In ‘P’ Dorm, Scottish Police College, Tulliallan, 1976 we were something of a mixed bag to say the least. A plumber, a merchant navy engineer, council worker, brickie and just about everything else in between. Average age was probably 19. The college program was both exciting and intimidating at the same time with a fresh challenge to be overcome every day. The ‘dad’ of the room, if I could use that expression was, Bill Carcary. He actually wasn’t that much older than us but as a veteran, he had a maturity beyond his years.
I chose not to use the term ‘steadying influence’ because, to be honest, Bill was as keen as any of us to be up to whatever hi jinks we imagined we might get away with and a few very creative ones he came up with all on his own.
As well as being an excellent spinner of tales of military derring do, he taught us all an invaluable lesson none of us were to forget and one that has stood many of us in good stead from then till now – the dark art of spit and polishing toe caps to gleaming brilliance! That and extra drill in the evening for the less articulated and coordinated among the P Dorm Irregulars.
Over the intervening 44 years all of our lives moved on in various ways as life has a habit of doing. Some remained career police officers other went on to take up completely different and sometimes unlikely career paths. Quite recently, one of our group decided to take upon himself the task of locating all of these strays with the aim of bringing them together at some point for a reunion.
Around 3 weeks in we have located around 8 of the originals and, every one of them have been racking their brains to locate Bill Carcary. Only this week we found that Bill had passed away.
There are of course no words that can quench the pain of bereavement that Linda and Bill’s family feel and will continue to feel. We simply want to express our deepest sympathy and condolences to a friend and colleague we deeply respected and admired.
Dave Devenney:
24/04/2021
