Jack Slipper
Encyclopedia
Jack Kenneth Slipper was a Detective
Chief Superintendent
in the Metropolitan Police
in London
. He was known as "Slipper of the Yard" (referring to Scotland Yard
). He was mainly known for his role in investigating the Great Train Robbery
in 1963, and in tracking down Ronnie Biggs
after he escaped from prison in 1965.
, west London, and educated at Little Ealing School. He left school aged 14 and worked as an electrician's apprentice until 1941, when he enlisted in the Royal Air Force
. He served as an electrician with a nightfighter squadron at West Malling
, and was then posted to the Rhodesian Air Training Group in Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Harare
, Zimbabwe
) in 1943. Having grown to 6'3", he became light heavyweight
boxing champion of the Rhodesian combined services. He was demobbed in 1946 and returned to work in London as an electrician.
in 1951. He trained at Hendon Police College
, and served briefly as a police constable in Brentford
before moving to Chelsea
. He undertook traffic duties, and guarded the residence of the US Ambassador
at Prince's Gate
.
He joined CID
in 1956. After an unusually short probationary period of little more than 2 years (rather than the usual 3 or 4), he was posted to Acton
as a Detective Constable. He joined the Flying Squad
in 1962, and was quickly promoted to Detective Sergeant, becoming a Detective Inspector by 1968. He left the Flying Squad to be posted to Harlesden
. In 1971, he become a Detective Chief Inspector in Q Division (formed in 1965 to cover the Wembley
area, previously divided between S and T Divisions) and moved to Harrow
, then Detective Chief Superintendent of the stolen-car squad at Chalk Farm
. He was in charge of operations at the Flying Squad from 1973 to 1977 as its deputy head under Commander Don Neesham, and then head of Q Division detectives at Wembley.
He was involved in the investigation of the Shepherd's Bush murders in which three unarmed policemen were shot dead in Shepherd's Bush in August 1966, for which three men were later convicted.
in August 1963. Then a Detective Sergeant with the Flying Squad, Slipper was one of six police officers chosen by its head, Tommy Butler
, to form a special unit to catching the robbers. Several of the robbers, (including Ronnie Biggs) had left fingerprints or palm prints (Biggs' fingerprints were found on a bottle of tomato sauce) at the gang's temporary hideout at Leatherslade Farm in Buckinghamshire. Slipper was present when Biggs was arrested at his home in Redhill
on 4 September 1963.
After being sentenced to 30 years imprisonment in 1964, Biggs escaped from Wandsworth Prison in 1965. Biggs travelled via Paris to Spain and then Melbourne, Australia, where, despite plastic surgery
to alter his appearance, he was identified by his dental records
after visiting a dentist.
In January 1968 after six years with the Flying Squad, and most of the wanted Train Robbers caught, Slipper decided to return back to Division and gained promotion to Detective Chief Inspector in September of that year. After a few other postings, in March 1973 he returned to the Flying Squad as operational Chief Superintendent.
. The newspaper passed his location on to the police, and Slipper travelled to Brazil in 1974, where he attempted to arrest Biggs in a hotel in Rio de Janeiro
, with the words "Long time no see, Ronnie." The Brazilian government turned down the request for extradition
, on the grounds that Biggs was to become the father of his pregnant Brazilian girlfriend's child, and Slipper was forced to return home empty-handed. Famously, Slipper was photographed on the plane home, sleeping next to an empty seat, and was christened "Slip-up of the Yard" by the press.
Biggs was abducted by former Scots Guards
men in 1981 and taken to Barbados. Another attempt was made to extradite Biggs, but he was returned to Brazil.
" trial in 1973, in which bank robber Bertie Smalls
testified against his former associates in exchange for his own freedom, and then in the trials supported by the evidence of "King Squealer" Maurice O'Mahoney.
Slipper helped to set up the Robbery Squad, which later merged into the Flying Squad
.
After Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Robert Mark
initiated an "interchange" policy, which required CID officers to return to uniformed work, Slipper ended his career as a uniformed Chief Superintendent
as head of X Division in Ruislip
.
, West London
. He also enjoyed playing golf at Sudbury
.
