Sheffield Gangs and the Flying Squad

[Hamilton]

Does anyone have family stories about the dailt lives and activities of the gamblers and gangsters of the 1920's or the policemen who went roung beating them up/

I cannot understand why they did not gang up on the coppers or attack their homes.

[Dannyj]

My Great grandmas Brother, Married Sam Garvins Daughter Anne. I remember talking to uncle "Iron" when i was a kid, he was a complete gentleman, so maybe it was a respect that the older generation had for the Police at that time.

 

The only conversation i had about the gang wars themselves was with my great grandad Albert (Belch), all he said about the Bobbies at that time was that they were "Bloody Huge", so i suppose we have to draw our own conclusions!

[deadgobby]

cannot understand why they did not gang up on the coppers or attack their homes. [/b] because the coppers would go round thier homes and beat the crap out of them, then lock them up for not respecting the law!!!! this is in the days before political correctness,as in the coppers hands were not tied.they could enforce the law

[extaxman]

My dad used to tell me about someone who got arrested for assaulting a policeman. When he got in the dock he tried changing the charge to attempted suicide!

[timo]

Didn't a Glasgow Inspector by the name of Shillitoe introduce brutal [and well deserved] tactics, effectively battering the various gangs into submission? My late paternal Grandmother claimed this was so.

 

Oddly enough, I have met a man who claimed to be Shillitoe's great grandson. However, I do not think that he has inherited the 'hard as nails' genes of his ancestor. He is an interior designer in Southport.

[Hamilton]

According to J.P.Bean a solicitor named Harry Morris became disgusted at the police tactics of battering the gangsters. When one of his clients who had been battered was in court swathed in bandages, the police were saying he "fell down," Morris retorted, I change the plea to attempted suicide.

Bean worked from court records and newspaper reports, but I am more interested in family stories.

[Andy]

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=659

 

There are a few books about this too, if people are interested.

[muddycoffee]

I have read the JP bean book and what a tremendous book it is too.

 

It would make a superb film..

 

A bunch of extremely hard coppers hand picked for a special duties squad.. That bang the living daylights out of the gang leaders before they knew what had hit them.

 

I understand that "the Sweeney" as they were later called were used in london but invented during this time in sheffield.

[ANTHONY]

I'm a bit late getting this off 'cos I've been away from the forum for some time. Percy Sillitoe was the Chief Constable in Glasgow who whacked the gangs there with unortodox methods. The Home Secretary of the day had him posted to Sheffield to do the same. As Sir Percy he subsequently headed MI5

[peterw]

I'm a bit late getting this off 'cos I've been away from the forum for some time. Percy Sillitoe was the Chief Constable in Glasgow who whacked the gangs there with unortodox methods. The Home Secretary of the day had him posted to Sheffield to do the same. As Sir Percy he subsequently headed MI5

 

Wrong way round I think. Percy Sillitoe was chief constable of Sheffield and his policy was to meet force with force. When the gangs went out in force, the police met them by going out in tens. His policy worked. He cleared the gangs from Sheffield and was then appointed Chief Constable of Glasgow where he did the same thing. His success led to a knighthood, and as Sir Percy Sillitoe he was given the top job at M.I.5

 

Sheffield, incidentally, was the first force in Britain to have a Flying Squad.