A Quick Rundown Of The Great Train Robbery, 1963
On the evening of Thursday, August 8, 1963, a Travelling Post Office train departed from Glasgow bound for Euston. The train's staff were busy sorting through mail and parcels en route to London. The second carriage behind the front of the train was dedicated to handling high-value packages, particularly registered mail containing a significant amount of cash.
Typically, these items would total around £300,000, but due to a Bank Holiday weekend in Scotland, the amount on the day of the robbery reached £2.3 million (equivalent to £69 million or $73,547,750 in today's value).
The Robbers
The key figures in the Great Train Robbery included:
Bruce Reynolds: The mastermind behind the robbery. Reynolds was a career criminal with a knack for planning high-stakes crimes. He was the brains behind the operation, coordinating every detail.
Ronnie Biggs: Perhaps the most famous of the robbers, Biggs was a small-time crook who was brought in to help with the robbery. His role was to recruit a train driver to replace the actual driver once the train was stopped.
Buster Edwards: Known for his involvement in several robberies, Edwards was a key member of the gang. He later gained a degree of infamy and sympathy after the robbery.
Charlie Wilson: The gang's treasurer, Wilson was responsible for managing the money after the robbery. His cool demeanor earned him the nickname "the silent man."
Roy James: An accomplished racing car driver, James was the getaway driver for the gang. His expertise in fast driving was crucial to their escape plan.
Jimmy White, Bob Welch, Tommy Wisbey, Jim Hussey, Roger Cordrey, and others: Each had specific roles, from cutting communication lines to assisting with the physical handling of the money.
The wrong signal
At around 3am on 8 August 1963, the train went past Leighton Buzzard, and shortly after, the driver, Jack Mills, noticed a red signal up ahead at a location known as Sears Crossing.
The signal was deceptive. A glove had been placed over the correct signal, and the red light was activated by connecting it to a six-volt battery. Upon stopping, Mills' co-driver, David Whitby, got off the diesel engine to call the signalman and find out the issue.
He found that the cables from the trackside phone had been severed, and as he started to head back to the train, he was assaulted and thrown down the steep railway embankment.
Meanwhile, a masked man climbed into the train cab and coshed the driver around the head rendering him unconscious. Meanwhile, other robbers uncoupled most of the carriages, leaving on the engine and the first two carriages containing the high-value property.
The steep embankments at Sears crossing were unpractical for removing the loot from the train but the gang had planned to drive the train a mile further to Bridego Bridge. Here, Land Rovers were waiting to transport the cash to a nearby hideout.
Soon the well-planned heist encountered a problem. One of the gang had spent months befriending railway staff on the pretence of being a railway enthusiast. He had been allowed rides in the cabs of trains and had even been permitted to drive a few trains.
His part in the robbery was to drive the train to the rendezvous point but as he climbed into the cab of the train he realised that this huge diesel train was far more complicated than the local trains he had previously travelled in. One of the gang, Ronnie Biggs, had to rouse the driver to continue the journey.
In the front two carriages, frightened Post Office staff were pushed to one end by some of the fifteen strong gang – but, in the remaining ten carriages left at Sears Crossing, staff did not even realise anything had happened.
A human chain of robbers
A group of thieves at Bridego Bridge successfully stole 120 sacks containing two-and-a-half-tons of money by forming a human chain. The robbery was carried out efficiently and quickly. As they were leaving, one of the robbers instructed Post Office employees to remain motionless for half an hour before alerting the authorities. This directive provided a crucial lead for investigators, who suspected that the gang had a hideout located within a 30-minute drive from the crime scene.
Subsequently, it was confirmed that the gang had indeed set up base at an old farmhouse called Letherslade Farm in Oakley, Buckinghamshire. Over the following days, the elated thieves divided the stolen money among themselves and even indulged in playing Monopoly with real cash.
A huge police investigation was launched, run by the Flying Squad at Scotland Yard and senior detectives from the Buckinghamshire Police. The officer in overall command was Detective Chief Superintendent Jack Slipper.
Back at the farm, the group started feeling uneasy due to the presence of low-flying RAF planes, which turned out to be part of training exercises and unrelated to the ongoing manhunt. They divided the money, mostly in used £1 and £5 notes (Biggs was entitled to £147,000), and decided to leave the area immediately instead of staying hidden for weeks as originally planned.