He published an autobiography, Slipper of the Yard, in 1981. He sued the BBC for libel after a documentary "The Great Paper Chase", portrayed Slipper (played by Jeremy Kemp
) and his colleagues as incompetent. The legal action was financed by Sir James Goldsmith
, and Slipper won damages of £50,000, his costs estimated at £400,000, and an apology.
He was awarded the Lord Willis Award in 2004 for his CID work.
He was diagnosed with cancer
in 1999 and died 6 years later, aged 81. He was survived by his wife, Anne, and two daughters.
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
Chief Superintendent
Chief Superintendent
Chief superintendent is a senior rank in police forces organised on the British model.- United Kingdom :In the British police, a chief superintendent is senior to a superintendent and junior to an assistant chief constable .The highest rank below Chief Officer level, chief...
in the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He was known as "Slipper of the Yard" (referring to Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
). He was mainly known for his role in investigating the Great Train Robbery
Great Train Robbery (1963)
The Great Train Robbery is the name given to a £2.6 million train robbery committed on 8 August 1963 at Bridego Railway Bridge, Ledburn near Mentmore in Buckinghamshire, England. The bulk of the stolen money was not recovered...
in 1963, and in tracking down Ronnie Biggs
Ronnie Biggs
Ronald Arthur "Ronnie" Biggs is an English criminal, known for his role in the Great Train Robbery of 1963, for his escape from prison in 1965, for living as a fugitive for 36 years and for his various publicity stunts while in exile. In 2001, he voluntarily returned to the United Kingdom and...
after he escaped from prison in 1965.
Early life
Slipper was born in EalingEaling
Ealing is a suburban area of west London, England and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Ealing. It is located west of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically a rural village...
, west London, and educated at Little Ealing School. He left school aged 14 and worked as an electrician's apprentice until 1941, when he enlisted in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. He served as an electrician with a nightfighter squadron at West Malling
West Malling
West Malling is a historic market town in the Tonbridge and Malling district of Kent, England. It has a population of about 3000-5000.-Landmarks:...
, and was then posted to the Rhodesian Air Training Group in Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Harare
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
) in 1943. Having grown to 6'3", he became light heavyweight
Light heavyweight
In boxing, the light heavyweight is a weight division above 168 pounds [12 Stone or 76.204 kilograms] and up to 175 pounds [12.5 stone or 79.38 kilograms]), falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight...
boxing champion of the Rhodesian combined services. He was demobbed in 1946 and returned to work in London as an electrician.
Early Police career
Slipper joined the Metropolitan PoliceMetropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
in 1951. He trained at Hendon Police College
Hendon Police College
Hendon Police College is the principal training centre for London's Metropolitan Police Service. Founded with the official name of the Metropolitan Police College, the college is today officially called the Peel Centre, although its original name is still used frequently...
, and served briefly as a police constable in Brentford
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located at the confluence of the River Thames and the River Brent, west-southwest of Charing Cross. Its former ceremonial county was Middlesex.-Toponymy:...
before moving to Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
. He undertook traffic duties, and guarded the residence of the US Ambassador
United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom
The office of United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom was traditionally, and still is very much so today due to the Special Relationship, the most prestigious position in the United States Foreign Service...
at Prince's Gate
Prince's Gate
Prince's Gate may be:* Princes' Gate, a monumental gate at Exhibition Place, Toronto, Canada* Princes Gate, a street in South Kensington, London, England...
.
He joined CID
Criminal Investigation Department
The Crime Investigation Department is the branch of all Territorial police forces within the British Police and many other Commonwealth police forces, to which plain clothes detectives belong. It is thus distinct from the Uniformed Branch and the Special Branch.The Metropolitan Police Service CID,...
in 1956. After an unusually short probationary period of little more than 2 years (rather than the usual 3 or 4), he was posted to Acton
Acton, London
Acton is a district of west London, England, located in the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross.At the time of the 2001 census, Acton, comprising the wards of East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton and Southfield, had a population of 53,689 people...
as a Detective Constable. He joined the Flying Squad
Flying Squad
The Flying Squad is a branch of the Specialist Crime Directorate, within London's Metropolitan Police Service. The Squad's purpose is to investigate commercial armed robberies, along with the prevention and investigation of other serious armed crime...
in 1962, and was quickly promoted to Detective Sergeant, becoming a Detective Inspector by 1968. He left the Flying Squad to be posted to Harlesden
Harlesden
Harlesden is an area in the London Borough of Brent, northwest London, UK. Its main focal point is the Jubilee Clock which commemorates Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee....
