Joe was born in Willenhall, Staffordshire in June 1921. He grew up in Willenhall and attended schools in Cannock and Bloxwich. He left school aged 17, and at the age of 18 he became one of the first police cadets in Staffordshire.
In 1942 Joe was called up for military service and joined the Leicester regiment, later becoming a gunner in the Royal Artillery and took part in D Day landings. Joe took part in the liberation of Caen, and in 2015, was awarded the Legion d’honneur for his contribution in liberating Caen.
Joe married his wife Joan in 1943, and they were together for 66 years before she sadly passed away. Together they had two children and two grandchildren.After his military service, Joe returned to the police force in 1945, where he served at Tettenhall, Wednesfield, Willenhall, Newcastle-under-Lyme, and Leek. He arrived at West Bromwich in 1963 as Chief Inspector and quickly moved up the ranks, being promoted first to Superintendent and then Chief Superintendent at Smethwick in 1968. In 1974 he was appointed Divisional Commander of a newly formed Sandwell Division, before he retired in 1977. In the same year as his retirement, he was awarded the Queens Police Medal for distinguished service.
When asked what the secret to living to 100 is, Joe said: “A wonderful woman!”.
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100 Years of the Royal British Legion - A Resident's StoryHousing 21 first began as the Royal British Legion Housing Association, which in 1921 began to house disabled ex-servicemen and widows. As RBL marks its 100th anniversary today, we’re sharing one of our resident’s memories from his time in the Navy.
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Great grandmother of seven is able to enjoy time with family once againA 97 year old great grandmother of seven, has moved into a safer home at Strawberry Gardens in Yatton. The new Extra Care Living scheme on Moorhen Road was developed by Housing 21 and North Somerset Council to help provide independent living.
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