Ian “Crash” Kane

The following tribute to Ian "Crash" Kane was written and submitted to us by his son, Simon Kane, after he discovered our website.  Simon has also submitted literally dozens of photos, some of which are featured in this article and some we will feature elsewhere.

My father, John Francis Kane was born in Falkirk Scotland on 2^nd April 1932.

He did his National Service in the Army from 1950 until 24^th August 1952, having served with the 16th Battalion R.A.O.C.

Dad applied for and was accepted in the Bermuda Police Force in 1953, and began training at No. 4 District Police Training School, Mill Meece, Staffordshire, prior to arriving in Bermuda.

I recently discovered your Bermuda Ex-Police Officers’ website and was reading about some of the ex-Bermuda bobbies, including Robert 'Bob' Railton. I remembered hearing that dad had trained with Bob at Mill Meece and after seeing the Hall of Fame article on Bob I spotted a young P.C. Railton in one of my fathers photos during his early training weeks in Staffordshire. The two of them travelled on the same steamer to Bermuda arriving on the 17th of December 1953.

My father was known by most as Ian or 'Crash'. As to how he got the name Ian or the nickname “Crash” I don't know. According to his warrant card his force number was 31. He served from 11/12/53 to 28/02/63 when he resigned – his conduct was exemplary as signed by the Commissioner.

The following details are from a letter from Superintendent J.C.P. Hanlon - Pc Kane was posted to the Central Division where he performed general beat duties until 1955 when he was appointed Detective Constable. He then remained with C.I.D. until the rank of Detective Sergeant. He spent the latter part of his service in the Criminal Records Office as a fingerprint/photographic officer.

Dad received one commendation that I am aware of dated 14/02/58 while a D.C. for “Persistence and Vigilance” which resulted in the arrest of a man for shop-breaking and the recovery of the stolen property.

He also attended a course for Detectives at West Riding Detective Training School, Yorkshire in 1961 and in the same year spent a 2 weeks attachment with the South Western Forensic Course in Bristol.

Editors note - Police records show that “Crash” was posted to Hamilton on 17^th December 1953. He was transferred to Districts (Central) in March 1955, and then to Central CID the following month. He worked in the recently formed Cycle Squad investigating cycle thefts from October 1960 until June 1961, and was then posted to Criminal Records Office (CRO) on 19^th June 1961 until he resigned from the Force on 28^th February 1963 after just over 9 years service.   He passed his Promotion Exams in January 1960 and was promoted to Sergeant on 1^st January 1962.

In 1960 he married Gwendolen Beryl nee McEwan but they divorced a couple of years later.

From the photos I have of him in Bermuda it would appear his main sports for the force were snooker and darts.

Unfortunately because he died when I was 18 I didn't get the chance to find out much about his years in the Force so what I do know is very little. He did mention being one of the first officers to be trained in the then new science of Forensics and a number of years after his death I was told he was once assigned to the personal protection of the young Congressman John F Kennedy during a then secret visit to Bermuda. As to how true this is I don't know although the meeting and visit can now be found on Google as general information.

I am also aware he was a member of the Bermuda Garrison Lodge as I currently have his official garb and various lodge booklets.

Looking through his photo album from that period of his life there is a picture of what looks to be a favourite drinking haunt* called 'Swizzle Inn' and a bartender called Lincoln who apparently made the best rum swizzles on the island. There are also several photos of the Bermuda Hotel fire in 1958 from its initial outbreak to its smouldering ruins.

I know he enjoyed the social scene of the island and once told me of a party he went to on board a boat that due to his level of intoxication he decided to disembark the watery side of. He also mentioned the days he and colleagues would go target practicing at jellyfish off the back of police boat, something I can't quite see being authorised today but in the days before red tape was obviously just good fun.

I have also come across the following letter on official headed Bermuda Police paper, although clearly created as a typical piece of police humour -

It's signed by the following:- DI John Mullan, DS Leslie Waddell, DC Michael L Wood, DC Robert J Stewart, and DC John Logan

The letter is as follows and is dated Thursday 14th February 1963

 

We, the undersigned, have known John Francis Kane (alias "Crash"), for a varying number of years, during which time he has proved himself to be a person who can consume considerable quantities of alcoholic beverages, tell dirty stories, satisfy women of all ages and in general, uphold the many traditions of the Bermuda Police Force.

I only have photos of him in uniform is his intake photo in Staffordshire and one of him standing on a police traffic stand directing the few vehicles there were on the junction of Reid Street. All the other photos are of him during his Detective Constable or Detective Sergeant years.

My father left the Force in the 1963 and went to work for an insurance company called British American in Lagos, Nigeria. He then quickly rose through the ranks to become their Marketing Director. It was during these years that he met his second wife, and my mother, Rosemary Ann (nee Cardy) or Jean as she prefers to be called, who was then working as the Personal Assistant to the Director of Shell.

Again it was lifestyle of many social evenings and days which were enjoyed to 1977 before he took up the same role with the same company but this time in Nairobi, Kenya.

In 1980 we returned to the UK where he spent his last years working as a Private Investigator for a local legal firm. It was work he enjoyed but never matched his days in Bermuda as a police officer. In 1988 he was diagnosed with bowel cancer and died in May 1989 at home surrounded by his close friends and family.

Although I really know very little about his police years I do know that he always missed the job and what little he did mention to me was with great fondness. I would be grateful for anything you can discover from official records or from any one still about who knew him even just learning what his collar number was would be appreciated.

I hope this information can give you a start in creating a place for him in your Hall of Fame.

Regards

Simon Kane

Editors note -

* The Swizzle Inn is still a very popular pub and restaurant located on Blue Hole Hill near to the airport. Visitors often stop there for a last rum swizzle on the way to the airport prior to their departure.