How forgotten North Shields WWII hero finally got deserved recognition

On the night of April 10, 1941, bombs reigned down on North Shields.

As locals sheltered from the danger and air raid sirens sounded, a certain Police Constable Mornington Alfred Clements took up his post on duty.

The Tynemouth Borough Police officer was a First World War veteran and took up his watch at the junction of The Quadrant and Wallsend Road on that fateful night.

PC Clements was working alongside Reserve Constable George Murray, a retired Police Inspector, and the two were fatally struck that night.

Both men were buried at Preston Cemetery - retired Inspector Murray in a marked grave, but PC Clements was placed in a grave with no official markings.

More than 80 years later, thanks to the research work of Northumbria Police staff member Tim Cousins, work began to see the PC’s commitment to the Force and his country recognised with a headstone honouring his contributions to the community and his beloved North Tyneside.

Tim and Inspector Jim Gray, Chair of Northumbria Police Federation, worked closely with members of the Police Roll of Honour Trust to ensure that PC Clements received the fitting tribute and will be remembered for generations to come.

On Friday, an audience, including Northumbria Police Deputy Chief Constable Debbie Ford and descendants of PC Clements, gathered at the unveiling of the headstone to remember his sacrifice and that of his colleague.

Tim said: “Each and every person who has lost their life in service has their own unique and individual story, a story that deserves to be told and remembered.

“When I discovered that PC Clements has been laid to rest in an unmarked grave, I felt it imperative that he was given a memorial fit for the hero he was.

“I want to thank Northumbria Police Federation, The Roll of Honour Trust, North Tyneside Council Bereavement, the North Shields branch of The Co Operative and everyone who has played their part in securing a worthy headstone for PC Clements.”