Kenneth John Acheson
Constable

Kenneth John Acheson

Felonious
End of Watch April 2, 1981
Age 23
Gender Male

Incident

Constable Kenneth John Acheson joined the Royal Ulster Constabulary in November 1979, he was stationed at Bessbrook, which was a roughly 20 miles from his home in Armagh where he lived with his wife and their eleven month old baby son.

On Thursday 2nd April 1981 Constable Acheson finished duty and was driving home in his Ford Fiesta shortly after 11pm. Whilst travelling along the Derrywilligan Road, to reach the main Newry to Armagh road, he was killed by a bomb exploding. Initially Detectives believed it may have been a landmine planted on the road but they later concluded it had been a booby trap device planted under the car, possibly on the driver’s side.

Constable Acheson was buried with full Police honours in St Mark’s Parish Churchyard, during his funeral he was described as a “young man, who, in caring for the well-being of the community, joined the RUC to help protect his fellow man.”

Scene of explosion which killed RUC Constable Kenneth Acheson.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Constable Acheson served with the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Constable Acheson.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Location NIR
Platform Identity ruc.bfs.nir.gb.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 2, 1981
Age 23
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Homicide - Bomb

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Kenneth is one of 1,170 officers killed feloniously in United Kingdom, 30.9% of the 3,791 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1981, 26 officers in United Kingdom were killed feloniously, the 5th heaviest of 216 years on record. The heaviest was 1941, with 167.

Every year on record · United Kingdom
II

Who

Kenneth was 23. Of the 1,048 killed feloniously in United Kingdom whose age is recorded, half were between 28 and 44; the middle age was 36.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

April holds 9.8% of these deaths in United Kingdom; May holds the most, 12.6%. Thursdays: 14.1%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 30.9% of all 3,791 deaths in United Kingdom, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Royal Ulster Constabulary GC has at least 120 officers remembered here, Kenneth among them.

Across the years

Constable Kenneth John Acheson

Royal Ulster Constabulary GC · End of Watch April 2, 1981

Where the Name Is Cut

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