Sir Percy Joseph SillitoeKBEDL (22 May 1888 – 5 April 1962) was a chief constable of several police forces. He changed the role of radios, civilian staff, and women police officers within the police. He was later Director General of MI5, the United Kingdom's internal security service, from 1946 to 1953.
After serving as a political officer in Tanganyika until 1920, he returned to England with his family.[4]
In 1923 he was appointed Chief Constable of Chesterfield, a position he held for the next two years. After a further year as Chief Constable of the East Riding of Yorkshire in 1925, he became in 1926 the Chief Constable of Sheffield, where he was credited with authorising "reasonable force" to break the hold of criminal gangs.[5]
He was Chief Constable of City of Glasgow Police from 1931 to 1943, when he was credited with breaking the power of the notorious Glasgow razor gangs, made infamous in the novel No Mean City. During his time as chief constable of Glasgow, he was also credited with the introduction of wireless radios allowing communication between headquarters and vehicles (which had previously relied completely upon the use of police boxes), use of civilians in police-related roles, and the introduction of compulsory retirement after 30 years service. He is further credited with the introduction of the Sillitoe tartan, which is more commonly recognized as the checkered pattern, usually black-and-white, on police cap bands, originally based on that used by several Scottish regiments on the Glengarry.[6]
In 1944 Sillitoe was made the chief constable of Kent and he employed Barbara Denis de Vitre to lead the women's force. When she arrived Kent had two policewomen and the following year there were nearly 150.[7]
Sillitoe went on to head MI5. His reputation was damaged by the 1951 defection to the Soviet Union of the spies Guy Burgess and Donald Duart Maclean, and by the investigation afterwards, which showed that MI5 had been unaware and slow to act.[8]
^"Hidden Life Of The Hammer". Daily Record. 3 January 2009. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
^"Sir Percy Sillitoe of MI5 and his African descendants". Retrieved 18 November 2023.
^Cockerill, Art (2013). Secrets & Skeletons - A biography of Sir Percy Sillitoe.
^Hennessey, Thomas. Spooks the Unofficial History of MI5 From the First Atom Spy to 7/7 1945-2009.
^(2004-09-23). Sillitoe, Sir Percy Joseph (1888–1962), police officer and intelligence officer. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 5 Dec. 2017, from link
^"Chief Constable Sir Percy Sillitoe". Totary Club. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
percy, sillitoe, percy, joseph, sillitoe, 1888, april, 1962, chief, constable, several, police, forces, changed, role, radios, civilian, staff, women, police, officers, within, police, later, director, general, united, kingdom, internal, security, service, fro. Sir Percy Joseph Sillitoe KBE DL 22 May 1888 5 April 1962 was a chief constable of several police forces He changed the role of radios civilian staff and women police officers within the police He was later Director General of MI5 the United Kingdom s internal security service from 1946 to 1953 SirPercy SillitoeKBE DLSillitoe in the 1930sBorn22 May 1888Tulse Hill London United KingdomDied5 April 1962 1962 04 05 aged 73 Eastbourne East Sussex United KingdomNationalityBritishOccupationPolice OfficerAwardsKBEEspionage activityAllegianceUnited KingdomService branchMI5Service years1946 1953RankDirector General of MI5 Contents 1 Life 2 References 3 Sources 4 External linksLife editBorn in London Sillitoe was educated at St Paul s Cathedral School then St Paul s Cathedral Choir School 1 By 1908 he had become a Trooper in the British South Africa Police and in 1911 transferred to the Northern Rhodesia Police During the First World War he served in the East African campaign with the Northern Rhodesia Police In 2009 it was revealed that Sillitoe had had a relationship with Mary Museba a local woman of the Bemba people from the Abercorn District of Northern Rhodesia they had a son John Alexander Sillitoe born in 1918 2 3 After serving as a political officer in Tanganyika until 1920 he returned to England with his family 4 In 1923 he was appointed Chief Constable of Chesterfield a position he held for the next two years After a further year as Chief Constable of the East Riding of Yorkshire in 1925 he became in 1926 the Chief Constable of Sheffield where he was credited with authorising reasonable force to break the hold of criminal gangs 5 He was Chief Constable of City of Glasgow Police from 1931 to 1943 when he was credited with breaking the power of the notorious Glasgow razor gangs made infamous in the novel No Mean City During his time as chief constable of Glasgow he was also credited with the introduction of wireless radios allowing communication between headquarters and vehicles which had previously relied completely upon the use of police boxes use of civilians in police related roles and the introduction of compulsory retirement after 30 years service He is further credited with the introduction of the Sillitoe tartan which is more commonly recognized as the checkered pattern usually black and white on police cap bands originally based on that used by several Scottish regiments on the Glengarry 6 In 1944 Sillitoe was made the chief constable of Kent and he employed Barbara Denis de Vitre to lead the women s force When she arrived Kent had two policewomen and the following year there were nearly 150 7 Sillitoe went on to head MI5 His reputation was damaged by the 1951 defection to the Soviet Union of the spies Guy Burgess and Donald Duart Maclean and by the investigation afterwards which showed that MI5 had been unaware and slow to act 8 He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire CBE in 1936 and knighted in the 1942 New Year Honours 9 References edit Hidden Life Of The Hammer Daily Record 3 January 2009 Retrieved 1 November 2021 Sir Percy Sillitoe of MI5 and his African descendants Retrieved 18 November 2023 Cockerill Art 2013 Secrets amp Skeletons A biography of Sir Percy Sillitoe Hennessey Thomas Spooks the Unofficial History of MI5 From the First Atom Spy to 7 7 1945 2009 2004 09 23 Sillitoe Sir Percy Joseph 1888 1962 police officer and intelligence officer Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Retrieved 5 Dec 2017 from link Chief Constable Sir Percy Sillitoe Totary Club 5 August 2017 Retrieved 17 June 2018 Vitre Barbara Mary Denis de 1905 1960 police officer Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press 2004 doi 10 1093 ref odnb 97986 ISBN 978 0 19 861412 8 Subscription or UK public library membership required Anthony Blunt His Lives by Miranda Carter 2001 No 35399 The London Gazette Supplement 30 December 1941 p 2 Sources editP Sillitoe Cloak without dagger 1955 A W Cockerill Sir Percy Sillitoe 1975 R Deacon The greatest treason the bizarre story of Hollis Liddell and Mountbatten rev edn 1990 The Times Obituary 6 April 1962 A W Cockerill Secrets amp Skeletons A biography of Sir Percy Sillitoe 15 Jun 2013External links editThe Glasgow Story Chief Constable Sir Percy SillitoeGovernment officesPreceded bySir David Petrie Director General of MI51946 1953 Succeeded bySir Dick White Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Percy Sillitoe amp oldid 1215187638, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
