The son of Thomas William Shapcott and his wife, Annie Swan, he was born at Camberwell.[1] Shapcott enlisted in the Royal Air Force as a pilot officer in the Stores Branch RAF Cranwell in October 1926,[2] with confirmation in the rank and promotion to flying officer coming in October 1927.[3] He made his debut in first-class cricket for the Royal Air Force cricket team against the Royal Navy at The Oval in 1927.[4] He played first-class cricket for the Royal Air Force until 1932, making four appearances.[4] He scored a total of 246 runs at an average of 35.14, with a highest score of 68.[5] He was based in British India in 1929, serving as a stores officer at an aircraft depot.[2] He was promoted to the rank of flight lieutenant in April 1934,[6] when based at RAF Boscombe Down.[2] He attended the RAF Staff College in January 1936.[2] He married Freda Beatrice Johnson in 1936, with the couple having four children.[1] He was promoted to the rank of squadron leader in October 1938.[7]
Serving during the Second World War, he was promoted to the temporary rank of wing commander in June 1940,[8] with Shapcott gaining the full war substantive rank in October 1943.[9] He was promoted to the rank of group captain in January 1944.[10] He was mentioned in dispatches in June 1944 and again in January 1945.[11][12] Shapcott received the Legion of Merit from the United States in October 1945.[13] He was commanding a maintenance unit at RAF Burtonwood in 1947,[2] and was director of movements in 1950.[2] He was the air officer commanding 206 Group in the Middle East from 1952–54.[2][1] He was promoted to the rank of air commodore in January 1953.[14] He was the director of equipment at the Air Ministry from December 1954.[2] He was made a CBE in the 1955 New Year Honours.[15] He retired from active service in January 1958, retaining the rank of air commodore.[16]
He died at St Pancras in April 1977. His was survived by his wife, who died in 1995.[1]