50th Anniversary Get Together for Course #18
How is it possible for a group of those men and women who joined the Bermuda Police 50 years ago, some of whom are scattered around the globe, to all gather together in one room to celebrate their 50th Anniversary of joining the Bermuda Police Service.
It sounds almost impossible but our good friend, retired Chief Inspector Charlie Mooney has come up with a novel solution to do just that for all of the young men and women (those who are still with us) who attended Basic Training Course No. 18 from May-July in 1974.
Charlie’s plan is deceptively simple – with the aid of modern technology and an ideal location! It involves inviting all those who are still resident in Bermuda to assemble at the HR Conference Room at Police Headquarters at 1pm on 2nd May 2024 (the time and date are tentative at the moment). Those who are now residing abroad, or who for whatever reason can’t attend in person, will be invited to participate by means of either a Zoom call, or WhatsApp Group closer to the date. The exact details have yet to be finalized but Charlie is working hard to contact as many as possible who attended Course #18.
Here’s a photo of Course #18 from the archives of the Police Training School, and we're aware that a few of these recruits either failed to make it through training school or left shortly after the course, while others stayed on, some for several years and some who made their careers as police officers. Those who stayed in the Police include Kendrick Shillingford, John Lynch-Wade, Charlie Mooney, Cathy Dorrington, Coralie Trott, Tracy Armstrong, Peter Borland, Frankie Foggo, Steve Griffiths and John Kenyon.
Those we have lost include John Kandjiorka, Eric Ingemann, Terry Lee, Cumlal Rampersad, Ian Sanders, Reginald Ramjohn, and Matthew Lindo. The only Training School instructor still with us is retired Inspector John McConnie.
As mentioned above, Charlie is making every attempt to contact everyone from the course who is still with us and he’s advised us of his progress so far:-
Overseas personnel will hopefully include John Lynch-Wade (I have been in contact with his son Tariq), Steve Griffiths (Ken Shillingford is trying to contact him), Robin Stuart (Peter Borland is trying to contact him’, Cathie Dorrington (I will be in touch with her through her husband Charlie), and John Kenyon.
I will post sign-in information for a Zoom call, or WhatsApp Group call closer to the date.
If anyone can assist in locating those on the list that I’m still trying to contact, you can obtain my email address through ExPo at info@expobermuda.com “
Regards,
Charlie