A local resident grew suspicious of the activities at the farm and alerted the police. PC John Wooley investigated and discovered significant amounts of discarded food and supplies, as well as sleeping gear in the upstairs rooms and cellar. The premises also contained banknote wrappers, post office bags, and registered mail parcels.
Fingerprints on the Monopoly board
A thorough examination found several fingerprints including some on the Monopoly board and others on a ketchup bottle. These fingerprints and other enquiries led to the offenders and one by one they were arrested.
They all eventually appeared in court. The mastermind of the operation, Bruce Reynolds took five years to track down but received ten years imprisonment. Ronnie Biggs received 30 years but escaped from Wandsworth prison in a furniture van only 15 months later. His flight to Brazil (via Spain and Australia) and subsequent return to the UK in May 2001 have been well documented.
The verdict
The gang received a total of 307 years imprisonment. Despite the huge amount of money stolen none of the thieves were able to live happily on their ill-gotten gains. Buster Edwards ended up running a flower stall at Waterloo station. He received a lot of publicity in 1988 when Phil Collins played him in the film Buster. He took his own life in the late 1990s. James Hussey and Thomas Wisbey were convicted in 1989 for trafficking drugs, while Charles Wilson was shot and killed in Spain.
Bruce Reynolds: Reynolds managed to evade capture for five years, living under false identities in various countries. He was eventually caught in 1968 and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Ronnie Biggs: Biggs was arrested and sentenced to 30 years in prison but famously escaped from Wandsworth Prison in 1965 by scaling a wall with a rope ladder. He fled to Brazil, where he lived for many years as a fugitive before voluntarily returning to the UK in 2001 due to health reasons.
Buster Edwards: Edwards also evaded capture for some time, but eventually turned himself in. After serving a lengthy prison sentence, he became a flower seller near Waterloo Station in London. His life was later depicted in the film Buster (1988), starring Phil Collins.
Charlie Wilson: Wilson was captured shortly after the robbery but managed to escape from Winson Green Prison in 1964. He was recaptured in Canada in 1968. Wilson was later murdered in 1990, allegedly due to his involvement in the drug trade.
Roy James: The getaway driver was caught and sentenced to 30 years in prison. After his release, he attempted to return to motor racing but struggled to rebuild his life. He died in 1997.
Others, such as Jimmy White, Bob Welch, and Tommy Wisbey, were also captured and served long prison sentences. Some of the robbers, like Roger Cordrey, cooperated with the police and received lighter sentences.
On 12 August 1964, Wilson made a daring escape from Winson Green Prison in Birmingham, taking less than three minutes to do so. This escape was unprecedented as a three-man team managed to break into the prison to free him. The escape team, led by "Frenchy", successfully extracted Wilson without being apprehended. Shortly after the escape, Wilson underwent plastic surgery in Paris and by November 1965, he was in Mexico City visiting old acquaintances Bruce Reynolds and Buster Edwards. Wilson's escape added another thrilling chapter to the train robbery saga.
Eleven months later, in July 1965, Biggs also escaped from Wandsworth Prison, just 15 months into his sentence. The escape was orchestrated during outside exercise time when a furniture van parked near the prison walls dropped a ladder over the 30-foot-high wall, enabling Biggs and three other prisoners to flee. The plan was devised by Paul Seaborne, assisted by Ronnie Leslie and Ronnie Black, with support from Biggs's wife, Charmian. Seaborne and Leslie were eventually caught and sentenced, while the other two prisoners involved in the escape were captured after three months. Biggs and his accomplice paid a substantial amount to undergo plastic surgery in Paris after their escape. Biggs justified his escape by citing the length of his sentence and the harsh prison conditions.
