Crime victim. (1/3 murdered policeman) - On August 12, 1966, a Metropolitan Police crew of an unmarked Triumph 2000 Q-car (registration #GGW 87C and call sign Fox-trot One One), was patrolling East Acton in west London, England. The crew were based at Shepherd's Bush police station in F Division, which covered the Metropolitan Borough of Hammersmith. All 3 officers were unarmed and dressed in plain clothes, Detective Sergeant Christopher Tippett Head @30 and Temporary Detective Constable David Bertram Wombwell @25 and Police Constable Geoffrey Roger Fox @41, who was driving. 2 of them were members of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and their driver FOX was a beat constable of many years experience in the neighbourhood. At about 3:15pm the Q-car turned into Braybrook Street, a residential road on the Old Oak Council Estate near Wormwood Scrubs prison. The officers spotted a battered blue Standard Vanguard Estate van parked in the street with 3 occupants, Harry Maurice Roberts @30 and John Duddy @37 and John "Jack" Edward Witney @36 (van owner). The van had expired tags and since prison escapes were sometimes attempted with the assistance of getaway vehicles driven by accomplices, the officers decided to inquire as to why they were parked there. Head and Wombwell got out of their police car and walked over to the van, where they questioned Witney, the vehicle's owner. Roberts, the front seat passenger, startingly produced a Luger pistol and shot Wombwell through the left eye, killing him instantly. Head ran back towards his Q-car, but Roberts chased and after missing with the next shot, then shot him in the head. The back seat passenger, Duddy grabbed a .38 Webley Service Revolver from the bag next to him (which also contained a third gun). He ran over to the Q-car and as Fox tried to reverse towards him, he shot FOX 3 times through the window. Roberts who also fired several shots. As he died, Fox's foot jerked down on the accelerator and the car lurched forward over the prone body of HEAD, who was already dying of his wounds. This incident has also been referred to as the "Shepherd's Bush murders" and the "Massacre of Braybrook Street". There was a full police service funeral held at St.Stephens Church in Shepherd's Bush, London, England. 600 Metropolitan Police officers lined the route of the 3 victims' funeral procession. A national memorial service was later held at Westminster Abbey which was attended by Prime Minister Harold WILSON and Leader of the Opposition Edward HEATH and many other dignitaries, as well as thousands of police officers from all over the country. More than 1,000 members of the public stood in mourning outside the Abbey. All 3 officers were taken to Chiswick cemetery and crematorium where HeadD and were buried while Wombwell was cremated. The cold-blooded killings was one of the most traumatic murder cases of police officers to take place on the mainland of the United Kingdom. The murders caused outrage in the United Kingdom. Soon after the incident there was the establishment of the Metropolitan Police Firearms Wing (now known as CO19). There were calls for the recently abolished death penalty to be reintroduced (which it was not). Public sympathy for the families of the victims resulted in the establishment of the Police Dependants' Trust to assist the welfare of families of British police officers who have died in the line of duty. Holiday camp owner Billy Butlin donated 250,000 pounds to a new Police Dependants' Trust and it had soon raised more than 1 million pounds. In 1988 the Police Memorial Trust established a stone memorial to the 3 officers at the site of the incident in Braybrook Street. The officer's names were also recorded in the Police Roll of Honour Trust.
Crime victim. (1/3 murdered policeman) - On August 12, 1966, a Metropolitan Police crew of an unmarked Triumph 2000 Q-car (registration #GGW 87C and call sign Fox-trot One One), was patrolling East Acton in west London, England. The crew were based at Shepherd's Bush police station in F Division, which covered the Metropolitan Borough of Hammersmith. All 3 officers were unarmed and dressed in plain clothes, Detective Sergeant Christopher Tippett Head @30 and Temporary Detective Constable David Bertram Wombwell @25 and Police Constable Geoffrey Roger Fox @41, who was driving. 2 of them were members of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and their driver FOX was a beat constable of many years experience in the neighbourhood. At about 3:15pm the Q-car turned into Braybrook Street, a residential road on the Old Oak Council Estate near Wormwood Scrubs prison. The officers spotted a battered blue Standard Vanguard Estate van parked in the street with 3 occupants, Harry Maurice Roberts @30 and John Duddy @37 and John "Jack" Edward Witney @36 (van owner). The van had expired tags and since prison escapes were sometimes attempted with the assistance of getaway vehicles driven by accomplices, the officers decided to inquire as to why they were parked there. Head and Wombwell got out of their police car and walked over to the van, where they questioned Witney, the vehicle's owner. Roberts, the front seat passenger, startingly produced a Luger pistol and shot Wombwell through the left eye, killing him instantly. Head ran back towards his Q-car, but Roberts chased and after missing with the next shot, then shot him in the head. The back seat passenger, Duddy grabbed a .38 Webley Service Revolver from the bag next to him (which also contained a third gun). He ran over to the Q-car and as Fox tried to reverse towards him, he shot FOX 3 times through the window. Roberts who also fired several shots. As he died, Fox's foot jerked down on the accelerator and the car lurched forward over the prone body of HEAD, who was already dying of his wounds. This incident has also been referred to as the "Shepherd's Bush murders" and the "Massacre of Braybrook Street". There was a full police service funeral held at St.Stephens Church in Shepherd's Bush, London, England. 600 Metropolitan Police officers lined the route of the 3 victims' funeral procession. A national memorial service was later held at Westminster Abbey which was attended by Prime Minister Harold WILSON and Leader of the Opposition Edward HEATH and many other dignitaries, as well as thousands of police officers from all over the country. More than 1,000 members of the public stood in mourning outside the Abbey. All 3 officers were taken to Chiswick cemetery and crematorium where HeadD and were buried while Wombwell was cremated. The cold-blooded killings was one of the most traumatic murder cases of police officers to take place on the mainland of the United Kingdom. The murders caused outrage in the United Kingdom. Soon after the incident there was the establishment of the Metropolitan Police Firearms Wing (now known as CO19). There were calls for the recently abolished death penalty to be reintroduced (which it was not). Public sympathy for the families of the victims resulted in the establishment of the Police Dependants' Trust to assist the welfare of families of British police officers who have died in the line of duty. Holiday camp owner Billy Butlin donated 250,000 pounds to a new Police Dependants' Trust and it had soon raised more than 1 million pounds. In 1988 the Police Memorial Trust established a stone memorial to the 3 officers at the site of the incident in Braybrook Street. The officer's names were also recorded in the Police Roll of Honour Trust.
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/110099097/david_bertram-wombwell: accessed
), memorial page for David Bertram Wombwell (1941–12 Aug 1966), Find a Grave Memorial ID 110099097, citing Chiswick New Cemetery, Chiswick,
London Borough of Hounslow,
Greater London,
England;
Maintained by sympatico (contributor 47285538).
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