Billy Hill: The forgotten Don
Billy Hill was an icon in the London criminal underworld, but he tends to be forgotten. Read on to find out more.
Image: Trinity Mirror / Mirrorpix / Alamy Stock Photo
When it comes to infamous criminals in British history, the Kray Twins are names that immediately come to mind for many. However, they are far from the only influential criminals who dominated the streets of London.
Billy Hill is an often forgotten name, but he was just as significant in the shadowy underbelly of London crime. Join us here at Sky HISTORY as we dive deeper into the story of Billy Hill, the forgotten Don.
Fascinated by gangsters? Don’t miss Original Gangsters with Sean Bean, coming soon to Sky HISTORY.
The early life of Billy Hill
William (Billy) Charles Hill was born in St Pancras in the UK's capital city, London, on 3rd December 1911. His family was Irish, poor and very large. Hill was one of 16 children.
Hill’s family was already established in the criminal world, and Hill quickly joined the ranks. As a teen, he pickpocketed and committed petty theft. When he was 14, he committed his first stabbing. In the late 1920s, he mostly committed house burglaries, but by the 1930s, he upgraded to committing smash-and-grab raids. Hill specialised in targeting jewellers and furriers for his crimes.
The rise of Billy Hill
As his crimes grew more significant, so too did Hill’s understanding of the strategic elements of organised crime. He was much more than a simple thug; he was able to use his talents to exploit weaknesses and create in-depth strategies.
This came to a head during the Second World War, when Hill thoroughly took advantage of the situation. He began profiteering from the black market, with a specialty in petrol and food. Hill also began supplying forged documents to servicemen who were deserting.
Hill moved to the West End, where he established protection rackets alongside another well-known London gangster called Jacob Colmore, otherwise known as Jack 'Spot' Comer.
His role in the black market established Hill as a serious figurehead in London’s criminal underworld during the war. By the time the war came to an end, both Hill and Comer were prominent gang leaders in London.
Hill fled to South Africa in the 40s when he was faced with a warehouse burglary charge. It didn't take long for him to be extradited back to England and face jail time for his crimes. However, this would not stop Hill from committing his biggest crimes yet.
Hill’s major crimes
One of Hill’s biggest crime jobs was the Eastcastle Street robbery, which occurred in London in May 1952. Hill organised a Post Office van to be ambushed and robbed. The plan was solid and intricate, with diversion routes secured that worked around roadworks and the implication of mail workers to provide scapegoats.
The heist was a huge success, as the robbers successfully obtained £287,000, the equivalent of more than £10,000,000 by modern standards. The crime became famous for being the largest postwar robbery in Britain at the time, and it cemented Hill as a dangerous and clever criminal mind.
Hill was also behind a £40,000 bullion heist two years later, in 1954. Another year later, Hill was also running smuggling operations in Morocco. In the 60s, he established himself in the world of gambling fraud. He and his criminal partners defrauded members of John Aspinall’s Clermont Club out of millions with altered playing cards.
No one was ever officially convicted for these crimes, and no arrests were made. However, Hill is likely the mind behind them. He even alluded to this in his Boss of Britain’s Underworld memoirs.
Billy Hill and the Kray Twins
Billy Hill might have been a more subtle and less publicised criminal than the Kray Twins, but he was incredibly important in the twins' growth as London gangsters. Hill was a mentor and advisor early in their careers as criminals. He helped the twins secure the foundations of their criminal empire, which would be built upon what Hill himself had already established. In this way, Ronnie and Reggie Kray were proteges of a sort, though they had a very different way of going about things.
The two spoke positively of Hill as a mentor, with Reggie later stating that Hill was in a league of his own: 'He stands alone and there will never be another Billy Hill.'
Despite not having the infamy or publicity that the Kray Twins had, Billy Hill was an expert and a highly respected leader of London’s criminal underworld for many years. His reputation speaks for itself, even if his legacy remains somewhat hidden in the shadows.
Want to stay up to date on a range of fascinating historical topics? Then be sure to subscribe to the Sky HISTORY newsletter! By doing so, you’ll get exclusive access to all the latest articles, videos, and more.