Jimmy White – While the other robbers had escaped and left the country, White remained at large in the United Kingdom. Known as a skilled locksmith and thief, White had been evading authorities for a decade prior to the robbery. He was known for his remarkable ability to blend in with his surroundings and go unnoticed, earning him the nickname "Mr Nobody." A former wartime paratrooper and veteran of Arnhem, White was described by Piers Paul Read in his 1978 book The Train Robbers as a solitary figure who, despite not being associated with any criminal groups, was quickly identified as one of the Train Robbers by both fellow criminals and law enforcement. White's luck ran out when a stash of money linked to his accomplice Brian Field was discovered near a location where White had hidden a portion of the stolen cash. During his three years on the run with his wife and son, White was betrayed by supposed friends and associates. His capture came in April 1966 when a new acquaintance recognized him from a newspaper photo and alerted the police. White was apprehended at his home in Littlestone, where he had only a fraction of the stolen money left to surrender. Following his arrest, White was tried in June 1966 at the Leicester Assizes and sentenced to 18 years in prison by Mr. Justice Nield, a shorter term compared to the 30 years received by other key participants in the robbery.
Buster Edwards – Edwards escaped to Mexico with his family to join Bruce Reynolds (and later Charlie Wilson), but he voluntarily returned to England in 1966 and was subsequently sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Charlie Wilson – Wilson established a residence outside Montreal, Quebec, on Rigaud Mountain in an affluent neighborhood surrounded by trees. He went by the alias Ronald Alloway, borrowed from a Fulham shopkeeper, and was joined by his wife and three children. Engaging in local activities, including membership in an exclusive golf club, he lived a seemingly normal life until his brother-in-law's visit during Christmas led Scotland Yard to locate and apprehend him. Wilson's arrest on 25 January 1968 by Tommy Butler followed a three-month surveillance period, hoping Wilson would lead them to Reynolds, the final suspect at large. Despite the arrest, many residents of Rigaud petitioned for his wife and daughters to remain in the Montreal area.
Bruce Reynolds – Reynolds arrived in Mexico on 6 June 1964 with his wife Angela and son Nick, who joined him later to avoid police surveillance. Buster Edwards and his family arrived a year later in July 1965, with the plan to eventually return to England as they did not like Mexico. Charlie Wilson, still on the run with his family in England, visited them for six weeks, bringing three of the train robbers together in exile temporarily. Following the Edwards family's return to England, the Reynoldses also decided to leave Mexico for Canada with the potential of reuniting with the Wilson family, departing on 6 December 1966. By this time, they had spent a significant portion of their share from the robbery, living more extravagantly than the Edwardses. Concerned about the risk of settling near the Wilsons in Montreal, they moved to Vancouver and later to Nice, France. Reynolds opted not to go to Australia where Biggs was, and in need of money, he chose to return to England, briefly settling in Torquay before being apprehended by Tommy Butler.
Ronnie Biggs – After fleeing to Paris, Biggs obtained new identity documents and underwent plastic surgery. By 1966, he had relocated to Adelaide, Australia, where he found employment as a builder and welcomed a third child with his wife. Upon learning that Interpol was interested in him, he moved to Melbourne and worked as a set builder for Channel 9. Subsequently, he escaped to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, when his Melbourne address was discovered by the police. Biggs evaded extradition due to the absence of a treaty between Britain and Brazil, and his status as the father of a Brazilian child granted him legal protection. Consequently, he resided openly in Rio for numerous years, beyond the reach of British authorities. In 1981, Biggs's Brazilian son joined the successful band Turma do Balão Mágico, which later disbanded after a brief period of fame.
In May 2001, at the age of 71 and having experienced three strokes, Biggs chose to return to England voluntarily. Despite knowing he could be arrested, his wish was to "enter a Margate pub as an Englishman and purchase a pint of bitter." Upon his arrival, he was arrested, underwent detention, and a brief court appearance before being returned to prison to complete his sentence. On July 2, 2009, Justice Secretary Jack Straw refused Biggs' parole, citing his perceived lack of remorse. However, he was released from custody on August 6, two days before his 80th birthday, on humanitarian grounds. Biggs passed away on December 18, 2013, at the age of 84.
Fate of the robbers
Following the deaths of Goody on 29 January 2016, and Tommy Wisbey on 30 December 2016, Bob Welch was the last known member of the gang known alive prior to his death on 2 November 2023. In later years, the robbers generally came together only for the funerals of their fellow gang members. Wilson's funeral on 10 May 1990 was attended by Bruce Reynolds, who reported seeing Edwards, Roy James (who got into a verbal argument with the press), Welch (hobbling on crutches) and White (who went unnoticed due to his ability to blend into the background). At Edwards' funeral in 1994, Reynolds saw only Welch. (Hussey, Wisbey and James were in prison.)
