British Palestine Police Association Centenary of Foundation of the British Palestine Police
The British Palestine Police Association (BPPA) is the successor of the Palestine Police Old Comrades Association. It preserves the memory of the British Palestine Police Force 1920 -1948 under the Mandate.
We are marking the Centenary by
• The publication of “Policing the Holy Land”, a 38 page booklet described in the attached note.
• A Dinner at Middle Temple Hall on Friday 2nd July 2021 the are speakers Patrick Bishop author of The Reckoning; Lord Cope of Berkeley; and Michael Jackson the BPPA archivist.
• A Service at the Temple Church 11;00am Saturday 3rd July 2021
The editor of “Policing the Holy Land” is Ralph Cairns MSc, GDL, BPTC, Treasurer and Legal Advisor of the BPPA and a barrister. His uncle became a CID Inspector in the Force and was assassinated by the ‘Stern Gang’ in August 1939.
bppa.cairns@gmail.com 07957 221623
The text is half a history of the Force and half reminiscences of former policemen. The history is written by Lord (John) Cope, the former MP and Minister who is Joint Patron of BPPA with his wife Djemila a member of the American Colony Hotel family of Jerusalem.
lordcope@outlook.com 01225 423430 or 07831 444811
The living former members of the Force are now inevitably over 90 years of age, but some are still active members of BPPA including Ted Horne BEM (who is 100years of age on 26th June 2021)our President, and Bill Smith our Chairman. 4 ex PP’s including Ron Pont OBE are attending the dinner and a further 3 attending the church service.
The Service will be in the Temple Church EC4Y 7BB which was designed by the Templars to replicate the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. It will be conducted by the Master of the Temple, Revd. Robin Griffiths-Jones assisted by Revd. David Wilbraham the Police Chaplain for England and Wales. The music will be by the Temple Church Choir.
The BPPA are also in the process of digitalising their historical archive of 1930’s-40’s PP service Magazine and a full complement of PPOCA/BPPA newsletters dating from 1950- present. The archive also includes many original documents and photographs from the period. All of which will be covered by an OCR index. This will provide a window for historians, researchers and family members of those who served, an unprecedented access to material not previously accessible.
If you would like to send a representative or photographer to the Centenary Service please, or contact Lord Cope, Bill Smith, Ron Pont, or Ralph Cairns for interview on visual or audio media please contact Ralph Cairns on the above email or contact number.