Tommy Butler

Tommy Butler
Born	1912
Died	20 April 1970
Police career
Department	Metropolitan Police Service
Rank	Chief Superintendent, head of the Flying Squad.

Thomas Marius Joseph “Tommy” Butler MBE (1912 – 20 April 1970) 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 Flying Squad in its history. He became known as "One Day" Tommy for the speed with which he apprehended criminals and the "Grey Fox" for his shrewdness. He was Scotland Yard's most formidable thief taker.

Butler was far from a typical policeman, he had a meteoric rise through the ranks, going from detective sergeant to chief superintendent in under a decade. Butler was utterly committed to his work, as a lifelong bachelor who lived with his mother in West London. He was a non-smoker and only moderate drinker.

Butler was involved in an investigation of corrupt policemen in Brighton and also investigated and curtailed the activities of Jack Spot and Bill Hill.

At one point in his career, he had even been sent to Cyprus before it gained independence from Britain in 1960, to advise the police on how to combat the Greek Cypriot group EOKA, led by General Grivas. From 1955-1959 EOKA waged an armed struggle against the British administration which aimed to achieve Enosis, or the union of Greece and Cyprus, similar to Crete and the Ionian Islands.

Malcolm Fewtrell of Buckinghamshire CID and Detective Superintendent Gerald McArthur of Scotland Yard were in charge of carrying out the initial hunt for the thieves. McArthur was sent by Scotland Yard upon the request of the local police force, and had Detective Sergeant John Pritchard assisting him.

George Hatherill, Commander of the C Department and Ernie Millen, Detective Chief Superintendent, and chief of the Flying Squad were initially in charge of the London side of the investigation.

Butler became head of the Flying Squad shortly after the Great Train Robbery, after Millen became promoted to Deputy Commander to George Hatherill. On 12 August 1963 Butler was appointed to head the Police investigation of the London connection (with no local criminals capable of the robbery). He formed the six-man Train Robbery Squad: Detective Inspector Frank Williams, Detective Sergeant Steve Moore, Detective Sergeant Jack Slipper, Detective Sergeant Jim Nevill, Detective Sergeant Lou Van Dyck, and Detective Constable Tommy Thorburn

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