Brian Field
Following his sentencing on 16 April 1964, Field spent four years of his five-year term behind bars before being released in 1967. During his time in prison, his wife Karin divorced him and later married a German journalist. Karin penned an article for the German magazine Stern, confirming that she had assisted Roy James in reaching Thame railway station to travel to London. She also mentioned leading a convoy of two vans back to her residence, where the gang, along with their wives and girlfriends, gathered for a celebratory party following the crime. Upon Reynolds' return to the UK in 1968, he attempted to reach out to Field as the sole means of contacting the "Ulsterman". Field was apparently ambushed upon his release from prison by a recently freed convict known as "Scotch Jack" Buggy, who likely subjected him to coercion or even torture in an attempt to extract a portion of the stolen goods. Subsequently, Field went into hiding, and shortly after, Buggy met his demise. Reynolds eventually abandoned his pursuit of Field.
In order to vanish, Field adopted the alias Brian Carlton. Following his release from prison, he tied the knot with Sian, a woman from Wales. In the mid to late 1970s, the couple worked at the Children's Book Centre (now under new ownership) on Kensington High Street in London. Field and Sian oversaw the company's activities in central and southern Europe, where they distributed English language books and organized book fairs at international English schools. Tragically, at the age of 44, Field and his 28-year-old wife Sian perished in a car accident on the M4 motorway on 27 April 1979, a year after the remaining robbers had completed their sentences. The collision occurred as they were returning from a visit to Sian's parents in Wales. A Mercedes driven by Amber Bessone, the pregnant 28-year-old daughter of renowned hairdresser Raymond Bessone (Mr Teasy Weasy), veered across a damaged section of the guard rail and collided head-on with Field's Porsche. The Fields, Amber, her husband, and two children all lost their lives instantly. Field's true identity was only uncovered several weeks after the accident. It remains uncertain whether his wife Sian was ever aware of his past.
Charlie Wilson
Having been released early from his sentence, Wilson went back to a life of crime and was later discovered dead from gunshot wounds at his villa in Marbella, Spain, on 24 April 1990. His death was believed to be linked to alleged dishonesty in drug trafficking. Wilson was laid to rest in Streatham cemetery.
Buster Edwards Upon his release, Buster Edwards started selling flowers outside Waterloo station. His life story was portrayed in the 1988 movie Buster, featuring Phil Collins in the lead role. Sadly, Edwards took his own life by hanging himself in a garage in November 1994. Even after his passing, his family continued to manage the flower stall.
Roy James After being released on 15 August 1975, Roy James returned to motor racing but faced multiple car crashes that ended his racing aspirations. He then went back to his original profession as a silversmith, creating the Formula One trophy annually due to his connection with Bernie Ecclestone. Despite marrying a younger woman in 1982, the marriage quickly dissolved. By 1983, James got involved in a gold smuggling scheme but was acquitted in January 1984. In 1993, he committed violent acts against his family and was sentenced to six years in prison. Following heart surgery in 1996, James was released in 1997 but passed away shortly after due to a heart attack. He was the youngest member of the gang but the fifth to die.
Roger Cordrey The first robber to be released, found that most of his stolen share had been recovered by the authorities. He returned to work as a florist at his sister's shop and has since passed away. His son Tony publicly cleared Bill Boal of any involvement in the robbery.
Bruce Reynolds Released from prison on 6 June 1978 after a ten-year sentence, Bruce Reynolds, the last captured robber, received assistance from Gordon Goody upon his release. He then had to report to a parole officer after his day-release ended in October 1978. Reynolds briefly worked for Frank Monroe, one of the robbers never apprehended, before reuniting with his family. Arrested in 1983 for drug-related charges, Reynolds denied involvement and was released in 1985. He focused on helping his wife recover from a mental breakdown. In 2001, Reynolds and his son Nicholas escorted Biggs back to the UK. In 2010, he wrote the afterword for Robert Ryan's novel Signal Red, based on the robbery. Reynolds passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 81 on 28 February 2013.
John Daly Upon his acquittal and release, and after finding his share of the loot stolen and/or destroyed, Daly gave up his life of crime and went "straight". He and his wife Barbara and their three children moved to Cornwall, where he worked as a street sweeper until the age of 70, known to the locals as Gentleman John or John the Gent. Daly told no one about the robbery as he was told he could face a retrial. He died six weeks after his brother-in-law Reynolds.
