Retired Sergeant Kenneth John Brockbank 15/08/1924 - 27/05/2026
Kenneth Brockbank was born on the 15th August 1924. He joined the Metropolitan Police after having been demobbed from the Royal Air Force in 1946 where he had trained to be a pilot, qualifying on the De Havilland Tiger Moth whilst deployed at the end of the war to Cape Town SA.
He was sent for police training to Peel House near Victoria for 3 months then transferred to his first station Chelsea where he said that at that time The King's Road was made up of tarred wooden blocks and the smog was thick enough to lose your way.
Later in his career Kenneth transferred to Staines division and it was during this time he sadly lost his 1st wife, mother and father within around 6 months of each other.
He was left alone to care for his 2 adopted young sons. Later, through a mutual friend, he met his future second wife Joyce, who, had her own daughter and, they married 1969. Soon after they had their own son and, 4th child.
They moved from Sunbury to Thorpe in Surrey. Kenneth finished his career in Staines retiring around 1971 having served 25 years.
Now 45, Kenneth retrained to be a secondary school teacher, teaching Geography in Stanwell secondary school near Ashford, Middlesex until his retirement in about 1994.
Joyce and Kenneth moved Paignton, Devon and, in 2018 they moved to Cornwall, near Falmouth to be closer to one of the Sons.
He spoke often and fondly of his time in the police and of the lifelong friendships he made during his service and was still in contact with people he served with till his passing.
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