unsolved-murders.co.uk
Unsolved Murders
Tags

Percy Chislett

Age: 29

Sex: male

Date: 30 Aug 1945

Place: St Georges Street, Southampton

Percy Chislett was found shot in a side street of St George's Street in Southampton on 30 August 1945.

He had been shot in the back.

Percy Chislett had left a friends place at 10.45pm to return to his ship but nothing more is known about his movements until he was shot at 11.05pm, leaving a gap of 20 minutes unaccounted for.

A woman was heard speaking to a man immediately before Percy Chislett was shot dead and the police said that they were looking for the woman with teams of special detectives visiting dockside public houses and cafes and questioning women there.

It was also said that the voices of two men had been heard at the same time.

A person said that after the shot was fired that they heard the sound of someone running away, noting that they thought it had been a man wearing heavy boots.

It was thought that the shot had been fired from a pistol. It was thought that it would have probably been an unlicenced gun, and it was noted that the police had found revolvers in several homes that they had searched, as well as revolvers in the handbags of girls questioned in the street.

At his inquest it was said that the only thing certain was that Percy Chislett had not shot himself. It was heard that there was no scorching and that it would have been a physical impossibility for anyone to have shot themselves in the way that he had been shot.

The police said that they took statements from 150 people, but couldn't discover who discharged the firearm.

The only clues were said to have been the discharged bullet, a cartridge case, the sound of running feet and laughter and talk in the darkness just before the shooting.

Regarding the girls found with revolvers, the Coroner said, 'Some of these girls find the idea of a gun in their handbag a tremendous fascination. They will all be brought before the court regardless of their position'.

His inquest, which concluded on 7 January 1946 and returned an open verdict.

He had been a Newfoundland naval rating and had lived in Heart's Delight in Trinity Bay. He had been serving on a Royal Navy tug at the time.


*map pointers are rough estimates based on known location details as per Place field above.

see www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

see Dundee Courier - Tuesday 08 January 1946

see Western Mail - Tuesday 08 January 1946

see Western Daily Press - Monday 03 September 1945

see Daily Herald - Tuesday 08 January 1946

see Daily Mirror - Monday 03 September 1945

see Western Mail - Tuesday 08 January 1946

see Daily Mirror - Monday 03 September 1945

see Western Daily Press - Monday 03 September 1945

see Daily News (London) - Saturday 01 September 1945

see Dundee Courier - Tuesday 08 January 1946