Yvonne was a WPC (Woman Police Constable) in the Metropolitan Police Force (London) when she was shot whilst on duty in St James' Square, London SW1 during a siege at the Libyan Embassy there. She died at Westminster Hospital. Her fiancé, another police officer who was also at the demonstration, was at her side. Nobody was ever convicted of her murder, though after 15 years the Libyan government finally accepted responsibility for her death and agreed to pay compensation to her family. Her murder would later become a major factor in Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's decision to allow U.S. President Ronald Reagan to launch the USAF bombing raid on Libya in 1986 from American bases in Britain. Westminster City Council slightly modified part of St. James's Square to accommodate the memorial at the spot where she fell, placing a rounded area of pavement in front of it, extending into the roadway thus making an architectural feature, the centre of which was the granite and Portland stone memorial. The public showed their support of this recognition of police bravery and sacrifice by attending the ceremony in their hundreds and by placing flowers at the memorial every day since it was unveiled. A twenty-five year anniversary memorial service was held on 17th April 2009.
Yvonne was a WPC (Woman Police Constable) in the Metropolitan Police Force (London) when she was shot whilst on duty in St James' Square, London SW1 during a siege at the Libyan Embassy there. She died at Westminster Hospital. Her fiancé, another police officer who was also at the demonstration, was at her side. Nobody was ever convicted of her murder, though after 15 years the Libyan government finally accepted responsibility for her death and agreed to pay compensation to her family. Her murder would later become a major factor in Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's decision to allow U.S. President Ronald Reagan to launch the USAF bombing raid on Libya in 1986 from American bases in Britain. Westminster City Council slightly modified part of St. James's Square to accommodate the memorial at the spot where she fell, placing a rounded area of pavement in front of it, extending into the roadway thus making an architectural feature, the centre of which was the granite and Portland stone memorial. The public showed their support of this recognition of police bravery and sacrifice by attending the ceremony in their hundreds and by placing flowers at the memorial every day since it was unveiled. A twenty-five year anniversary memorial service was held on 17th April 2009.
Gravesite Details
The family have expressed the wish that the location of Yvonne's ashes are not disclosed.
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
