Difference between revisions of "Percy Sillitoe"
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|employment={{job | |employment={{job | ||
|title= Director General of MI5 | |title= Director General of MI5 | ||
| − | |start=1946 | + | |start=May 1946 |
|end=1953 | |end=1953 | ||
| − | }} | + | |description=A highly reputed policeman who was brought in as an outsider to regularise MI5.}} |
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[[Percy Sillitoe]] was a former [[policeman]] who had headed a number of constabularies before taking over [[MI5]].<ref>[http://www.mi5.gov.uk/output/former-dgs.html Former Directors General], MI5, accessed 8 July 2009.</ref> | [[Percy Sillitoe]] was a former [[policeman]] who had headed a number of constabularies before taking over [[MI5]].<ref>[http://www.mi5.gov.uk/output/former-dgs.html Former Directors General], MI5, accessed 8 July 2009.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Background== | ||
| + | Percy Sillitoe had a remarkable singing voice that earned him a free place at the prestigious St Paul's Cathedral Choir School, giving him not only an education but a chance to sing at the memorial service for [[Queen Victoria]] and the coronation of [[Edward VII]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==South Africa== | ||
| + | He travelled to South Africa and started working for the Anglo-American Oil Company in 1905. It quickly bored him, and in 1908 he joined the British South African Police as a trooper. After his death, it emerged that he had fathered a child with Mary Museba, then only 13. In 1920, Sillitoe married Dorothy and they went on to have a son and daughter. After a serious illness, he returned to UK "with a plan to become a chief constable".<ref name=dr/> | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==UK Police== | ||
| + | During his time as [[Chief Constable]] of [[City of Glasgow Police]], he was credited with the introduction of wireless radios allowing communication between headquarters and vehicles, which previously relied completely upon the use of [[Police box]]es, use of civilians in police related roles, and the introduction of compulsory retirement after 30 years service. He is credited with breaking the power of the notorious [[Glasgow razor gangs]] during the 1930s, made infamous in the novel ''[[No Mean City]]''. He was Chief Constable of the city's police force from 1931–42. He introduced the ''Sillitoe Tartan'' which is more commonly recognized as the black and white check pattern on police caps, to help visibility during unrest. Sillitoe was very successful in eliminating street gangs from Scotland, and earned the nickname "Hammer of the Gangs". In 1942, Sillitoe was knighted. He left Glasgow in 1942, the most famous cop of his time.<ref name=dr/> After [[World War II]] he served as Chief Constable of Kent. | ||
==Career== | ==Career== | ||
| − | Sillitoe was brought in as | + | Sillitoe was an outsider brought in to [[MI5]] as an "honest copper" to regularise the service, replacing [[David Petrie]] as [[ Director General of MI5|Director General]] in May 1946. Until Sillitoe's leadership, "the organisation was totally independent. Its staff was paid in cash, and paid no tax, and salaries could be at the whim of the director general. There was an independent auditor to ensure against embezzlement, but no detailed returns were made to the government and recently retired officers can remember how the directors general of both MI5 and the [[MI6|secret service]] had hoards of gold sovereigns, which the could hand out for special operations. That situation ended when Sillitoe demanded that MI5 be expanded. The [[UK Treasury|Treasury]] agreed but only on condition that it could impose controls."<ref>''Their Trade is Treachery: The full, unexpurgated truth about the Russian ...'', y [[Harry Champan Pincher]]</ref> |
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | 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.<ref>''Anthony Blunt: His Lives'', by [[Miranda Carter]], 2001.</ref> | ||
==Writings== | ==Writings== | ||
| − | He was the first head of the Security Service to publish an autobiography, ''Cloak without Dagger'' which came out in 1955.<ref>[http://www.mi5.gov.uk/output/former-dgs.html Former Directors General], MI5, accessed 8 July 2009.</ref> | + | He was the first head of the Security Service to publish an autobiography, ''Cloak without Dagger'' which came out in 1955, after a lot of censorship by [[MI5]].<ref>[http://www.mi5.gov.uk/output/former-dgs.html Former Directors General], MI5, accessed 8 July 2009.</ref><ref name=dr>http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/feared-glasgow-cop-beat-gangs-1004061</ref> |
| + | |||
| + | ==Later activities== | ||
| + | After retirement, Sillitoe assisted [[De Beers]] in tackling diamond smuggling, using ambushes, death squads and [[torture]]. He was later sacked by De Beers and returned to England where he chaired a company called Security Express.<ref name=dr/> | ||
==External Resources== | ==External Resources== | ||
Revision as of 15:23, 26 January 2015
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Percy Sillitoe was a former policeman who had headed a number of constabularies before taking over MI5.[1]
Contents
Background
Percy Sillitoe had a remarkable singing voice that earned him a free place at the prestigious St Paul's Cathedral Choir School, giving him not only an education but a chance to sing at the memorial service for Queen Victoria and the coronation of Edward VII.
South Africa
He travelled to South Africa and started working for the Anglo-American Oil Company in 1905. It quickly bored him, and in 1908 he joined the British South African Police as a trooper. After his death, it emerged that he had fathered a child with Mary Museba, then only 13. In 1920, Sillitoe married Dorothy and they went on to have a son and daughter. After a serious illness, he returned to UK "with a plan to become a chief constable".[2]
UK Police
During his time as Chief Constable of City of Glasgow Police, he was credited with the introduction of wireless radios allowing communication between headquarters and vehicles, which 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 credited with breaking the power of the notorious Glasgow razor gangs during the 1930s, made infamous in the novel No Mean City. He was Chief Constable of the city's police force from 1931–42. He introduced the Sillitoe Tartan which is more commonly recognized as the black and white check pattern on police caps, to help visibility during unrest. Sillitoe was very successful in eliminating street gangs from Scotland, and earned the nickname "Hammer of the Gangs". In 1942, Sillitoe was knighted. He left Glasgow in 1942, the most famous cop of his time.[2] After World War II he served as Chief Constable of Kent.
Career
Sillitoe was an outsider brought in to MI5 as an "honest copper" to regularise the service, replacing David Petrie as Director General in May 1946. Until Sillitoe's leadership, "the organisation was totally independent. Its staff was paid in cash, and paid no tax, and salaries could be at the whim of the director general. There was an independent auditor to ensure against embezzlement, but no detailed returns were made to the government and recently retired officers can remember how the directors general of both MI5 and the secret service had hoards of gold sovereigns, which the could hand out for special operations. That situation ended when Sillitoe demanded that MI5 be expanded. The Treasury agreed but only on condition that it could impose controls."[3]
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.[4]
Writings
He was the first head of the Security Service to publish an autobiography, Cloak without Dagger which came out in 1955, after a lot of censorship by MI5.[5][2]
Later activities
After retirement, Sillitoe assisted De Beers in tackling diamond smuggling, using ambushes, death squads and torture. He was later sacked by De Beers and returned to England where he chaired a company called Security Express.[2]
External Resources
- NameBase: Sillitoe Percy Joseph
References
- ↑ Former Directors General, MI5, accessed 8 July 2009.
- ↑ a b c d http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/feared-glasgow-cop-beat-gangs-1004061
- ↑ Their Trade is Treachery: The full, unexpurgated truth about the Russian ..., y Harry Champan Pincher
- ↑ Anthony Blunt: His Lives, by Miranda Carter, 2001.
- ↑ Former Directors General, MI5, accessed 8 July 2009.
