In December 1973 Police Constable Dennis Arthur Smith was shot and murdered in Torquay. He was later posthumously awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for gallantry. There had never been a memorial to commemorate his bravery. Nearly 50 years later The Police Memorial Trust decided to right that wrong.
As part of the planing process for our memorial the Trust engaged in research with local police and staff groups to trace any living relatives of P.C Smith unfortunately, despite everyone’s efforts it did not meet with any success.
In December 2021 the memorial was unveiled in the place were he was murdered.
Recently the local Chief Constable, Shaun Sawyer, was contacted by Dennis’s daughter, Julie who had been informed about a magazine article reporting the memorial ceremony.
On Tuesday the 14th June 2022 our Trust Manager Mr. Dennis Rowen was very pleased to meet with Julie Bye and her husband Geoffrey at the police headquarters in Exeter where Dennis presented her with a special boxed replica of her late father’s memorial plaque. Julie was also given an album of photographs of the unveiling ceremony.
We know our memorial recognising her late father’s service, bravery and sacrifice has after all these years brought Julie some comfort knowing that he has not been forgotten.
Mrs Julie Bye with Trust Manager Dennis Rowen
The Devon Cornwall Memorial Garden
Julie Bye with Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer