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Today marks 60 years since 16 men robbed £2.6m from an overnight Royal Mail train in what became known as the ‘crime of the century’ – but what happened next to the gang?
On this day 60 years ago, the Great Train Robbery was committed. Known as the ‘crime of the century’, it saw a 16-strong gang steal £2.6m from an overnight Royal Mail train carrying bags of cash heading to London from Glasgow.
The heist took place in the early hours of August 8, 1963, at Bridego Railway Bridge in Buckinghamshire. After tampering with the signals, the notorious gang brought the train to a halt and although they didn’t use firearms, train driver Jack Mills was beaten over the head with a metal bar, which scarred him for life.
The robbers managed to escape with £2.61 million, around £60million today, with a bulk of the money never recovered. Soon after the robbery, the gang hid out at nearby Leatherslade Farm, which was later discovered by police. Incriminating evidence was recovered which led to the eventual arrest and conviction of most of the group, with the ringleaders sentenced to 30 years behind bars.
But what happened to the robbers? The mastermind behind the heist, whose identity was never confirmed by police, was known as ‘The Ulsterman’, but the group was led by Bruce Reynolds. He was joined by member Ronnie Biggs, who although had just one part to play in the crime, took on almost celebrity status as he became one of the world’s most wanted fugitives.
Other members of the gang included Gordon Goody, Buster Edwards, Charlie Wilson, Roy James, John Daly, Jimmy White, Tommy Wisbey, Jim Hussey, Bob Welch and Roger Cordrey, as well as three men known only as number 1, 2 and 3 – with two later identified as Harry Smith and Danny Pembroke.
A 16th man, a retired train driver known as ‘Peter’, was also present. Here, we take a look at what happened to some of the gang members – from taking on new identities to opening up a Spanish bar in the countryside.
