Constable Harry Ellis WILKINSON MM DCM (42)
< back to resultsCity of Glasgow Police
PC Wilkinson died after he was struck by a vehicle as he waited for a bus in Carntyne on his way to take up duty.
Many of you will know that Police Regulations are such that an officer is considered ‘on duty’ whilst travelling to or from their station of report. This is probably rooted in the days where officers travelled in uniform and lived close to their stations. Further back in history, officers were never truly ‘off duty’ and even today they are able to ‘recall themselves to duty’ if they deem it necessary.
It is an unfortunate fact that officers sometimes lose their lives under such circumstances.
PC Harry Ellis Wilkinson joined the City of Glasgow Police in 1919 and was posted to the Central Division before being transferred to the Mounted Branch in 1928. He had been a Sergeant in the Royal Field Artillery during the Great War and was the holder of both the MM and DCM.
Early in the morning of 5th August 1937 PC Wilkinson left his home to catch a bus to work. As he stood next to the police call box in Edinburgh Road, Carntyne he was struck by a car and thrown over 20 feet. He suffered a fractured skull, amongst other injuries, and died a short time later in hospital.
The car had allegedly swerved to avoid a delivery van exiting a side road, but it demolished the police call box and came to rest some distance away in a garden. The occupants of the car were unhurt. The driver was subsequently tried for the Culpable Homicide of PC Wilkinson but was found guilty of Dangerous Driving by a majority verdict. He was sentenced to a fine of £100 or 3 months imprisonment and was banned from driving for 3 years.
PC Wilkinson was 42 years old and was married with a family; his name is engraved on the Scottish Police Memorial and will never be forgotten.
We have taken care to ensure this web page is as accurate as possible. However, if you discover any errors or omissions, please accept our apologies. We would be grateful if you would email admin@spmt.scot with the correction so we may rectify any mistake.
If you believe we have missed an officer whose name should be included on the Memorial, please contact us at admin@spmt.scot with as many details as possible.
'On duty' includes travelling directly to or from a station of report or recall to duty (either by identification or action, e.g. intervention in an ongoing incident or attempting a rescue).
"We owe them a debt we can never repay, but we can ensure that they are never forgotten."