About Daphne Skillern
Lived 1927 – 2012 (aged 84). Daphne Skillern was a police officer.
Kathleen Daphne Skillern (29 November 1927 – 20 October 2012) was a British police officer. She was the second woman to hold the rank of commander in the London Metropolitan Police (after Shirley Becke) and the first woman to head a branch at Scotland Yard apart from A4 (Women Police), which was disbanded in 1973; in 1974 she took command of CO (Commissioner's Office) Branch, responsible for research and personnel.
Skillern spent most of her career as a detective in the Criminal Investigation Department. She was promoted to commander on 29 April 1974. In August 1977 she was transferred to head the C1 Department of CID, which included the Obscene Publications Squad, the first woman to head this department. She was awarded the Queen's Police Medal (QPM) in the 1979 Birthday Honours and retired in 1980.
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Important facts
People in Daphne Skillern's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Daphne Skillern's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Daphne Skillern?
British Metropolitan Police chief officer
When was Daphne Skillern born?
Daphne Skillern was born on 29 November 1927.
When did Daphne Skillern die?
Daphne Skillern died on 20 October 2012.
What was Daphne Skillern's occupation?
Daphne Skillern was a police officer.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Daphne Skillern. https://biography.guide/daphne-skillern/
MLA: "Daphne Skillern." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/daphne-skillern/.
Chicago: "Daphne Skillern." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/daphne-skillern/.
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