[1] After schooling in Peterborough,[1] Terry joined the Birmingham City Constabulary in 1940, eventually securing promotion through the ranks to Superintendent.
[1] There, he implemented a range of modernising reforms, improving communication systems and introducing motor scooters for women police officers.
[2] After retiring from the police, Terry was embroiled in controversy as chairman of Polygraph Security Services, the British company offering lie detector tests.
[1] He was, according to The Telegraph, "one of the most respected policemen of his generation ... a tall, handsome man of enormous vitality, he rejuvenated each command with ruthless perfectionism, and won a reputation as an outstanding innovator".
[2] Averse to dogma and excessive bureaucracy, Terry was outspoken and devoted to his officers; "suspicious of teetotallers", he enjoyed drinking with those he found amicable, honest and ready to admit their mistakes.