The Great Train Robbery

by Andrew Cook

  Police soon established that the flat was owned by a Mrs Margery Beaumont Grover and that her daughter Gillian Stovell acted on her behalf. In a statement, Gillian Stovell explained how Daly (known to her as Mr Grant) came to be living at the address:

  I reside with my mother who is the owner of the lease of a garden flat at 65A Eaton Square, London SW1. The flat at 65A Eaton Square was put in the hands of the Estate Agents Douglas, Lyons & Lyons of 33 Kinnerton Street, SW1 with a view to letting it. Sometime at the beginning of October 1963 I received a telephone call from Mr Douglas at the Estate Agents who informed me that he was sending a Mr Selway along to see the flat. An appointment was made for me to see Mr Selway at 11.30 am that same day at 65A Eaton Square in order that I might show him the flat on behalf of my mother. I kept the appointment and a man who announced himself as Mr Selway duly arrived. I showed him the flat and he asked that he might be given first refusal until 3.30 pm that same afternoon, so that he had a little time to make up his mind.

  Mr Selway said that he was a Financial Adviser connected in some way with the film industry. He said that he wished to take the flat on behalf of a friend of his, Mr Bryant. Mr Selway was aged about 38–40, 5’11”, well built; well dressed; well-spoken and quite a pleasant sort of man. I would know him again. He telephoned my house at 3 pm the same day and said that he wished to take the flat. I did not see him until two or three days later when I went to the flat and handed the keys (two sets) to him. An inventory of the flat was taken by a Mr O’Neil on my behalf and this was checked by Mr Selway. About a week afterwards, or about a week after the new agents moved in, I received a telephone call from the porter who asked me if I was in possession of the main street door key. I said I was and shortly afterwards I telephoned the flat at 65A Eaton Square (BEL 1319) and spoke to a woman. I told her that I would bring a key round. I went to the address at about 8.30 pm and was met in the entrance hall of the flat by a woman who was accompanied by a bald-headed man. I introduced myself and in turn the woman introduced herself as Mrs Grant and said she was waiting there to collect the key. I did not know if Mrs Grant was the occupant of the flat; as far as I was concerned she might have been a friend of Mr Bryant.Mrs Grant introduced the man who was with her as Colonel someone or other, I cannot remember his surname. I had no conversation with him apart from introductions and handing over the key. As soon as I had done this I left.52

  Michael Selway, a property dealer, was then sought and questioned. DI Frank Williams was somewhat suspicious of Selway and went so far as to caution him before Selway made the following statement:

  To the best of my recollection I met a man named Grant in a bar at the Mayfair Hotel, I think it was in the Beach Comber Bar. It was either at the end of September or early October. I think I was alone at the time and I think he was also alone. I got into conversation with him but I cannot remember who started the conversation. He was well dressed and quite well turned out, he was about my height and had a beard and was between 30 and 40 years of age.

  During the course of general conversation I said that I was a property dealer and also he said that he was looking for a flat. I said that I would try to get him one. He implied that he wanted the flat for a girl friend of his and that he would be living with her. He only wanted to lease a flat for a short period. I gave Grant my telephone number. He did not give me a telephone number or address but implied that he lived somewhere outside London. I am not sure where or how our subsequent meetings took place but during the course of conversation with Estate Agents and people connected with property I did bear in mind that he requested a flat.

  I have been cautioned by Detective Inspector Williams that I am not obliged to say anything unless I wish to do so but that whatever I do say will be taken down in writing and may be given in evidence should this matter be taken to court.53

  While suspicions lingered that Selway knew full well who he was dealing with, this was not sufficient to press charges of aiding and abetting. When forwarding the investigation files on Daly to the DPP, DS McArthur noted that:

  When the search of Leatherslade Farm was made, in one of the mailbags was found a piece of green slotted cardboard and in another a number of tokens used in the game of ‘Monopoly’. All these items were examined by Detective Superintendent Ray of the Fingerprint Department, New Scotland Yard. On the green card he identified the finger impressions of Daly, Bruce Reynolds and Biggs. Altogether there were eleven marks, eight for Daly, two for Reynolds and one for Biggs.

  In 1961 Daly took out a mortgage on property at 73 Burleigh Road, Sutton, Surrey with the General Building Society who advanced him £2,850 repayable over a term of 20 years at monthly repayments of £22 8.11d. The mortgage was completed on 5 January 1962. He gave as his employer J S McDonald of Mac’s Antiques of 69 Portobello Road, London, W11.

