Detective Lieutenant Bertie Hammond

Bertie Hammond was a Sergeant in the Fingerprint Department of  Sheffield City Police at a time when Percy Sillitoe was the Chief Constable there.

In 1931, Percy Sillitoe was appointed Chief Constable of Glasgow and saw his task as bringing the Glasgow force up to date in all aspects of policing.  Seeing that the fingerprint collection was not being utilised to its full extent, Chief Constable Sillitoe offered Sergeant Hammond the job of creating a more efficient Fingerprint Department and Photographic Department.

Bertie Hammond was promoted to Detective Inspector and subsequently Detective Lieutenant in charge of the new Department.  It would not be long until its expertise would be required in a landmark case.

In 1935, the Glasgow Police Identification Bureau assist Dumfriesshire Constabulary in identifying two dismembered bodies found near the town of Moffat.  Detective Lieutenant Hammond and Detective Sergeant Duncan use new fingerprint techniques to identify bodies, as the fingers had been mutilated.  Dr. Buck Ruxton of Lancaster, England, was arrested, found guilty and executed for the murders of his wife and her maid.

For his work, Detective Lieutenant Bertie Hammond was awarded the British Empire Medal for Meritorious Services.