. In 1971, he become a Detective Chief Inspector in Q Division (formed in 1965 to cover the Wembley
Wembley
Wembley is an area of northwest London, England, and part of the London Borough of Brent. It is home to the famous Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena...
area, previously divided between S and T Divisions) and moved to Harrow
Harrow, London
Harrow is an area in the London Borough of Harrow, northwest London, United Kingdom. It is a suburban area and is situated 12.2 miles northwest of Charing Cross...
, then Detective Chief Superintendent of the stolen-car squad at Chalk Farm
Chalk Farm
Chalk Farm is an area of north London, England. It lies directly to the north of Camden Town and its underground station is the closest tube station to the nearby, upmarket neighbourhood of Primrose Hill....
. He was in charge of operations at the Flying Squad from 1973 to 1977 as its deputy head under Commander Don Neesham, and then head of Q Division detectives at Wembley.
He was involved in the investigation of the Shepherd's Bush murders in which three unarmed policemen were shot dead in Shepherd's Bush in August 1966, for which three men were later convicted.
Great Train Robbery
Slipper was mainly known for his role in investigating the Great Train RobberyGreat Train Robbery (1963)
The Great Train Robbery is the name given to a £2.6 million train robbery committed on 8 August 1963 at Bridego Railway Bridge, Ledburn near Mentmore in Buckinghamshire, England. The bulk of the stolen money was not recovered...
in August 1963. Then a Detective Sergeant with the Flying Squad, Slipper was one of six police officers chosen by its head, Tommy Butler
Tommy Butler
Thomas "Tommy" Butler was a Detective Chief Superintendent in the Metropolitan Police in London. He was most notable for leading the team of detectives that investigated the Great Train Robbery in 1963. He never married and lived with his mother. Butler was arguably the most renowned head of the...
, to form a special unit to catching the robbers. Several of the robbers, (including Ronnie Biggs) had left fingerprints or palm prints (Biggs' fingerprints were found on a bottle of tomato sauce) at the gang's temporary hideout at Leatherslade Farm in Buckinghamshire. Slipper was present when Biggs was arrested at his home in Redhill
Redhill, Surrey
Redhill is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead, Surrey, England and is part of the London commuter belt. Redhill and the adjacent town of Reigate form a single urban area.-History:...
on 4 September 1963.
After being sentenced to 30 years imprisonment in 1964, Biggs escaped from Wandsworth Prison in 1965. Biggs travelled via Paris to Spain and then Melbourne, Australia, where, despite plastic surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
to alter his appearance, he was identified by his dental records
Dental Records
Dental Records is a small, independent record label, based in Ipswich, UK.-Releases:*DRCD0501 The Ballistics - Allow Me To Demonstrate*DRCD0601 Singled Out - Hardcore Seanography*DRCD0602 The Ballistics - The Spirit Of Kelso Cochrane...
after visiting a dentist.
In January 1968 after six years with the Flying Squad, and most of the wanted Train Robbers caught, Slipper decided to return back to Division and gained promotion to Detective Chief Inspector in September of that year. After a few other postings, in March 1973 he returned to the Flying Squad as operational Chief Superintendent.
Chasing Ronnie Biggs
Despite rumours, Biggs remained untraced until 1974, when he gave an interview to the Daily ExpressDaily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
. The newspaper passed his location on to the police, and Slipper travelled to Brazil in 1974, where he attempted to arrest Biggs in a hotel in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, with the words "Long time no see, Ronnie." The Brazilian government turned down the request for extradition
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
, on the grounds that Biggs was to become the father of his pregnant Brazilian girlfriend's child, and Slipper was forced to return home empty-handed. Famously, Slipper was photographed on the plane home, sleeping next to an empty seat, and was christened "Slip-up of the Yard" by the press.
Biggs was abducted by former Scots Guards
Scots Guards
The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
men in 1981 and taken to Barbados. Another attempt was made to extradite Biggs, but he was returned to Brazil.
