Mass Identification—By Photography and Fingerprints
| Date | 01 March 1962 |
| Published date | 01 March 1962 |
| Author | Frank V. Woodward |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X6203500203 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
DET.
INSPECTOR
FRANK
V.
WOODWARD,
A.I.B.P.,
A.R.P.S.
Photographic Department
Essex County Constabulary
Mass
Identifieation-
By
Photography
and
Fingerprints
ON
SATURDAY
December 9, 1961, the Committee
of
One Hundred
organized what they describe as
a"
Blocking
and
Mass Walk-on
",
at the Strategic Bomber Base at Brize
Norton,
Oxfordshire, the
U.S. Air Force Headquarters at Ruislip, Middlesex, and at the
NATO
Air Base at Wethersfield in Essex.
The Essex Police were only concerned with the Wethersfield
incident
and
abrief summary
of
what occurred may be appropriate.
Some time after 2p.m.
the"
Ban the
Bomb"
supporters began
to arrive outside Wethersfield Air Base. Some were on foot, some
came by car, others by coach, until eventually approximately 300
to 400 people had congregated.
They commenced their unlawful acts by sitting in the roadway
and obstructing it. Eventually 70 people were arrested on such
charges as obstructing aconstable in the execution
of
his duty,
obstructing the highway, assault on a police officer, etc., and these
offenders were all conveyed to Braintree secondary modern school
to be dealt with.
Preparations
Braintree school was hired for the day especially for the purpose,
a large building with numerous classrooms, two large halls,
toilets-
in fact all facilities were available for dealing with possibly hundreds
of
offenders, as the number of demonstrators was expected to be
much larger than that which actually arrived. Anormal town police
station would in no way have been large enough for the job. Six
classrooms were set aside as substitute courts, each fully manned
with justices, clerk
of
court, county prosecuting solicitor
and
ushers.
Other classrooms were set aside as charge rooms, and it was decided
that
four of these would be sufficient.
March-April /962 91
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