Post by frankthetriviaman on Mar 27, 2019 13:54:47 GMT -5
After getting some feedback I realized that there was a bit of a plot hole to Walton's story; may as well fix it
......
As he sat at his desk looking over the papers, Detective Sergeant Walton could not believe how reckless the criminal element had become in London.
It was February 1946 and he had only just returned to Scotland Yard after completing his service in the SAS. Having a lot of "catching up" to do, he was going over various documents and papers to see what he could make out. And it was clear that things were not just "garden variety" burglars and vandals anymore.
"...and the mob just rose to power, unopposed?" He asked another detective in disbelief.
"How could we fight back? Most regular officers don't carry weapons to begin with, and the mob seems to have American affiliates who give them all the firepower they could ever want" Gerrick explained.
"I see... and Commissioner Gent didn't do anything about it?" Walton asked.
"Not really... he ordered some weapons to be used in specific circumstances but these mobsters... they're something else all together. It's like... it's like they aren't just thugs or grunts" Gerrick explained.
"Wouldn't be surprised if some of them were veterans of the Irish war of Independence" Walton observed, "and some of these acts I'm seeing are consistent with militaristic approaches to crime, not just "spur of the moment" or petty-level stuff" Walton noted.
"What can we do about it?" Gerrick asked.
"Not sure... but if we don't think of a solution soon, I think things will only get worse" Walton observed. His premonition proved to be scarily accurate.
By late 1946, crimes were starting to become more.... "dramatic" in London, to say the least. Between the mob and the rise of a "Ripper Underground" and other factions, it was as if a war was taking place right under the populace's noses. The mob brazenly attacked stores and people in broad daylight, armed with sub-machine guns and rifles no ordinary criminal would regularly use. In response, other factions fought back just as brazenly, sometimes getting innocent people hurt in the crossfire.
But it was November 20, 1946 that was the last straw for Walton. The day Scotland Yard still remembers as "The day Hell came to Earth"
The Irish Mob and Ripper Underground had their first major conflict. No one is entirely sure of the details as they have been lost to history, but speculation is that Mob boss Ryan O'Connor was to meet Lord Bury to discuss "terms" moving forward. With Lord Bury wanting to unite crime under his control, he saw the mob as both a potential threat... and a potential asset.
What happened during the meeting is anyone's guess... but what followed is all too certain.
Approximately 8 blocks of London became a literal War zone as the Irish and the Rippers suddenly opened fire on each other, tearing that stretch of the city apart as innocents tried to flee for their lives.
Scotland Yard found themselves powerless to stop the slaughter... what few officers that did have firearms tried to reign in the insanity, but were overwhelmed by the superior firearms of the Irish. Despite being able to make the occasional arrest of stragglers and individuals cut off from the rest of the fight, the battle ultimately ended when both sides pulled out.
21 members of the Irish Mob, and 46 members of the Ripper Underground were killed that day, and countless more probably wounded... the fact both sides retreated with their wounded makes it impossible to know for certain.
Worst yet though... 3 officers and 7 civilians were also killed... caught in the crossfire and unable to get to safety.
Not long after, Walton came forward with a proposal to Commissioner Gent... having connections in the SAS, he knew that he could pull it off, he just needed approval from the top.
"... don't you see, sir? Things are only going to get more dangerous! And we were powerless to stop it... if we are going to go against these new kinds of criminals, we have to be able to match their firepower, it's the only way" Walton reasoned.
"And what makes you certain that this will give us the edge we need?" Gent asked.
"Clearly, these syndicates have resources. They have manpower and a black market of illegal weapons. But knowing the black market, these weapons are probably not in the best of shape. Therefore, an arsenal of weapons they use, straight from good sources, is the only chance we have" Walton explained, before going into other points about the increased danger and need to address it. After the presentation, Gent realized that Walton was right, and gave the approval.
"All right... we will move forward with this. However, I don't want you shooting everything in sight" Gent declared.
"I am aware" Walton assured.
Indeed, following the adoption of Walton's "special equipment" Scotland Yard was now able to make small, but important victories against the crime syndicates here and there. But Walton knew he couldn't abuse this power, and swore that it would only come out "When the danger was so great, that confronting it normally is more dangerous than confronting it without the additional firepower" which, thankfully, only applied to the highly organized crime syndicates.
Walton's work in the 40's and 50's is believed to be part of the reasoning behind Scotland Yard's establishment of the Specialist Firearms Command in 1966; a unit still in existence today who some members say, "In some ways, without Walton's foresight, there would be no SCO19"
......
