eventually transferred to CID in 1960.
Mary’s number was WPC 13HQ when she resigned to be married in 1961. This was still the practice in Lothian & Borders Police, and in society in general, into the late 1970s.
In later life, Mary D’Arcy-Kincaid, as she was by then, was a Magistrate in Westminster.
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2023
Mary was welcomed to St Leonard’s Police Station for her 90th birthday in September 2023. ACC Emma Bond of Police Scotland said:
“Much has changed in the representation of women of all ranks and roles in policing over the course of the last few decades, thanks to inspirational figures like Mary, quite literally driving progress. Police Scotland is absolutely determined to continue to build on the progress led by trailblazers like Mary, to address sexism and discrimination in policing and across society and improve experiences for our officers and staff and the people we serve.”
Following in Grandfather's Footsteps
John Innes MM & Bar and his
Grandson PC John Innes
Inspector John Innes, MM and Bar, joined Edinburgh City Police (ECP) in 1901. In June 1915, he resigned to enlist in the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) and later served in the Royal Engineers.
John was awarded the Military Medal, Gazetted on 27 October 1916 and the Bar to his MM, Gazetted on 17 June 1919.
He rejoined ECP on 14 January 1919, was promoted to Sergeant in 1920, and to Inspector in Leith in 1925. In 1931, John transferred to A Division.
John Innes in RGA in 1915
Inspector Innes MM & Bar, Leading A Division at Annual Force Inspection 1933
The Medals of John Innes MM & Bar
John Innes, the grandson of John Innes MM & Bar, Joined Edinburgh City Police in 1966 and served in Leith and the Traffic Department.
He retired from Lothian & Borders Police in 2001.
Mrs Saroj Lal JP
The Fight Against Racism
Mrs Saroj Lal JP
1937 - 2020
Mrs Saroj Lal JP, had a long and fruitful relationship with Lothian and Borders Police for more than two decades in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
Saroj, who died in 2020, was a key figure in race relations, and in fostering the relationship between Lothian and Borders Police and ethnic communities in Scotland from the mid -1970s to the mid -1990s, and latterly was Director of the Lothian Racial Equality Council (LREC).
In her role as Director at LREC, she worked very closely with Lothian and Borders Police, with all of the Divisional Commanders, and in particular with the Chief Constable, Sir William Sutherland. Saroj and the Chief Constable were to become key allies in the fight against racism in Scotland for many years.
Saroj was instrumental in developing and implementing many of the strategies we take for granted in policing racial attacks in Scotland today.
During the years she worked with Lothian and Borders Police, she gave many training sessions at Tulliallan Police College, and organised many visits to Fettes HQ for minority communities to develop better community relations.
Saroj chaired multiple meetings, seminars and conferences with Lothian and Borders Police at Fettes HQ over the years. (Some of those images are shown here.)
She was a frequent visitor to the building, and built up an excellent relationship with many teams throughout the force.
Fettes HQ always remained a place that was of great significance to her, and in her later years, post-retirement, she maintained links with many key personnel within the force.
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With grateful thanks to her son Vineet Lal for providing the information and photographs.
Community Visits
The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography wrote of Mrs Saroj Lal JP:
"Lal always considered one of her greatest achievements to be her collaboration with Lothian and Borders Police. She helped to draw up a working definition of racist attacks, brought in robust reporting systems to monitor racist incidents, and implemented awareness training for officers. She recognized that diversifying the workforce was key, and encouraged minority communities to consider policing as a career. In 1986 she became the first Asian woman in Scotland to be appointed as a justice of the peace."
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Read her full biography here.
Retirement Presentation
9 February 1996
Son, Father and Grandfather of the Thomson/Wallace family working to keep the public safe in Leith and Edinburgh
for 97 years.
1891
PC 74 Gilbert Thomson
Gilbert was born in South Ronaldsay, Orkney in 1869, served in Leith Burgh Police 1891 - 1920 and Edinburgh City Police 1920 - 1921. He was still serving when Peter Wallace joined the force.
1919
PC 47 D Peter William Wallace
Peter was born in South Leith in 1897, and after War Service in the Royal Garrison Artillery, served in Leith Burgh Police 1919 - 1920 and Edinburgh City Police 1920 - 1949.
