Greater Manchester Police are appealing to find the family of a Special Constable who served during the First World War.
Harry Hey was born in Ardwick in 1892 and was recruited into the Specials at the outset of the war following a recruitment drive. Unlike many Specials who left after the war, Harry stayed until 1959 and departed with 45 years’ service under his belt.Harry’s work was celebrated in an article which was published in GMP’s internal staff magazine in 1985.
In the article Harry talks about his grandson Andrew who followed in his footsteps and joined the Force. He said: “I advised him to join. It’s a bit rougher out there now, I know, but if I had my time over I’d always serve with the Specials again.”
Despite attempts to trace Andrew, the museum has been unable to find him and is appealing to anybody that may know him, or any of Harry’s family to get in touch.
The appeal comes ahead of an exhibition on WW1 that the museum is displaying 100 years on since the start of the war.
Duncan Broady, GMP Curator, Museum & Archives said: “One of the key aims of our WW1 exhibition is to highlight the vital role the Special Constabulary played during the war.
“Many regular police officers joined the Armed Forces during the war which, meant thousands of Specials were required to keep the basic functions of policing going.
“The war was the first time that Specials could be recruited as part of a permanent part of a police force, rather than for one-off events and the exhibition will look at some of the Specials serving at the time.
“Harry Hey was one of the Specials recruited at the very outbreak of the war and we’d love to track down his family and recall some of his stories.”
Anybody with information on Harry Hey can contact the police museum on 0161 856 3287 or email police.museum@gmp.police.uk
