Historic Sites of Manitoba: Winnipeg Police Museum (245 Smith Street, Winnipeg)

The Winnipeg Police Museum, established in 1986, displays artifacts related to the history of the Winnipeg Police Force, dating from its beginning in 1874. Formerly located in the Winnipeg Police Academy in the former Allard School, it later moved to the police headquarters in downtown Winnipeg. Plaques at the entrance to the headquarters commemorate police officers who were killed during service in the First World War and Second World War. The Second World War plaque was unveiled by Mayor Garnet Coulter on 8 January 1947 at a ceremony in the lobby of the Rupert Street police headquarters.

An exhibit at the Winnipeg Police Museum (August 2019) Source: George Penner First World War commemorative plaque (March 2016) Source: Darryl Toews Second World War commemorative plaque (March 2016) Source: Darryl Toews Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89211, W97.14104 denoted by symbol on the map above

First World War

Name	Occupation	Service	Rank	Birth Date	Death Date
William Joseph Alderson [City Hall, Next of Kin]	Law Student	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	21 July 1888	3 June 1915
Walter Crawley [City Hall, Next of Kin]	Elevator Operator	44th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	14 October 1899	25 October 1916
Frederick Robert Cuffley [Holy Trinity, Next of Kin]	Police Constable	61st Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Corporal	18 June 1887	26 July 1915
Michael Duffy MM DCM [City Hall, Next of Kin]	Policeman	1st Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps	Sergeant	10 February 1890	1 October 1918
Henry Clair Gear [City Hall, Next of Kin]	Policeman	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Corporal	22 November 1884	29 January 1917
James Jarvie Geddes [City Hall, Next of Kin]	Policeman	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Sergeant	8 October 1890	8 October 1916
John Gingles [City Hall, Next of Kin]	Policeman (City)	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Sergeant	2 October 1889	20 November 1916
John Gregson [City Hall, Next of Kin]	Police Constable	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	24 September 1891	14 June 1916
Albert Edward Griffiths [City Hall]	Constable	27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	24 July 1881	3 October 1916
Donald Henderson [City Hall]	Policeman	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Sergeant	9 September 1885	1 May 1917
Robert Bruce Holmes [City Hall, Next of Kin]	Policeman	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	27 September 1884	14 June 1916
James Courage Hunter [City Hall, Next of Kin]	Policeman	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Lance Corporal	26 February 1886	31 March 1916
Walter Edward Keys [City Hall, Next of Kin]	Saddler and Police Constable	107th Battalion, Canadian Pioneers	Private	2 June 1890	28 February 1918
Archibald MacDonald [City Hall, Next of Kin]	Policeman	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	8 February 1886	11 June 1916
William MacDonald MM [City Hall, Next of Kin]	Policeman	Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians), Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Sergeant	14 February 1893	9 October 1918
Alexander MacLeod [City Hall]	Policeman	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	22 November 1885	15 July 1916
John McCarthy [City Hall, Next of Kin]	Policeman	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Company Sergeant Major	21 September 1888	28 April 1917
William Melville [City Hall, Next of Kin]	Police Constable	King’s Company 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards	Guardsman	15 October 1886	13 March 1915
John Milton [City Hall, Next of Kin]	Police Constable	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Sergeant	14 June 1890	1 August 1916
Joseph Outerson [City Hall, Next of Kin]	Police Officer	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Lieutenant	12 September 1883	19 November 1916
Arthur Ernest Payne MM [City Hall, Next of Kin]	Policeman	9th Company, Canadian Machine Gun Corps	Sergeant	26 March 1890	5 October 1916
Frederick Henry Pope [City Hall, Holy Trinity, Next of Kin]	Police Constable	52nd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Company Sergeant Major	3 July 1888	19 January 1917
James William Rutledge [City of Winnipeg, Congregational, Masonic, Next of Kin]	Policeman	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	21 June 1881	8 October 1916
Alexander Tocher Shand [City Hall]	Policeman	16th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	30 April 1889	25 October 1916
James Swanson CdeG [City Hall, Next of Kin]	Policeman	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Sergeant	12 May 1885	8 August 1918
William Wylie Templeton	Policeman	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Lance Corporal	22 July 1890	3 June 1916
Leslie Byatt Walker [City Hall, Kinosota, Next of Kin]	Police Constable	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	12 May 1894	14 June 1916
David Watson [City Hall, Next of Kin]	Police Constable	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Corporal	25 December 1889	9 April 1917
John O’Donnell Watson [City Hall]	Motor Mechanic / Garage Floorman	10th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Corporal	28 July 1886	22 April 1915

Second World War

Name	Service	Rank	Birth Date	Death Date
Lawrence Edgar Eddie	Royal Canadian Air Force	Sergeant	7 September 1916	3 November 1944
Arthur Douglas Hammill	Royal Canadian Air Force	Sergeant	7 February 1917	17 June 1942
John Smith Kidd	The Canadian Provost Corps	Corporal	4 April 1912	1 February 1945
Norman Angus MacKenzie	405 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force	Warrant Officer Class II	17 January 1915	1 September 1942
John Coles Sprott	433 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force	Flying Officer	9 August 1915	17 August 1944

Sources:

For the names of First World War casualities from Manitoba who do not appear on any physical monument in the province, see the Manitoba Historical Society War Memorial. If you know of a name that is omitted from this list, please contact the MHS War Memorial Researcher Darryl Toews (darryl@mhs.mb.ca).

Soldiers of the First World War - Canadian Expeditionary Force, Library and Archives Canada.

Canadian Virtual War Memorial, Veterans Affairs Canada.

Financial support for research reported on this page was provided by the Manitoba Heritage Grants Program (2015-2016).

“Memorial to city policemen in army to be erected in Central Station,” Winnipeg Tribune, 16 December 1916, page 3.

“Police station plaque honors 5 war dead,” Winnipeg Tribune, 9 January 1947, page 11.

To Guard My People, Leadthrough.

This page was prepared by Darryl Toews and Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 31 August 2020

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