As he sat at his desk looking over the papers, Detective Sergeant Walton could not believe how reckless the criminal element had become in London.
It was February 1946 and he had only just returned to Scotland Yard after completing his service in the SAS. Having a lot of "catching up" to do, he was going over various documents and papers to see what he could make out. And it was clear that things were not just "garden variety" burglars and vandals anymore.
"...and the mob just rose to power, unopposed?" He asked another detective in disbelief.
"How could we fight back? Most regular officers don't carry weapons to begin with, and the mob seems to have American affiliates who give them all the firepower they could ever want" Gerrick explained.
"I see... and Commissioner Gent didn't do anything about it?" Walton asked.
"Not really... he ordered some weapons to be used in specific circumstances but these mobsters... they're something else all together. It's like... it's like they aren't just thugs or grunts" Gerrick explained.
"Wouldn't be surprised if some of them were veterans of the Irish war of Independence" Walton observed, "and some of these acts I'm seeing are consistent with militaristic approaches to crime, not just "spur of the moment" or petty-level stuff" Walton noted.
"What can we do about it?" Gerrick asked.
"Not sure... but if we don't think of a solution soon, I think things will only get worse" Walton observed. His premonition proved to be scarily accurate.
By late 1946, crimes were starting to become more.... "dramatic" in London, to say the least. Between the mob and the rise of a "Ripper Underground" and other factions, it was as if a war was taking place right under the populace's noses. The mob brazenly attacked stores and people in broad daylight, armed with sub-machine guns and rifles no ordinary criminal would regularly use. In response, other factions fought back just as brazenly, sometimes getting innocent people hurt in the crossfire.
But it was November 20, 1946 that was the last straw for Walton. The day Scotland Yard still remembers as "The day Hell came to Earth"
The Irish Mob and Ripper Underground had their first major conflict. No one is entirely sure of the details as they have been lost to history, but speculation is that Mob boss Ryan O'Connor was to meet Lord Bury to discuss "terms" moving forward. With Lord Bury wanting to unite crime under his control, he saw the mob as both a potential threat... and a potential asset.
What happened during the meeting is anyone's guess... but what followed is all too certain.
Approximately 8 blocks of London became a literal War zone as the Irish and the Rippers suddenly opened fire on each other, tearing that stretch of the city apart as innocents tried to flee for their lives.
Scotland Yard found themselves powerless to stop the slaughter... what few officers that did have firearms tried to reign in the insanity, but were overwhelmed by the superior firearms of the Irish. Despite being able to make the occasional arrest of stragglers and individuals cut off from the rest of the fight, the battle ultimately ended when both sides pulled out.
21 members of the Irish Mob, and 46 members of the Ripper Underground were killed that day, and countless more probably wounded... the fact both sides retreated with their wounded makes it impossible to know for certain.
Worst yet though... 3 officers and 7 civilians were also killed... caught in the crossfire and unable to get to safety.
Not long after, Walton came forward with a proposal to Commissioner Gent... having connections in the SAS, he knew that he could pull it off, he just needed approval from the top.
"... don't you see, sir? Things are only going to get more dangerous! And we were powerless to stop it... if we are going to go against these new kinds of criminals, we have to be able to match their firepower, it's the only way" Walton reasoned.
"And what makes you certain that this will give us the edge we need?" Gent asked.
"Clearly, these syndicates have resources. They have manpower and a black market of illegal weapons. But knowing the black market, these weapons are probably not in the best of shape. Therefore, an arsenal of weapons they use, straight from good sources, is the only chance we have" Walton explained, before going into other points about the increased danger and need to address it. After the presentation, Gent realized that Walton was right, and gave the approval.
"All right... we will move forward with this. However, I don't want you shooting everything in sight" Gent declared.
"I am aware" Walton assured.
Indeed, following the adoption of Walton's "special equipment" Scotland Yard was now able to make small, but important victories against the crime syndicates here and there. But Walton knew he couldn't abuse this power, and swore that it would only come out "When the danger was so great, that confronting it normally is more dangerous than confronting it without the additional firepower" which, thankfully, only applied to the highly organized crime syndicates.
Walton's work in the 40's and 50's is believed to be part of the reasoning behind Scotland Yard's establishment of the Specialist Firearms Command in 1966; a unit still in existence today who some members say, "In some ways, without Walton's foresight, there would be no SCO19"