Roy Wallace Reid

Police Constable 836, Toronto Police Department | Sergeant, Canadian Provost Corps

Roy Wallace Reid was born in York Township, Ontario, in what is now the City of Toronto, to Joseph and Mary Reid, who had emigrated from the Dominion of Newfoundland. At the minimum age, Reid served in the Canadian Militia, with the 53rd Battery in 1923-24. Just months after his 18th birthday, he married his sweetheart, Gladys. As a young man, he was employed as a carpenter, a machinist, and a truck driver before ultimately getting sworn in as Police Constable 836 of the Toronto Police Department, in April 1928. Reid and Gladys resided at 1101 Davenport Rd in Toronto and had two sons.

Constable Reid served at No. 11 Police Station (London St) in the Bathurst St and Bloor St W area. He was a gifted marksman with his service revolver and competed in local and regional police shooting competitions. Participating in both individual and team competitions, Reid consistently placed near the top and won the Toronto Police individual top prize in 1934. In his spare time, he also kept up his skills and interest as a mechanic.

When the Second World War broke out, PC Reid was among the first group of army volunteers from the Toronto Police Department in 1939. Putting his trades skills to use, he joined the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps, as a Driver and Fitter with No. 2 Army Field Workshop. He sailed to England in February 1940 where Canadian Forces were held for the defence of Britain.

On July 6th, 1940, now Acting Sergeant Reid’s workshop was set up on the parade square at Salamanca Barracks, Camp Aldershot. The men were busy installing machine-gun mounts on motorcycle sidecars for newly formed reconnaissance squadrons, stood-up in response to the German invasion threat. At about 3:00pm, a German aircraft appeared and dropped a stick of bombs on the troops, killing three and wounding 30. This was the first instance Canadian Army soldiers were killed by enemy forces in the war. Reid survived this mass casualty event and carried on with No. 2 Army Field Workshop until September 1941.

Reid then transferred to No. 6 Provost Company, Canadian Provost Corps, a military police unit based in London. Reid, however, served in a secretive sub-unit called the Special Investigation Section (SIS) as an investigator. The section drew from experienced police officers serving in the Canadian Army. The SIS conducted plainclothes investigations throughout the British Isles dealing with serious crimes involving Canadian soldiers, assisting Scotland Yard in numerous cases of Murder, Sexual Assault, Break and Enter, Impersonation and Fraud, etc.

On April 7th, 1942, while performing his duties Sergeant Reid required evacuation to hospital, the details and circumstances not available. Shortly thereafter, in June, Reid was discharged from the army as Medically Unfit for military service.

Despite his medical status in the military, Reid returned to full duties with the Toronto Police Department, serving in the Traffic Division. In September 1946, Reid fell ill and was hospitalized at the Christie Street Veterans’ Hospital. Three months later, on December 30th, 1946, Reid died of cardiac issues deemed a result of injuries or illness incurred due to his military service, and therefore deemed a service death. Reid is listed among Canada’s fallen in the National Book of Remembrance for the Second World War and by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Police Constable Roy Wallace Reid lies buried at Prospect Cemetery in, Toronto, Ontario.

Research Sources:

  • D. Draper – Annual Report of the Chief Constable of the City of Toronto for the Year 1942, Page 21. Toronto: The Carswell Co Ltd City Printers, 1943.
  • D. Draper – City of Toronto Police Department Nominal and Descriptive Roll of the Toronto Police Force and Attached Services 1944, Page 37. Toronto: The Carswell Co Ltd City Printers, 1945.
  • M.C. Johnston – Canada’s Craftsmen at 50! The Story of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering in the Canadian Armed Forces. Pages 29-30.  Borden: EME Officer’s Fund, 1997.
  • H.C. Forbes – “Military Police At War”. The Thunderbird Journal. Ottawa, Fall 1986.
  • A. Holman – “From the Mail Bag (Letter from J. Durrant BEM)”. The Thunderbird Journal. Ottawa, Winter 1986.
  • Library and Archives Canada. Service File of No. B94524 Roy Wallace Reid.
  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Casualty Details for No. B94524 Roy Wallace Reid.
  • Veteran’s Affairs Canada. Second World War Book of Remembrance – 1946, Page 589.
  • Toronto Daily Star (1938, June 9th) “Toronto Constable Best Revolver Shot”; (1940, May 28th) “22 Boys In Blue Change to Khaki”; (1940, July 7th) “Private to Staff-Sergeant”; (1942, June 18th) “Hospital Train”; (1945, October 18th) “Grab Armed Suspect After 60mph Chase”.
  • The Toronto Telegram (1946, December 31st). “PC Roy Reid.”