As we get ready to commemorate Armistice Day we are remembering the service of those who stepped in to take the place of those called to war. When many police officers had to leave their jobs to join the army, the Special Constabulary Act was passed in 1914 to allow Chief Constables to enroll men as volunteer constables to support the day-to-day functions of the police service. At the end of the war Special Constables in Manchester were presented with a certificate like this and a painted truncheon to thank them for their duty.
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