Roll of Honor
Incident
About 5:00pm, while on duty in his office at the Central Police Station on Mary Street, Coventry, DS Boneham took his own life by shooting.
He left two letters in which he explained that the health issues of his wife, who was seriously ill in hospital, were “getting him down”.
He was the first Detective Superintendent to be appointed within Coventry City Police where he had an unblemished record.
Cyril joined the police in 1920 and transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department in 1926 as a Detective Constable. In 1932 he was promoted to Detective Sergeant and in 1939 he was further promoted to Detective Inspector. The following year he was appointed Detective Superintendent.
Prior to joining the police Cyril served seven years in the Coldstream Guards and was awarded the Military Medal.
In June 1941, for bravery during the air raids on the city of Coventry when, putting their own lives at risk from falling masonry and continued bombing, he and a colleague rescued twelve other officers from the blazing and largely destroyed police station in which they were based.
He was survived by his wife and two children but his wife died due to her illness exactly one week later.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and two children but his wife died due to her illness exactly one week later.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-GB-CCP-000711C4- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 8, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
Detective Superintendent Cyril Boneham served with the Coventry City Police.
Thank you for your service. We will always remember your sacrifice.
You belong on this wall. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Detective Superintendent Cyril George Boneham is one of 256 officers honored for deaths connected to the weight of the job across the full record of this memorial — 0.8% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In ENG, 39 of 2,827 officers were honored for deaths connected to the weight of the job — 1.4% of this state's fallen. That is 0.6 percentage points above the national rate of 0.8%.
At Coventry City Police, 1 of 17 officers on record were honored for deaths connected to the weight of the job — 5.9% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Suicide compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Cyril George Boneham's cause is highlighted.
How Cyril George Boneham Compares
When Suicide Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Suicide deaths across the full memorial record. Cyril George Boneham is highlighted in Jan.
Others Who Wore This Badge
16 officers from Coventry City Police are honored on badge.nw.
