Date of death:

March 1st, 1947

Nationality:

British

Rowland Sidney Bernard had served in the Police at the ealy part of the war in Chatham, Kent. He rose from a Constable to an Inspector within a short period. He was offered the position of Deputy Sub-Controller and ARP Officer for the Strood Rural District Council based at Cliffe Kent in 1941, taking command of an organisation of some 500 workers spread over 16 parishes and dozens of scattered hamlets. During the time that he was responsible for the Civil Defence administration of the area. The blitz taxed to the utmost the workers under his command, eventually reaching its climax in the arrival of flying bombs and rockets in the final stages of the war. He was a qualified Bomb Disposal Officer and was regularly called out to defuse any unexploded bombs.
During his service with the Civil Defence at Cliffe over 2,000 high-explosive bombs, 34 flying bombs, 24 landmines, 12 rockets and 23,000 incendiaries fell in the Rural District.
As Bomb Reconaissance Officer, he was always on the scene at every "incident" and his resourcefulness , courage, geniality and complete disregard of personal danger won him the affection of the personnel under his command.

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• - Jean Christine Pearson
  - Chatham, Rochester and Gillingham News - 7th March 1947