#Story
PC 76 Wilfred Lambert - Thin Blue Line at Jordan Well
In May 1939, Wilfred Lambert joined the local Police in Coventry. He became Police Constable 76 and was based out of Central Police Station, St Marys Road. The night of 14 November 1940 was a night that remained in Wilfred’s thoughts for the rest of his life.
On 14 November 1940, Wilfred cycled from his home in Berkswell to the Police Station. Twilight had fallen under clear skies and there was a bright moon, he knew it would be a perfect night for a raid.
At 19:05, the air raid siren wailed, and officers lined the station corridor awaiting orders. Within minutes, the distant hum of the Luftwaffe (German Airforce) filled the air, followed by the first bombs raining down on Coventry.
The first report came in of a public shelter on Warwick Row that had been hit. Wilfred, PC 83 Bill Timms, and two Special Constables rushed to the scene. The city was already ablaze, incendiary bombs lit the sky and high explosives shook the ground. Several times they threw themselves to the floor, certain their end was near. Firemen battled flames at the Midland Bank amid the chaos. However, when they reached Warwick Row, it proved to be a false alarm, and they turned back toward the station.
Passing through Greyfriars Lane, bombs began to fall again. As they fought to extinguish incendiaries, a young Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) man and PC Timms were badly burned in the blasts. The AFS man was taken to the Greyfriars Green shelter for first aid.
By 22:30, Wilfred had returned to the station but was immediately sent to Coventry Cathedral, now reported to be on fire. He arrived to find the AFS struggling. There was no water; the mains had been hit. Helpless, they watched as the flames consumed the great building, its roof collapsing two hours later.
Back at the Police Station, Wilfred joined Inspector Ward, PC Timms, PC Rollins, and four Specials Constables who were sent to Smith’s Furnishers in Jordan Well. It had taken a direct hit and civilians were trapped in the shelter below. For an hour, Wilfred helped dig through the rubble until PC Rollins sent him to fetch more help.
Returning along St Mary’s Street, Wilfred met Inspector Ward staggering toward him. Ward told him the rescue party at Smith’s had been killed by another bomb. Wilfred went back and found the five men lying on top of the ruins.
Throughout the rest of the night Wilfred tried to do the best he could in helping rescue people and extinguishing fires. He stated by the end of the night every building around the Station was on fire. The ‘All Clear’ finally sounded at 07:00, but he remained on duty for many more hours.