British Pathe

M/S of a young woman, Patricia Petherwick, walking along the street past some shops; she is quite smartly dressed in a black suit. The commentator asks "Have you ever tried guessing at people's occupations?" She stops at a green grocers with lots of fruit and vegetables displayed outside; a woman comes...

M/S of a young woman, Patricia Petherwick, walking along the street past some shops; she is quite smartly dressed in a black suit. The commentator asks "Have you ever tried guessing at people's occupations?" She stops at a green grocers with lots of fruit and vegetables displayed outside; a woman comes out to serve her, putting some oranges in a bag. Commentator: "You'd have a job guessing what she does for a living so we'll tell you. Not only is she a policewoman, but she's one of their first motor cyclists."

M/S of two policewomen, PP and Betty Wilkinson, on motorcycles coming to a halt and dismounting at training ground at the Metropolitan Police Driving School in Hendon; both have 'L' plates on the front of their police bikes (200 cc shaft driven) - and they're wearing skirts! They remove their helmets then M/Ss & C/Us as police sergeant Robert Graham walks into shot and talks to them, pointing out various features on the bike; the foot brake and clutch as they look on.

M/Ss as the policeman gets onto one of the bikes and starts it up, then starts to drive in and out of some bollards; C/U of PP looking on. M/Ss as the policeman comes to a halt next to the women and gets off the bike as they are putting their helmets on; then the girls get on their bikes and drive off, winding in and out of the bollards as the policeman watches.

The commentator tells us "The girls are not destined to be 'speed cops' in the accepted sense - the aim is really to provide women police with transport in outlying stations". Various M/Ss and C/Us as they drive round the bollard course; commentator says "Twelve girls were selected for this first trial course but if the scheme proves successful no doubt it will be repeated. Girls like these will, of course, play a dual role - being motor cycle police some of the time and for the rest substituting the conventional cap for her crash helmet. In either style, we can rely on her to make a pretty fair cop!"

Note: Interesting look at what seems to be the first motorcycle policewomen. Documentation on file includes small news cutting and cameraman's notes.