The latest series of Peaky Blinders has crossed the halfway mark and things are starting to get interesting with viewers meeting rival kingpin Jimmy McCavern (played by Brian Gleeson) once again. McCavern made his entrance at the end of episode two called Black Cats as he mercilessly murdered Bonnie Gold (Jack Rowan) and brutally attacked his father Aberama (Aidan Gillen).
This week saw Aberama vowing revenge on McCavern and going to Scotland to launch a reprisal attack for the death of his son.
He warned the Billy Boys – who were also known as the Bridgeton razor gang – that he had a bullet with McCavern’s name engraved on it and was coming for him.
Aberama also set a trap for McCavern, trying to take him out with grenades he’d planted at a fake campsite to lure the gang leader to in hopes of killing him.
Although the grenades nearly killed McCavern, they ultimately failed, McCavern gazed into the flames of the ensuing explosion and planned his next move in his war with Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) and the rest of the Peaky Blinders.
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Was Jimmy McCavern a real person?
In Peaky Blinders, McCavern is very much running the show when it comes to the Billy Boys.
The official BBC website teases the character, stating: “The Billy Boys and the Peaky Blinders haven’t yet found reason to quarrel, but as one organisation head south and the other north, it is only a matter of time. And Jimmy is most definitely up for the fight.”
However, McCavern appears to be a fictitious character created by Peaky Blinders writer Steven Knight rather than a real person.
The Billy Boys was led by a man named Billy Fullerton, who ran the sectarian and staunchly Protestant gang.
READ MORE: Peaky Blinders season 5: Were the Billy Boys a real gang?
According to journalist-turned-historian Robert Jeffrey, the Billy Boys was “so disciplined” and “like a private army” with Fullerton running a tight ship.
Jeffrey explained to BBC Scotland: “Like in gangster films and TV shows, such as Peaky Blinders, you needed someone at the top who has got to have the guts and the respect and carry the troops with him.”
He went on to explain the Billy Boys liked to stoke religious tensions.
Jeffrey said: “The main aim was to damage the Catholic population and make them feel unwelcome.”
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He continued: “They would march up and down Norman Street, where the Conks came from, and sing we are the Billy Boys.
“The intention of that was to terrify the Catholic inhabitants of the area.”
As Peaky Blinders fans will be aware, the song was indeed used in the TV show shortly before they launched their devastating attack on Bonnie and Aberama.
The Billy Boys and their leader Fullerton were linked to Oswald Mosley and his fascist party in real life.
Season five sees Tommy spying on Mosley for the king and the government, playing a dangerous game with the controversial MP.
Mosley was trying to take Tommy away from the Labour Party and join the Fascists.
Tommy is clearly against Mosley but has to stay on the right side of the politician if he is to maintain his cover.
Peaky Blinders airs on BBC One on Sundays at 9pm