In 1940, Richard Davis, a reporter for the Lowell Sun wrote about the Wilmington Police Department from its beginnings in 1872 to the then present day. The Regular Force (sworn, full-time officers) consisted of five men: Chief Harry Ainsworth, Deputy Chief Francis Hoban, Sergeant Talbot Sidelinker and Officers Frank Gammons and Edmund Waters. While a secondary force of “Specials” filled in when needed, it was the “Regulars” that handled the bulk of the duties. In describing such, the story opens with Mr. Davis stating that criminals would be wise to avoid coming to Wilmington. Of particular note in dispensing his wisdom, Davis noted the recent capture of John Crowley, a man from Cambridge wanted on the charge of murder. Crowley, in a drunken rage had shot and killed his mother-in-law and mortally wounded his wife at their home in Cambridge before eventually fleeing the city by train. Alighting at the Silver Lake train depot, the intoxicated Crowley was noticed by a follow-on freight train whose crew alerted the police. Hoban, Sidelinker and Waters responded and took Crowley into custody. Davis wrote as well of another daring capture, this time carried out by Hoban alone. After a Coast Guard deserter had held up the Mechanics Savings Bank for the second time, Deputy Chief Hoban gave pursuit and arrested the suspect after he crashed the getaway vehicle. The action earned Hoban a Medal of Valor from the Board of Selectmen and personal congratulations from Middlesex County District Attorney Robert Bradford. But as war raged in Europe it loomed for America. The year following Davis’s piece, the United States was brought into the conflict with the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Almost immediately following the attack, the Wilmington Police sprang into action, the defense of vital services and industries being of the utmost importance. Despite Pearl Harbor being 5000 miles away, the United States had been in a de facto war with Germany since April of 1941. Engaged in convoy escort duties, several US Navy ships had been attacked by German U-Boats with the destroyer USS Reuben James being sunk in October, two months before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. By 1942 the threat to the East Coast of the United States from attack, infiltration or outright invasion was a real possibility. U-Boats carried out unrestricted warfare within sight of land and German saboteurs were secretly landed along the coast to wreak havoc on the country’s transportation and war materials infrastructure. Wilmington’s most vital aspect of the country’s war footing was its rail lines and rail maintenance facilities. The police department needed be on a war footing as well. However, five full-time officers were hardly suitable to the task given the new responsibilities of the war and their everyday responsibilities to the citizenry. Furthermore, Deputy Chief Hoban would soon leave for service in the US Navy while Officer Waters would leave for duty in the US Secret Service. As the regular force suffered these absences, the special officers moved up to fill in. In the case of Officer Waters, Special Officer George Fuller was sworn into the regular force. However, war duties for those men similarly depleted their ranks. In March of 1942 Chief Harry Ainsworth formed an auxiliary police force. With regard to the new organization, Chief Ainsworth’s report of the activities for the year 1942 reads as follows.
“The Police Department is doing its utmost to cooperate with the various defense organizations of the Town. Because of the needs that are created by this war we are doing our best to keep up a high standard of service. Early in this year when various organizations were being formed for the defense of our community I formed what is known as the Auxiliary Police Force. For three months we met at the High School each Thursday evening for a period of initial training. This consisted of lectures on the duties of a police officer, the prevention and prosecution of crime, first aid, gasses and bombs. These lectures were supplemented by motion pictures provided by various firms and defense units to whom we express our appreciation.
The officers took such an interest in this work that we have kept up our meetings on Thursday evenings. These later sessions have been held at the police station. Due to this extra training I have at various times, other than during blackouts, assigned these men to perform various police duties throughout the Town.
For the Auxiliary Police Force the Town has purchased badges and nightsticks. In order that these men could be uniformly dressed, they have purchased out of their own finances, police hats, hat badges, jackets and arm insignia.
Since the new dim-out regulations have gone into effect the men of the Auxiliary Force have been assigned to various parts of the Town for a few hours a week to see that these orders are complied with. As these men give of their time, I wish to express my thanks to them for responding as they have”.
The Annual Town Report for 1942 within which is Chief Ainsworth’s account lists the names of thirty-nine men serving on the Auxiliary Force.
On October 21, 1942, a public introduction of the Regular, Special and Auxiliary Police Forces was made at the Wilmington Theatre on Main Street to a capacity crowd of 400. According to a news story in the Lowell Sun, “Every police officer from the chief down wore a white shirt and insignia. Chief Harry J. Ainsworth opened the program and welcomed all to see what the department has done and will do in the future if an emergency arises.” Further remarks were later made by Chief Ainsworth and Assistant Attorney General Joseph Bacigalupo who related the duties and powers of each of the police forces when called to duty by the chief. A motion picture “Air Raid Warden” was shown courtesy of the Massachusetts Safety Committee. Also in attendance was Chief Jeremiah Cullinane of Reading and his 40-man auxiliary force. The Wilmington Auxiliary Police had previously conducted blackout exercises with the Reading auxiliary force. The program concluded with refreshments and the singing of the National Anthem.
The Auxiliary Police Force remained an active part of the town’s defense throughout 1942 although many of its members themselves enlisted or were called to military service. In 1943 the auxiliary force was, in effect, disbanded as distinct organization when the entire contingent was sworn in as special officers. Chief Ainsworth stated that due to the enlistment of eleven officers from across the various police forces, all members of the former auxiliary force would now be sworn as special officers. The number of police officers in town at the end of the year numbered five regular officers, fifty-one special officers and two policewomen matrons. Now the town could rely on a large pool of trained and able officers to act as and carry out all of the duties of the regular force should a threat or emergency ever arise. And the threat to the town did remain high even into 1943. In the summer of that year, the police department and fire department and the fire auxiliary force obtained equipment and training to respond to enemy air raids especially those involving incendiary bombs.
Through 1944 and 1945 the volunteer specials remained true to their training and initial commitments to the town. During this time, they became known as the Police Association. Chief Ainsworth continued with his use and thankful praise of each of the officers but as the war ended and service members returned home, the need for such a large contingent of police soon diminished. In the post-World War II era the police department became a much larger and more adequately manned full-time department and the need for an auxiliary force all but vanished. The volunteers, however, did not. Calling themselves the Wilmington Police Associates they continued with their weekly meetings, lectures and trainings and remained as a fraternal support organization to the police department although remaining ready to serve if ever called upon.