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This story was submitted by Allen Buckroyd, who compiled ‘Great Baddow Oral History’, published in December 2003. The book contained this contribution from Bert Collis and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the terms and conditions.

Bert Collis - Special Duties For PC Collis
I remember many special duties for my father, PC Collis, the village bobby:
During the war our house on the Maldon Road was the police station. The lounge was used as the police office. It was the reporting place for twenty-four special constables every night. I usually had to do my homework for the Grammar School under the table, as it was the only place I could get. There were two war reserve constables, one a Mr. West from Sandon, who was a retired barge skipper and a very fascinating character.
During wartime the Collis family earned a little extra (and helped the war effort) by dismantling dud and broken radio valves provided by a local manufacturer, salvaging the OK parts and supplying the bits back to the supplier to be remade into new valves. They got one old penny per hundred.

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