Special Superintendent John Henry Sheard MBE West Yorkshire Metropolitan Police
The Man John Henry Sheard was born on Monday 26th April 1926 in Hunslet, Leeds, only child of Harry an Engineer’s Fitter and Lucy Norton nee Storey.
The 1939 Register shows the family living with Lucy’s 82-year-old Mother Lucy Ann at 69 Cardinal Road, Beeston. John aged 13 was still at school and too young to enlist at the outbreak of World War II on 3rd September.
John enlisted into the Armed Forces at about his 18th birthday in April 1944, having also served in one of the Civil Defence organisations beforehand from an earlier age, or seeing non-operational service overseas during the final year of the war. He was awarded the Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-45.
During the third quarter of 1949 aged 23, he married Jean Mary Hall in Leeds and at about the same joined the Leeds City Police Special Constabulary as a Constable. He served for nine years and was awarded the Special Constabulary Long Service Medal in 1958 and his first long service clasp in 1968.
During the final quarter of 1973 John Re-married to Edith S Burdek in Leeds and in 1974 the Leeds City Police amalgamated with the Yorkshire Constabulary and Bradford City Police to form the West Yorkshire Metropolitan Police, later West Yorkshire Police. John, who had been promoted through the Special Constabulary ranks to Superintendent transferred to the new force and in 1977 awarded the Silver Jubilee Medal 1977 followed by his second long service clasp in 1978 aged 52 and possibly at about the time of his retirement from the Specials.
John lived at 7 Waincliffe Terrace, Beeston and in later life became involved with Middleton Elderly Aid and Holbeck Together, both local charities, the latter formed in 1992 as a neighbourhood network scheme to support older people living in Holbeck. He was a director of both and in the Queen’s Birthday Honours of June 1992 was appointed as a Member of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for services to the community in Leeds.
John died on 20th April 2013 six days before his 87th birthday, still living in Leeds.
The 1939 Register shows the family living with Lucy’s 82-year-old Mother Lucy Ann at 69 Cardinal Road, Beeston. John aged 13 was still at school and too young to enlist at the outbreak of World War II on 3rd September.
John enlisted into the Armed Forces at about his 18th birthday in April 1944, having also served in one of the Civil Defence organisations beforehand from an earlier age, or seeing non-operational service overseas during the final year of the war. He was awarded the Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-45.
During the third quarter of 1949 aged 23, he married Jean Mary Hall in Leeds and at about the same joined the Leeds City Police Special Constabulary as a Constable. He served for nine years and was awarded the Special Constabulary Long Service Medal in 1958 and his first long service clasp in 1968.
During the final quarter of 1973 John Re-married to Edith S Burdek in Leeds and in 1974 the Leeds City Police amalgamated with the Yorkshire Constabulary and Bradford City Police to form the West Yorkshire Metropolitan Police, later West Yorkshire Police. John, who had been promoted through the Special Constabulary ranks to Superintendent transferred to the new force and in 1977 awarded the Silver Jubilee Medal 1977 followed by his second long service clasp in 1978 aged 52 and possibly at about the time of his retirement from the Specials.
John lived at 7 Waincliffe Terrace, Beeston and in later life became involved with Middleton Elderly Aid and Holbeck Together, both local charities, the latter formed in 1992 as a neighbourhood network scheme to support older people living in Holbeck. He was a director of both and in the Queen’s Birthday Honours of June 1992 was appointed as a Member of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for services to the community in Leeds.
John died on 20th April 2013 six days before his 87th birthday, still living in Leeds.
The Story The medal group awarded to John Henry Sheard were won at auction from Gary Don Auctioneers, via The Saleroom website on 31st January 2023, having been flagged up by a colleague.
The group were of immediate interest because of the Special Constabulary Long Service and Silver Jubilee 1977 Medal combination, plus the addition of the Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. The group fitting well within a sub-theme of this collection.
The Silver Jubilee Medal roll confirmed the award of the medal as a Special Superintendent serving in the West Yorkshire Metropolitan Police. The London Gazette confirmed the award of the MBE in Leeds, both of which enabled a google search, revealing a John Henry Sheard had been director of a charity, Holbeck Together, also in Leeds, the company register giving is month and year of birth. This allowed Ancestry to be interrogated in detail, revealing basic biographical information.
Of interest is the fact that only after some intensive cross referencing was his birth register found. It was located by using his mother’s maiden name in the search field, which in turn was found by a hit and miss process of locating her marriage details to John’s Father Harry. When they were located his first name in the register was given as Jack! Explaining why the search had not been easy. All other entries refer to him as John.
A pleasing group and good to have an MBE, although not specifically related to his Special policing work. It is also interesting to ponder that John would have served in the WYMP during the infamous ‘Yorkshire Ripper’ enquiries and may have been privy in his position to much information relating to the case.
The group were of immediate interest because of the Special Constabulary Long Service and Silver Jubilee 1977 Medal combination, plus the addition of the Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. The group fitting well within a sub-theme of this collection.
The Silver Jubilee Medal roll confirmed the award of the medal as a Special Superintendent serving in the West Yorkshire Metropolitan Police. The London Gazette confirmed the award of the MBE in Leeds, both of which enabled a google search, revealing a John Henry Sheard had been director of a charity, Holbeck Together, also in Leeds, the company register giving is month and year of birth. This allowed Ancestry to be interrogated in detail, revealing basic biographical information.
Of interest is the fact that only after some intensive cross referencing was his birth register found. It was located by using his mother’s maiden name in the search field, which in turn was found by a hit and miss process of locating her marriage details to John’s Father Harry. When they were located his first name in the register was given as Jack! Explaining why the search had not been easy. All other entries refer to him as John.
A pleasing group and good to have an MBE, although not specifically related to his Special policing work. It is also interesting to ponder that John would have served in the WYMP during the infamous ‘Yorkshire Ripper’ enquiries and may have been privy in his position to much information relating to the case.
Medal Details:
- Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empite: Unnamed as awarded.
- Defence Mdal: Unnamed as awarded.
- War Medal 1939-45: Unnamed as awarded.
- Silver Jubilee Medal 1977: S/SUPT JOHN H SHEARD
- Special Constabulary Long Service Medal: JOHN.H.SHEARD
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This page last updated 10 Apr 23
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