Early Life.
George Alfred Allen was born on the 17th May 1893 at Cheshunt and he was baptised there on the 20th August 1893.
His father, Adolphus Allen, married his mother, Harriet Jane Bugg in 1883 at Cheshunt. The 1911 census records that they had nine children one of whom died before the 1911 census. Only eight have been identified and it is thought the ninth may have been a still birth:
1. James Adolphus born in 1885 at Bosmere, Suffolk. 2. Beatrice Maud born in 1887 at Cheshunt. 3. Agnes Rose born in 1889 at Cheshunt. 4. Florence born in 1891 at Cheshunt. 5. George Alfred. 6. Elsie Nora born in 1895 at Cheshunt. 7. Christina Muriel Grace born in 1897 at Cheshunt. 8. Audrey Phyllis Harriet born in 1900 at Cheshunt.
During the 1891 census the family were recorded as living at Turners Hill, Cheshunt. Adolphus was employed as a farm labourer. In the 1901 and 1911 census returns the family are shown as living at 117, High Street, Cheshunt. Adolphus is now employed as a Nursery Foreman and in 1911 George was also working as a Nurseryman.
Nothing further is known about George’s life until in 1913 when he applied to join the Hertford County Constabulary.
Police Service.
George’s Police Service Record has not survived but from other sources we know that on the 1st December 1913 he was Appointed as Constable 301. However, his pensionable service did not start until the 16th May 1914 when he reached the age of 21.
Having completed his Probationary Training at Police Headquarters at Hatfield he was posted to C Division, most probably at Watford. The Electoral Roll of 1915 lists George Alfred Allen as living at 170, New Road, Croxley Green.
General Order 6 of the 8th January 1915 informed George that he would receive an increased rate of pay from 24/6 to 25/8 per week from the 1st December 1915.
General Order 98 of the 9th June 1915 was entitled The Police Constable (Naval and Military Service) Act 1914 Police (Emergency Provisions) Act 1915.
The undermentioned Police Constable’s being desirous in enlisting in H.M. Army for the period of the War, the Deputy Chief Constable hereby gives the necessary consent, as required by the above Acts:
1. PC 10 Elkins E. A Division 2. PC 120 Day A.T. B Division 3. PC 285 Sirett B Division 4. PC 319 Potter C. C Division 5. PC 133 Mansfield A. C Division 6. PC 145 Abbiss F.W. C Division 7. PC 84 Manton W.E. C Division 8. PC 313 Quarrie H.H. C Division 9. PC 301 Allen G.A. C Division 10. PC 217 Lake O. C Division 11. PC 308 Clarke F. C Division 12. PC 101 Appleby S.R. E Division 13. PC 310 Tatham G. F Division 14. PC 315 Thurley W.J. F Division 15. PC 305 Archer G. F Division 16. PC 93 Potton F. G Division 17. PC 274 Rowlingson H. G Division 18. PC 321 Reid N. G Division
The Constables will be permitted to join the Army at once and will paid up to and including the date prior to that on which they commence to draw Army pay.
The Superintendents concerned will report to Headquarters the date on which the Constables are enlisted in the Army, and the Constables will be struck off the strength of the establishment of the Force as from that date.
General Order 118 of the 21st July 1915 is a list of 96 officers which included the Chief Constable, 43 Constables who were Army reservists who were recalled and 50 Constables and 2 Sergeants who volunteered for military service. George is shown as PC 301 Allen G.A. C Division who enlisted into the Hertfordshire Yeomanry on 11th June 1915 with Constable’s 313 Quarrie, 217 Lake and 308 Clark.
Army Service During The War.
George’s Army Service Record has not survived but from his Medal Roll Index Card and Medal Rolls we know the following. George Alfred Allen joined the Hertfordshire Yeomanry as Private 2548 (later 105807 under re-organisation)
Marriage.
