Second World War memorials
David Miller Kirk - Colchester Borough Police.
Killed 16th June 1944.
David Miller Kirk was the son of Mr. and Mrs. James Kirk and was born
in Lanarkshire, Scotland.
He joined the Colchester Borough Police in 1934 where he met Dorothy (or
Doris) Gladys Watson, an officer with the force since 1925. The couple
were married on 21st August 1937 at Christ Church in Paddington.
In December 1939 David joined the Royal Artillery as a Lieutenant. He
was killed on Friday, 16th June 1944 whilst serving as Major 148698 with
301 Battery, 127 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. He was aged 36.
Following her husband’s death Dorothy’s application to the force
for a widow’s pension caused some controversy. This is described
in Maureen Scollan’s book “Sworn to Serve”:
“Woman Sergeant Dorothy Watson was already an experienced policewoman
when she joined the Colchester Borough Police in 1925. She had joined
the Women Police Service in 1916 as a 19-year-old, and been attached
to the Ministry of Munitions throughout the First World War. After six
years in the Hove borough police she applied to work in Colchester,
which was much nearer to her home town of Bishops Stortford. Policewomen
who married had to leave the force, but in August 1937 she secretly
married a constable in the borough force named David Miller Kirk. Only
when her husband was killed in action in June 1944 did Dorothy Watson
officially admit what she had done. Because she had broken the rules,
her application for a widow's pension caused great consternation. The
matter was referred to the Home Secretary but, when he learned that
the Colchester watch committee was not taking any action against her,
Sergeant Kirk was granted her own full pension rights and allowed to
receive her late husband's pension.”
David Miller Kirk was buried in grave I.C.14 at the Ranville War Cemetery
in Calvados, France.
(updated on August 11, 2003)
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