Percy Sillitoe
| Percy Sillitoe | |
|---|---|
| Allegiance | United Kingdom  |
| Service | MI5 |
| Active | 1946-1953 |
| Rank | Director General of MI5 |
| Award(s) | KBE |
|
|
|
| Born | 22 May 1888 Tulse Hill, London, United Kingdom |
| Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Eastbourne, East Sussex, United Kingdom |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Intelligence Officer, Police Officer |
Sir Percy Joseph Sillitoe KBE (1888–1962) was Director general of MI5, the United Kingdom's internal security service, from 1946 to 1953.
Educated at St Paul's Cathedral School.
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 1931–43, having previously undertaken the same role in Sheffield, and went on to head MI5.
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 further credited with the introduction of the Sillitoe Tartan which is more commonly recognized as the black and white diced pattern on police cap bands, originally based on that used by several Scottish regiments on the Glengarry.
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.[1]
References
- ↑ Anthony Blunt: His Lives, by Miranda Carter, 2001.
External links
References and sources
- P. Sillitoe, Cloak without dagger, 1955
- A. E. 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
External links
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Director-General of MI5 1946 - 1953 |
Succeeded by Sir Dick White |
- Use dmy dates from April 2012
- Use British English from April 2012
- 1888 births
- 1962 deaths
- People from Tulse Hill
- Cold War MI5 chiefs
- Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire
- British Chief Constables
- Directors-General of MI5
- British colonial police officers
- Colonial Administrative Service officers
- British South Africa Police officers
- People educated at St. Paul's Cathedral School
- Deputy Lieutenants of Glasgow
- Knights Bachelor
