DRAFT

From Bob Simmonds

Gwilym Cornock joined the Swansea Borough Police Force on 12 Sep. 1913 at the age of 20. He stood 5’ 11½” without shoes and had a chest measurement of 37½”, fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. At the time, he lived at 23 Dufryn Place, Gorseinon, but he was born in Fishguard. His previous job was as a fitter at the Bryngwyn Steelworks, Gorseinon.

He served in the Royal Artillery from 1915 to 1919, serving in the Eastern Theatre of War, where he was awarded the General Service and Victory medals.

His service in the police force appears to have been uneventful, but from the mid-1930s he regularly suffered from poor health. On 12 May 1939 he was promoted to the rank of Inspector, and at his review after one year was described as ‘a reliable officer of sound judgement, with a good knowledge of his work, and always ready to assist his subordinates in carrying out their duties.’ Around this time he was living at 19, Bayswater Road, Sketty.

He applied to retire in 1943, having completed 30 years’ service, but was retained by the force until the end of the Second World War. In June 1945 he applied to retire on the grounds of ill-health, stating in correspondence that he could no longer see well enough to read or write a report, although his superiors were sceptical, but on 27 January 1946 he was finally allowed to leave.

He died on Sunday, 17 Feb. 1963 and a letter of sympathy was addressed to his widow at ‘Morawel’, 19 Bayswater Road, Sketty.