George married Ethel Gibbons on the 8th August 1915 at St. Martin in the Fields, London. George was recorded as being a member of the Hertfordshire Yeomanry and living in Colchester. They had two children:
1. Dennis Alfred born in 1919 at Watford. 2. Mavis Ethel born in 1920 at Brent Pelham.
George was one of 23 Hertfordshire Police Officers who joined the Hertfordshire Yeomanry who posed for a photograph in 1915 believed at Colchester. The officers were:
PC 308 F. Clarke , PC 93. F. Potton, PC 189 J.W. Clark, PC 312 D.E. Cattermole, PC 285 G.H. Sirett, PC 105 H.M. Armitage, PC 313 H.H. Quarrie, PC 120 A.T. Day, PC 315 W.J. Thurley, PC 10 E.A.V. Elkins, PC 35 A.W. Reid, PS 20 H. Wright, PC 233 W.J. Bethell, PC 121 F.W.E. Perry, PC 274 H. Rowlingson, PC 19 H.W. Carder, PC 217 O.V. Lake, PC 316 A.S. Brown, PC 305 G. Archer, PC 301 G.A. Allen, PC 7 A.G. Capon, PC 321 N.J. Reid, PC 314 A.W. Corne
The photo included a regular Army Sergeant Jeffrey Arthur Riches who was an instructor.
George landed on the 9th September 1915 in Theatre 3 Egypt. He was promoted to Acting Corporal. He was awarded the 1914 – 15 Star and the British War and Victory medals.
Like every other soldier when he was demobilised George would have been granted 28 days leave. He would have used this time to arrange his re-joining of the Police. Part of this process would have involved him undergoing a medical examination to determine whether he was still fit enough for Police duties. The end of his period of leave would have coincided with the date of his re-appointment to the Police.
Re-joining The Police.
General Order 57 of 1st March 1919 proclaimed that ten men, having been released from H.M. Army, would be re-appointed to the Force with effect from the dates shown. George was shown as PC 301 Allen G.A. posted to C Division at Watford on the 6th March 1919 on £2/8/0 per week. Each officer had to be formally re-attested and the Superintendents concerned had to report to the Chief Constable when, where and before whom this had been done.
The Electoral Rolls of 1919 and 1920 list George Alfred Allen as living at 31, Pretoria Road, Watford.
General Order 248 of the 18th December 1919 informed George that he would receive an increased rate of pay from £4/0/0 to £4/2/0 per week from the 1st December 1919.
Transferred.
The record has not survived to confirm this but as the 1921 census shows Police Constable George Allen, his wife Ethel and their two children as living at Council Cottages, Brent Pelham it can be assumed that at some time in 1920 or early 1921 he was transferred from C Division at Watford to B Division at Brent Pelham. The Electoral Rolls of 1921 to 1926 list him at the same address.
The following four General Orders all confirm this as he is firstly shown as being in B Division and then in 1923, following the reorganisation of the Divisional boundaries, in A Division. They all refer to pay increases awarded on the 1st December of each year.
General Order 3 of the 5th January 1921 from £4/2/0 to £4/4/0 per week. General Order 199 of the 10th December 1921 from £4/4/0 to £4/6/0 per week. General Order 169 of the 28th December 1922 from £4/6/0 to £4/8/0 per week. General Order 200 of the 10th December 1923 from £4/8/0 to £4/10/0 per week.
The General Strike.
General Order 62 of the 4th May 1926 concerned the Emergency Regulations of 1926 and instructions for 50 Hertfordshire Police Officers, made up of three Inspectors, seven Sergeants and 40 Constables, to be on standby should the Secretary of State call upon the County Force to draft men elsewhere at short notice. These included officers from A,B,C, D and E Divisions. Orders for equipment and clothing would be issued if and when necessary, but the men were advised that they would require some sort of haversack. George, who is shown as being stationed at A Division Brent Pelham, was one of the Constables named in the list but there is no record of him being called upon.
Transferred Again.
Again, the record has not survived but the Electoral Rolls of 1927 to 1930 list George and Ethel Allen as living at 18, Heath Avenue, Royston so it is certain that at some time between 1926 and 1927 he had been transferred from A Division at Brent Pelham to E Division at Royston.
Retirement And Life After The Police.
On the 16th May 1939 George retired on pension as a Constable having completed his 25 years’ service.
In the 1939 Register George, recorded as working as a School Caretaker, and Ethel are listed as living at 10, Park Crescent, Baldock.
George Alfred Allen of 53, Edwards Street, Pant Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil died on the 29th January 1954 at Fedw Hir Hospital, Llywdcoed, Aberdare, Glamorganshire.
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