1957
PS 20 D Gilbert Thomson Wallace
Gilbert was born in Newhaven, Leith in 1934. His father was Peter William Wallace, a Police Constable in Edinburgh City Police, and his mother, Betsy Thomson or Wallace. Betsy’s father was Gilbert Thomson.
Gilbert served in the Merchant Navy and Royal Air Force Police before being appointed to Edinburgh City Police in 1957. In 1960, Gilbert married Catherine McKinnon Peacock.
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Gilbert served as Police Constable in Leith and was later promoted to Police Sergeant where he served in Portobello.
Gilbert retired from Lothian & Borders Police in 1988.
Whitburn Training School 1957
Gilbert Wallace back row, 2nd from right
Gilbert Wallace's Retirement in 1988
Three generations of Policing 1891 - 1988
Gilbert Thomson, Peter Wallace and Gilbert Thomson Wallace
Leith Burgh Police 1806 – 1920
Leith Burgh Police were created by the Leith Police Act of 1806.
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Just over 100 years ago one of the most famous names in world policing – The Leith Burgh Police – was dismissed for the last time.
Immortalised by the tongue twister known throughout the world as a test of sobriety, Leith Burgh Police may have disappeared a century ago, but the legend lives on.
Leith Burgh was a tiny force, just 117 strong, with 50 more in the closed Docks. They were a formidable outfit – they had to be. In the early years of the 20th Century, Leith Docks was crammed with ships and sailors, as well as the thieves and prostitutes that inevitably followed in their wake.
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With the whisky trade too prevalent in the Burgh, the old Leith Police had a reputation for hard drinking as well as hard work.
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A condition of service in the Burgh Force was to be a strong swimmer and a qualified lifesaver. Since The Shore next to the Docks was crowded with pubs, brothels and sailor’s lodging houses, you can understand why.
Though the old Burgh Force was amalgamated with Edinburgh City Police a century ago, policing in Leith has always had a unique identity.
"The Leith Police Dismisseth Us"
Panda Cars and the Black Dog Phenomenon
Edinburgh City Police Morris Minor GWS 464 D Drylaw Police Station 1967
Edinburgh City Police Panda Cars
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The Unit Beat Policing pilot scheme in Edinburgh consisted of 43 police officers, most of whom patrolled specific ‘Areas’ on foot in Muirhouse, Pilton and West Granton, Drylaw, Comely Bank, Inverleith, Warriston, Broughton Road and Canonmills. They were supplemented with 4 easily recognisable ‘Panda’ cars painted in blue and white.
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The Morris Minor Panda on the left is a recreation of Edinburgh’s first Panda Car, Bravo Mike 5, Car 1 at Drylaw.
The body shell has been refurbished by a specialist welder, the late Jim Bayne, the father of a serving officer; the engine was rebuilt by Ewan Rutherford of Monktonhall Motors. The period radio equipment has been very kindly loaned by The Museum of Communication Burntisland.
The Morris Minor Panda shown here is a recreation of Edinburgh’s first Panda Car, Bravo Mike 5, Car 1 at Drylaw.
The body shell has been refurbished by a specialist welder, the late Jim Bayne, the father of a serving officer; the engine was rebuilt by Ewan Rutherford of Monktonhall Motors. The period radio equipment has been very kindly loaned by The Museum of Communication Burntisland.
Morris Minor 1000 GWS 462 D Replica
The Black Dog Phenomenon
A Typical Mysterious Unknown Black Dog
While the Panda Car name came from the original colour scheme of black with white doors, all Pandas were soon blue and white.
With the general adoption of ‘The Starsky & Hutch’ driving style, there were many bumps and scrapes for the Pandas.
While there were many mitigating factors, and excuses for these crashes, a mysterious Black Dog was often reported to be responsible for many a mishap. This notorious creature was sighted on numerous occasions running in front of Pandas causing them to veer and strike inanimate objects.
While in the County divisions, deer were often blamed for Panda crashes, in the city the Black Dog was a consistent contributory factor in Panda Vehicle Accident Report Books.
The mysterious Black Dog that caused so many Panda accidents was never traced, leading some cynical senior officers even to doubt its existence.
On balance however, it was spotted too often by officers of high repute to be a figment of the imagination.
The Unfortunate Result Of Meeting a Mysterious Black Dog
