P8 Chiselhurst Road Memorial Plaque

[oracle]

I've been speaking to a chap called Mike Pinchen from The Chiselhurst Society.

Mike was trying to track down a particular box location in their area.

On the 19th of October, 1940, police constable John Freer was killed during an air raid, when an incendiary device stuck the police box and exploded whilst he was in attendance.

The Chiselhurst society intend to commemorate his death whilst on duty by erecting a memorial plaque on the site of the box, and Mike had contacted Gavin Rymill, who in turn, contacted me.

We've identified the box as P8, located at the bridge on Chiselhurst road. Its location, and the spot where PC Freer lost his life, was here:

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Chislehurst+Rd,+Orpington,+Greater+London,+United+Kingdom&hl=en&ll=51.394446,0.087655&spn=0.004097,0.011029&sll=51.385602,0.081711&sspn=0.065563,0.176468&oq=chiselhurst+roa&geocode=FewmEAMdXWEBAA&hnear=Chislehurst+Rd,+Orpington,+Greater+London+BR6+0DJ,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=51.394347,0.087713&panoid=_DXUJCZNV2_jcZFRzw1P2g&cbp=12,314.92,,0,4.28

So far, no photos of the box seem to exist, but if any do surface, I'll look to repost them here. I'll also keep you up to date with any memorial plaque unveiling that might be taking place.

Cheers

Mark

 

[oracle]

Box P8 has popped back into my inbox, with the following:

From a former PC in the area, a excerpt from an email....

...Orpington rd  Petts wood on the West side  of the road between Birchwood rd and the railway bridge, I believe I
was the last officer to make an official ring in from this box before it was removed.
I was sent out on 10 foot patrol and there were not enough radio’s so when I got to the box I rang in to see If I was required for anything and registered the call in the book, I was informed later that the telephone operator at Bromley,(PR) where the calls went through nearly
fell of his chair when I said I was making a official ring in as this had not been done for some time.

I hope this information has been useful
        HRJ Williams ( ex Pc 296, pm sub division.)

I do love anecdotal evidence like this... it brings these long lost boxes to life!

Its a shame a photo of the box still eludes us!

Mark

 

[galacticprobe]

Keep the faith, Mark. It took a while before you heard from someone that actually patrolled the area and used the phone in Box P8. It could only be a matter of a little more time before a photo of the location with the Box still there crops up.

And thanks for sharing that e-mail. Wow! You're right; it's things like this that really do bring those gone-but-not-forgotten Boxes back to life again!

Dino.

 

[oracle]

A very brief update on this..... and the grant application (first submitted in 2010) to fund a plaque to mark the location of Police Box P8 and commemorate the loss of Constable John Freed WAS eventually granted.
The plaque was unveiled on the 75th anniversary of Mr Freed's death.
Theres an article here: http://www.chislehurst-society.org.uk/Pages/About/History%20Group/JohnFreed.html
with another version here: http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/13932699.Wartime_Chislehurst_copper_finally_honoured_with_plaque_at_spot_where_he_died/