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	5 April 1962(1962-04-05) (aged 73) Eastbourne, East Sussex, United Kingdom
Nationality	British
Occupation	Intelligence Officer, Police Officer

Sir Percy Joseph Sillitoe KBE (22 May 1888 – 5 April 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

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

• The Glasgow Story - Chief Constable Sir Percy Sillitoe