Ronnie Biggs
Biggs was released from prison on "compassionate grounds" on 6 August 2009 due to severe pneumonia and ongoing health issues. In 2011, he updated his autobiography, Odd Man Out: The Last Straw. After suffering strokes and being unable to speak for three years, Biggs passed away at Carlton Court Care home in London on 18 December 2013.
Tommy Wisbey and Big Jim Hussey Tommy Wisbey was relatively fortunate compared to others, as his share of the loot was safeguarded by his brothers. Upon his release, Wisbey had a house in South London and a few investments to support him. During his time in prison, his daughter Lorraine tragically died in a car accident. It took Wisbey some time to readjust to life with his wife Rene, as his daughter Marilyn had moved out in his absence. Wisbey was later briefly imprisoned on remand for involvement in a travelers' cheque scam, with the judge recognizing his minor role.[84]
Jim Hussey was released on 17 November 1975 and married his girlfriend Gill, whom he had met just before the robbery. Hussey's share of the stolen money had been entrusted to a friend of Frank Monroe, who unfortunately squandered it despite Monroe's periodic checks.
Both Wisbey and Hussey returned to a life of crime and were convicted for cocaine trafficking in 1989, with Wisbey receiving a 10-year sentence and Hussey a seven-year sentence. Marilyn Wisbey recalls in her book Gangster's Moll that on 8 June 1988, after returning from an abortion clinic visit and resting, they were raided by the Drugs Squad. The raid uncovered 1 kg of cocaine, leading to the arrest of Rene and Marilyn Wisbey, along with Jimmy Hussey, who was seen receiving a package from Wisbey in a park. Wisbey was apprehended a year later in Wilmslow, Cheshire, allegedly staying with another woman, much to the shock of his wife and daughter. In exchange for Wisbey and Hussey pleading guilty, the two women were released without conditions. Following their release from prison, both men retired from criminal activities.
Wisbey later expressed: "We were always against drugs, but as the '70s progressed, it became more popular. Our involvement in the Great Train Robbery gave us credibility. People knew we never betrayed anyone, serving our time without implicating others." On 26 July 1989, Wisbey and Hussey pleaded guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court in London, admitting their involvement in a £500,000 cocaine trafficking ring. Wisbey's grandson also faced legal issues in Cyprus.
Bob Welch Bob Welch (March 1929 - November 2023) was released on 14 June 1976. He was the last of the Aylesbury convicts to be set free. Upon returning home, Welch moved back in with his wife June and son. He used threats to reclaim the remaining share of the stolen goods from the person in charge. Due to a leg injury sustained in prison, he underwent multiple surgeries, rendering him disabled. He passed away in 2023 after battling Alzheimer's.
Douglas (Gordon) Goody At the age of 46, Goody was released from prison on 23 December 1975 and went to live with his ailing mother in her modest cottage in Putney. Unlike his fellow robbers, he was fortunate to have a loyal and successful caretaker managing his affairs, enabling him to lead a relatively comfortable life. During his final years in prison, Goody took full advantage of the newly established educational institution at Wormwood Scrubbs and pursued Spanish studies up to GCE level.
He later relocated to Mojacar, in southern Spain, where he invested in property and a bar, settling down as he believed it was safer to be away from the United Kingdom. Although accused of cannabis smuggling at one point, he was eventually acquitted. Goody lived in Mojacar until his passing on 29 January 2016, following a period of illness.
It must be said that the Great Train Robbery was brilliantly planned and executed. Apart from the attack on the train driver it was non-violent and no firearms were used. The raiders managed to steal much more money than they had planned and perhaps it was the greed in sharing all the money out which led to them being careless and leaving so many fingerprints behind, sealing their own fate.
The Great Train Robbery had a significant impact on British law enforcement. The scale of the heist and the public outcry led to changes in security measures for transporting money and other valuables. The case also highlighted the need for better coordination among police forces.
In popular culture, the robbery has been romanticised as a daring caper, but the reality was a brutal and meticulously planned crime. The robbers, despite their temporary success, paid a heavy price for their actions. Their lives after the robbery were marked by prison sentences, personal tragedies, and, for many, a sense of unfulfilled potential.