Constable Harold Joseph William Sibley Buckinghamshire and Thames Valley Police
The Man Harold Joseph William Sibley was born on Christmas Eve 1926, a Friday, in Uxbridge, Middlesex, son of Joseph Walter, a Nursery Carpenter’s Labourer and Florence Louisa nee Barker.
It seems Harold may have been their only son and the electoral Register of 1930 and the 1939 Register shows, Joseph and Florence living at 75 Chiltern View Road, Uxbridge, but Harold’s name appears to have been redacted on the latter.
At the outbreak of World War II on 3rd September 1939, Harold was aged just 12, turning 17 in December 1943, when he appears to have enlisted into the Armed Forces as he was awarded the Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-45, the former possibly considering work with one of the many civil defence organisations whilst he was below conscription age.
Following the War, Harold joined the Buckinghamshire Police as a Constable and stationed at Iver Police Station. On Saturday 2nd August 1952, aged 25 he married Phyllis M Hawkins in St Peter’s Church, Iver. Kenneth R Hawkins, the bride’s brother acted as best man and Reverend J J Cresswell officiated. The hymns were ‘Lead us, Heavenly Father’ and ‘Praise my soul, the King of Heaven’. Their reception was held at the Village Hall with 70 guests attending and they honeymooned in Bournemouth. They had one son Colin H born in 1958.
In 1968 Buckinghamshire Police was merged to form the Thames Valley Constabulary and Harold transferred. He continued serving in the Police and awarded his Police Exemplary Service Medal in about 1967, followed in 1977, close to his retirement, by the Silver Jubilee Medal 1977.
Harold passed away in May 2006 aged 80 in Chiltern, Buckinghamshire and Phyllis five years later in 2012 at Stoke Mandeville.
It seems Harold may have been their only son and the electoral Register of 1930 and the 1939 Register shows, Joseph and Florence living at 75 Chiltern View Road, Uxbridge, but Harold’s name appears to have been redacted on the latter.
At the outbreak of World War II on 3rd September 1939, Harold was aged just 12, turning 17 in December 1943, when he appears to have enlisted into the Armed Forces as he was awarded the Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-45, the former possibly considering work with one of the many civil defence organisations whilst he was below conscription age.
Following the War, Harold joined the Buckinghamshire Police as a Constable and stationed at Iver Police Station. On Saturday 2nd August 1952, aged 25 he married Phyllis M Hawkins in St Peter’s Church, Iver. Kenneth R Hawkins, the bride’s brother acted as best man and Reverend J J Cresswell officiated. The hymns were ‘Lead us, Heavenly Father’ and ‘Praise my soul, the King of Heaven’. Their reception was held at the Village Hall with 70 guests attending and they honeymooned in Bournemouth. They had one son Colin H born in 1958.
In 1968 Buckinghamshire Police was merged to form the Thames Valley Constabulary and Harold transferred. He continued serving in the Police and awarded his Police Exemplary Service Medal in about 1967, followed in 1977, close to his retirement, by the Silver Jubilee Medal 1977.
Harold passed away in May 2006 aged 80 in Chiltern, Buckinghamshire and Phyllis five years later in 2012 at Stoke Mandeville.
The Story The medals awarded to Harold Joseph William Sibley were acquired from Noonan’s Auction on 13th September 2023 and of interest because of the Police Exemplary Service and Silver Jubilee 1977 combination, a sub-theme of his collection.
Ancestry.UK revealed some detail as did the Newspaper Archive, including a poor quality photograph, enabling a brief biography of a long service Police Officer to be completed.
Ancestry.UK revealed some detail as did the Newspaper Archive, including a poor quality photograph, enabling a brief biography of a long service Police Officer to be completed.
Medal Details:
- Defence Medal: Unnamed as awarded.
- War Medal 1939-45: Unnamed as awarded.
- Silver Jubilee Medal 1977: Unnamed as awarded.
- Police Exemplary Service Medal: CONST. HAROLD J.W.SIBLEY
This page last updated 15 Sep 23
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