August 8: On This Day in World History … briefly
Most notable historic snippets or facts extracted from the book ‘On This Day’ first published in 1992 by Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, London, as well as additional supplementary information extracted from Wikipedia.
August 8, 1963: The Great Train Robbery – ‘They’ve stolen the train!’
The Great Train Robbery was the robbery of £2.6 million from a Royal Mail train heading 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.
After tampering with line signals, a 15-strong gang of robbers 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. A 16th man, an unnamed retired train driver, was also present at the time of the robbery.
With careful planning based on inside information from an individual known as ‘The Ulsterman’ (named as Patrick McKenna in 2014), the robbers escaped with over £2.6 million (equivalent to £50 million today). The bulk of the stolen money was never recovered. Though the gang did not use any firearms, Jack Mills, the train driver, was beaten over the head with a metal bar. Mills’ injuries were severe enough to end his career.
After the robbery, the gang hid at Leatherslade Farm. After the police found this hideout, incriminating evidence led to the eventual arrest and conviction of most of the gang. The ringleaders were sentenced to 30 years in jail.
The money
There is some uncertainty regarding the exact cash total stolen from the train. £2 631 684 is a figure quoted in the press, although the police investigation states the theft as £2 595 997 10s, in 636 packages, contained in 120 mailbags—the bulk of the haul in £1 and £5 notes (both the older white note and the newer blue note, which was half its size).
There were also ten-shilling notes and Irish and Scottish money. Because a 30-minute time limit had been set by Reynolds, eight out of 128 bags were not stolen and were left behind. Statistically, this could have amounted to £131 000 or 4.7% of the total. It is alleged that the total weight of the bags removed was 2.5 long tons (2.5t), according to former Buckinghamshire police officer John Woolley.
Famously, the gang had used the money in a game of ‘Monopoly’ while holed up at a farm house. Some of the items from that game, a Get Out of Jail Free card and another Community Chest card, a die, three metal playing tokens (a car, motorbike and, ironically a train) and two wooden hotels and five houses went up for sale at an auction in June 2015.
Raising the alarm
The robbers had cut all the telephone lines in the vicinity, but one of the rail-men left on the train at Sears Crossing caught a passing goods train to Cheddington, where he raised the alarm at around 04:20. The first reports of the robbery were broadcast on the VHF police radio within a few minutes and this is where the gang heard the line “A robbery has been committed and you’ll never believe it – they’ve stolen the train!”
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
For news straight to your phone, add us on BBM 58F3D7A7 or WhatsApp 082 421 6033
