Great Train Robbery (1963)

Great Train Robbery
Mentmore Bridge (previously known as Bridego Bridge and then Train Robbers' bridge),[1] scene of the robbery
Date8 August 1963
TimeJust after 03:00
LocationBridego Railway Bridge, Ledburn, England
Coordinates51°52′44″N 0°40′10″W / 51.87889°N 0.66944°W / 51.87889; -0.66944
Also known asCheddington Mail Van Raid
CauseTrain robbery
Participants
OutcomeTheft of £2.61 million (the equivalent of £69 million as of 2024)
Non-fatal injuriesJack Mills (train driver)
Charges
  • Conspiracy to rob
  • armed robbery
  • obstructing justice
  • receiving stolen goods
VerdictGuilty
Convictions11 men sentenced (Bill Boal and Lennie Field later exonerated) to terms up to 30 years

The Great Train Robbery was the robbery of £2.61 million[2] (calculated to present-day value of £69 million - or $73,547,750) from a Royal Mail train travelling from Glasgow to London on the West Coast Main Line in the early hours of 8 August 1963 at Bridego Railway Bridge, Ledburn, near Mentmore in Buckinghamshire, England.[3]

After tampering with the lineside signals to bring the train to a halt, a gang of 15, led by Bruce Reynolds, attacked the train. Other gang members included Gordon Goody, Buster Edwards, Charlie Wilson, Roy James, John Daly, Jimmy White, Ronnie Biggs, Tommy Wisbey, Jim Hussey, Bob Welch and Roger Cordrey, as well as three men known only as numbers "1", "2" and "3"; two were later identified as Harry Smith and Danny Pembroke. A 16th man, an unnamed retired train driver, was also present.[4]

With careful planning based on inside information from an individual known as "The Ulsterman", whose real identity has never been established, the robbers escaped with over £2.61 million. The bulk of the stolen money has never been recovered. The gang did not use any firearms, though Jack Mills, the train driver, was beaten over the head with a metal bar and suffered serious head injuries. After his partial recovery, Mills returned to work doing light duties. He retired in 1967 and died in 1970 due to an unrelated illness. Mills never overcame the trauma of the robbery.[5] After the robbery, the gang hid at Leatherslade Farm. The police found this hideout, and incriminating evidence, a Monopoly board with fingerprints,[2] led to the eventual arrest and conviction of most of the gang. The ringleaders were sentenced to 30 years in prison.

  1. ^ "Pressure makes Network Rail change bridge name". The Railway Magazine. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Great Train Robbery". Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  3. ^ "The Great Train Robbery, 1963". British Transport Police. Archived from the original on 11 August 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  4. ^ "The Great Train Robbers: Who were they?". BBC. 18 December 2013. Archived from the original on 22 December 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  5. ^ Russell-Pavier, N.; Richards, S. (2013). The Great Train Robbery: Crime of the Century: The Definitive Account. Orion. p. 293. ISBN 978-0-297-86440-0. Retrieved 25 January 2022.