Upbeat, November 2012 - Essex Police

Feature 17
Book reviews
German PoW Camp
266 Langdon Hills
by Ken Porter and Stephen Wynn
Basildon officer Pc
Stephen Wynn has
teamed up with local
historian Ken Porter to
compile an historical
account of what life
was like for German
prisoners of war in
Camp 266 at Langdon
Hills during the mid and late 1940s.
Having both separately taken an interest in
the subject, they teamed up and wrote the
book together.
The first PoWs arrived at Langdon Hills in
April 1945 and the camp, which held up to
800 prisoners, closed three years later. It
also had satellite camps at places such as
Tillingham and Purfleet.
The book includes accounts from prisoners
– about their lives before, during and after the
camp – and local residents plus contemporary
letters, newspaper articles and other
documents.
German POW CAMP 266 Langdon Hills costs
£9.99 and is on sale at Waterstones in Basildon.
It can also be ordered from Waterstones
branches and on Amazon and is also available
in e-book format
Appointments
by Martin Stallion
Essex Police Museum
volunteer Martin
Stallion has written
a guide to police
museums across the UK.
Appointments
lists around 60 force
museums and other
museums with
significant collections of police material. The
book also provides information about what is
contained in each museum’s collection, their
services and activities, such as research, talks
programmes, document copying etc, facilities,
visiting arrangements, location and contact
details.
Mr Stallion is a retired reference librarian
and a member of the Police History Society.
His previous publications include four
bibliographies on police history and he is also
the joint author of The British police: forces
and chief officers 1829-2012, published by the
Police History Society.
Appointments costs £5 and is on sale at Essex
Police Museum at HQ.
The museum is open to the public every
Wednesday afternoon (1pm-4.30pm) and the
1st Saturday each month (10.30am to 3pm)
Our duty has been done: a record of
Colchester Borough Police 1836-1947
by Martin Stallion
Colchester Borough
Police was the last, and
the largest, of the four
new forces to be set
up in Essex under the
Municipal Corporations
Act of 1835 and the last
to disappear into the
County Constabulary,
having survived several previous takeover
attempts.
This book, written by Essex Police
Museum volunteer Martin Stallion,
provides a comprehensive account of
the force’s 111 years in existence, based
on extensive research into original
documents held at the Essex Record
Office and other sources.
It deals with all aspects of the force’s
history: organisation, the chief constables,
pay and discipline, uniforms and equipment,
crime, women police officers, life off duty
and policing during both World Wars.
Our duty has been done costs £18 and is on sale
at Red Lion Books in Colchester or direct from
the author at 68 High Garrett, Braintree CM7
5NT, or ring 01376 551819.
Mersea Mick
by Veronique Eckstein,
Illustrated by Tom Knight
Essex Police graphic
designer Tom Knight
has illustrated this
children’s story by
Mersea Island author
Veronique Eckstein.
In 1988 a sharpeyed
nine-year old boy found a glass jar
sticking out of the cliffs at East Mersea. He
handed the jar to Dougal Urquart, the local
park ranger.
The jar contained a faded envelope with a
letter from a World War I pilot to his faithful
fox terrier Mick. They turned out to
be from the dog’s grave, which was sited in
a bluebell wood on the cliff at Cudmore
Grove, East Mersea, before the cliffs were
eroded by the sea.
These unique beach finds have been spun
into a story involving two boys, a dog and
a World War I pilot. The gripping story and
delightful full-page illustrations make this a
perfect Christmas present for children.
Mersea Mick is available from selected book
shops in Colchester and Mersea and is also
available online at
www.merseaislandtales.co.uk
It costs £8.99 plus £1.20 p&p.
UPBEAT November 2012