Sir William Derrick Capper

CStJ QPM
Born(1912-01-03)3 January 1912
Upton Magna, Shropshire
Died21 March 1977(1977-03-21) (aged 65)
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
NationalityBritish
OccupationChief constable

Sir William Derrick Capper CStJ QPM (3 January 1912 – 21 March 1977) was an English police officer and the first Chief Constable of West Midlands Police.[1]

Early life and education

Derrick Capper (as he preferred to continue being known after knighthood) was born in Shropshire on 3 January 1912, son of John Herman Capper, a farmer, of Downton Farm, Upton Magna near Shrewsbury. He was educated at the Priory Grammar School for Boys, Shrewsbury in Shrewsbury and the University of Birmingham,[2][3] where he read mathematics.[4]

Career

Capper became disillusioned with university life and, during time of the 1930s depression, decided on a police career.[4] He studied at Hendon Police College between 1937 and 1939, following which he joined the Metropolitan Police, as a Police Constable, serving into the years of World War II[5] in London's East End.[3] Apart from an interval detached as an Assistant Superintendent with the Nigerian Police from 1944 to 1946, the first half of his career was spent in the 'Met', during which time he was Station Inspector (1946–49), Chief Inspector (1949-51), Superintendent (1951–57), ultimately Chief Superintendent (1957–58).[5]

He moved to Birmingham when appointed Assistant Chief Constable of Birmingham City Police in January 1959. In May that year he was promoted Deputy Chief Constable and later appointed as the Chief Constable in 1963.[5] When interviewed about his new role, Capper stated that although fighting crime was a priority, he also had an interest in road traffic and vowed to tackle challenges in this area of policing.[6]

Capper was involved in the Battle of Saltley Gate in 1972, a confrontation between police and picketing miners in the Saltley area of Birmingham during the UK miners' strike.[7]

Capper continued his role as Chief Constable upon the creation of the West Midlands Police on 1 April 1974 after the introduction of the Local Government Act 1972.

During his service, Capper was also made the president of the Association of Chief Police Officers. He remained at West Midlands Police until his retirement on 30 June 1975.[8] He was succeeded by Philip Knights

Death

After two operations, Capper died at Shrewsbury Nuffield Nursing Home on 21 March 1977,[3] and was cremated.[9]

Honours and awards

Capper was made a Knight Bachelor in the 1968 Birthday Honours.[10] He was also made an Officer of the Order of St John in 1965[11] and later promoted to Commander in 1974.[12] He was awarded the Queens Police Medal in 1962.[13]

Order of St John (CStJ)1965
Knight Bachelor1968
Queens Police Medal (QPM)1962
Defence Medal1945
War Medal 1939–19451945
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal1953
Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal1972

Personal life

Capper married in 1939 Muriel, daughter of Alfred Woodhouse of Shrewsbury. The couple had two daughters.[5][2]

In 1973 he stood 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) tall "in policeman's boots".[4]

Capper was a member of the Freemasons,[14] and keen player of golf, rugby football and athletics sports.[5] In 1976 he became the first deputy-chairman of the West Midlands Council for Sport and Recreation and at the time of his death he was president of the Shrewsbury Rugby Football Club.[3]

Following his retirement from the police service he lived in Shrewsbury at 18 Sandiway, Radbrook.

References

  1. ↑ West Midlands Police, Sir Derrick Capper (1974). Chief Constable's Report.
  2. 1 2 Kelly's Handbook, 1977. Kelly's. p. 238.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Former police chief dies, 65". Shropshire Star. p. 1.
  4. 1 2 3 "New police chief had tough start". Shropshire Star. 4 September 1973. p. 4.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Who Was Who, Volume VII: 1971-1980. A and C Black. 1981. p. 128. ISBN 0-7136-2176-1.
  6. ↑ "Midlands News: 01.07.1963: Interview with the Chief Constable of Birmingham". Media Archive for Central England. 1 July 1963. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  7. ↑ Kellaway, Robert (2010). "Re-examining the Battle of Saltley Gate: inter- pretations of leadership, violence and legacy" (PDF). Department of Historical Studies: Best Undergraduate Dissertations of 2010. University of Bristol: 20. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  8. ↑ West Midlands Police, Philip Knights (1975). Chief Constable's Report.
  9. ↑ Death notice, Shropshire Star, page 2, 22 March 1977.
  10. ↑ "No. 44600". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 May 1968. p. 6299.
  11. ↑ "No. 43547". The London Gazette. 12 January 1965. p. 405.
  12. ↑ "No. 46322". The London Gazette. 11 June 1974. p. 6880.
  13. ↑ "No. 42683". The London Gazette. 2 June 1962. p. 4338.
  14. ↑ "A brotherhood based on loyalty not conspiracy; Do you have to be a Mason to succeed in the police? Harry Hawkes reports". Birmingham Post. 26 February 1998.
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