Return of Ronnie Biggs
Biggs finally returned voluntarily to the UK in May 2001. Slipper believed that Biggs should not be released, and regularly appeared in the media to comment on any news item connected to the robbery.Later Police career
He was involved in several major investigations such as the Bank of America robbery in April 1975, in which £8 million was stolen from a branch in Davies Street, Mayfair. He was also involved with Britain's first "SupergrassSupergrass (informer)
Supergrass is a slang term for an informer, which originated in London. Informers had been referred to as "grasses" since the late-1930s, and the "super" prefix was coined by journalists in the early 1970s to describe those informers from the city's underworld who testified against former...
" trial in 1973, in which bank robber Bertie Smalls
Bertie Smalls
Derek Creighton "Bertie" Smalls is considered by many as Britain's first supergrass. Although there have been informers throughout history - the Kray twins were partly convicted two years before Smalls on evidence given by Leslie Payne - the Smalls case was significant for three reasons: the...
testified against his former associates in exchange for his own freedom, and then in the trials supported by the evidence of "King Squealer" Maurice O'Mahoney.
Slipper helped to set up the Robbery Squad, which later merged into the Flying Squad
Flying Squad
The Flying Squad is a branch of the Specialist Crime Directorate, within London's Metropolitan Police Service. The Squad's purpose is to investigate commercial armed robberies, along with the prevention and investigation of other serious armed crime...
.
After Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Robert Mark
Robert Mark
Sir Robert Mark, GBE, QPM was an English police officer who served as Chief Constable of Leicester City Police, and later as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police from 1972 to 1977....
initiated an "interchange" policy, which required CID officers to return to uniformed work, Slipper ended his career as a uniformed Chief Superintendent
Chief Superintendent
Chief superintendent is a senior rank in police forces organised on the British model.- United Kingdom :In the British police, a chief superintendent is senior to a superintendent and junior to an assistant chief constable .The highest rank below Chief Officer level, chief...
as head of X Division in Ruislip
Ruislip
Ruislip is a suburban area, centred on an old village in Greater London, and is part of the London Borough of Hillingdon.It was formerly also a parish covering the neighbouring areas of Eastcote, Northwood, Ruislip Manor and South Ruislip in the area. The parish appears in the Domesday Book, and...
.
Later life
Slipper retired in 1979 after 28 years service, and became a security consultant. He worked in security for IBM UK in the 1980s and 1990s from offices in GreenfordGreenford
Greenford is a large suburb in the London Borough of Ealing in west London, UK. It was historically an ancient parish in the former county of Middlesex. The most prominent landmarks in the suburb are the A40, a major dual-carriageway; Horsenden Hill, above sea level; the small Parish Church of...
, West London
West London
West London generally refers to the western portions of London, and may refer specifically to:*West *West End of London*W postcode area...
. He also enjoyed playing golf at Sudbury
Sudbury, London
Sudbury is a suburb in the London Boroughs of Brent and Harrow, located in northwest London, UK.Sudbury is an historical area having once extended from the 'South Manor- Sudbury' to the area that is now known as Wembley Central...
.
He published an autobiography, Slipper of the Yard, in 1981. He sued the BBC for libel after a documentary "The Great Paper Chase", portrayed Slipper (played by Jeremy Kemp
Jeremy Kemp
Jeremy Kemp is an English actor. He is known for his roles in the miniseries The Winds of War, The Blue Max and Z-Cars....
) and his colleagues as incompetent. The legal action was financed by Sir James Goldsmith
James Goldsmith
Sir James Michael "Jimmy" Goldsmith was an Anglo-French billionaire financier and tycoon. Towards the end of his life, he became a magazine publisher and a politician. In 1994, he was elected to represent France as a Member of the European Parliament and he subsequently founded the short-lived...
, and Slipper won damages of £50,000, his costs estimated at £400,000, and an apology.
He was awarded the Lord Willis Award in 2004 for his CID work.
He was diagnosed with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 1999 and died 6 years later, aged 81. He was survived by his wife, Anne, and two daughters.
Further reading
- Slipper of the Yard: Autobiography of Jack Slipper. ISBN 0-283-98702-2