  Daly was well known to officers at New Scotland Yard. He had been seen frequently prior to 21 June 1963. He was clean shaven and weighed between sixteen and seventeen stone. On the 14 of May 1963, Daly bought under a hire purchase agreement a Jaguar motor car, index number 2162 PK. On the 28 August 1963, Jaguar motor car 2162 PK was left in a garage in London, by a man described as 40, 5’ 9” tall and very well built. He asked to garage the car for about a week. On the 7 October 1963, the car was still at the garage when it was taken into police custody by C10 Branch, New Scotland Yard.54

  Of the six wanted men originally on the run in early October, Daly’s arrest took the number down to four. Within a week that number would fall again to three.

  On 7 December a female informant called Scotland Yard to say that Roy James was in hiding at 14 Ryder’s Terrace, St John’s Wood NW8, just off Abbey Road. He had been on the run for over three months following police announcements that he was wanted.

  On 16 August at Leatherslade Farm, DS Ray of Scotland Yard’s fingerprint department had examined a blue-glass Pyrex plate and a Johnson’s travellers kit: on the plate and on the cellophane wrapping of the traveller’s kit he developed some finger impressions that he identified as those of Roy James. On a loose page in an American magazine called Movie Screen, he also developed finger impressions that were identified as those of James. The police therefore issued appeals on 23 and 27 August to representatives of the press, radio and television to help trace James.

  The informant had also cautioned police that James had apparently boasted to her that he had an escape route out of the flat if his whereabouts there were ever discovered. According to DCS Butler:

  She was also able to give a detailed outline of James’ physical appearance, the manner in which it differed from the published one (he has grown a beard), the location of the address in which he was living and the description of a Jaguar ‘E’ type motor car. She has impressed upon me the necessity for absolute secrecy regarding the part she played in this matter, assuring me that disclosure would have grievous results for her. I share her concern on this point. For this reason she does not wish to give her address (which is known to me), but has expressed her willingness to meet anyone connected with the General Post Office, if it is considered that her valuable endeavours to assist warrant a monetary reward.55

  DS Slipper and DSgt Nevill were therefore deputed to investigate escape routes before a raid on the flat was sanctioned. Plans of the building and the surrounding area were obtained from the St Marylebone borough engineer and plans of underground sewers and tunnels were also studied. During a search of the area, a piece of waste ground behind a 12ft brick wall at the end of the mews was also thoroughly examined. While the area behind the wall was strewn with rubbish, old bottles, bicycle wheels and weeds, an area some 20ft in circumference had been cleared and looked freshly dug. On further investigation, it also appeared to have been dug several feet in depth. DCS Butler took the view that this was quite possibly a ‘soft landing’ point for a jump off the roof. Apart from being an expert driver, James was also known for his reputation as a cat-burglar. The freshly dug patch was directly below a flat roof that o
verlooked the adjacent Blenheim Terrace, and Butler reasoned that if James had rehearsed an escape he would know the exact spot on the roof to jump from, even in the dark.

  Extra officers were therefore drafted in to cut off all possible lines of escape from Ryders Terrace; five in particular were to surround the freshly dug patch of ground.

  According to DS McArthur’s report:

  Detective Chief Superintendent Butler, Detective Sergeants Moore, Nevill, Matthews and Price of the Flying Squad and Police Constables 99 Lewis and 586 O’Loughlin of ‘D’ Division, Metropolitan Police and other officers went to the vicinity of Ryders Terrace, St John’s Wood, London, NW8. After WPC Willy had met with no success, Detective Chief Superintendent Butler repeatedly knocked at the door of No 14 but no one answered although there were obvious signs that someone was on the premises. Detective Chief Superintendent Butler gave certain instructions and acting on these Detective Sergeants Moore and Nevill climbed onto a balcony outside a first floor window. Detective Sergeant Moore smashed a large window and climbed through a hole into a bedroom. He was followed by Detective Sergeant Nevill. Moore went into an adjoining bedroom and saw James disappearing through a fanlight window. Moore climbed after him on to the roof and shouted to his colleagues, ‘He’s going over the roof’. He noticed that James was carrying a bag or holdall. Moore chased James across the roof and over further roofs of adjoining houses. James then jumped from the roof and was detained by Detective Sergeant Matthews and Police Constables Lewis and O’Loughlin. He denied knowledge of the holdall he had been carrying.56

  James was then taken to Scotland Yard where he was seen by DCS Butler and admitted his identity:

  He was asked why he had run away instead of opening the door and he replied, ‘Open the door? I should think so. Just to get myself nicked?’ He was then asked to explain where he was on the night of 7/8 August of this year when the mail train was robbed at Cheddington. He replied, ‘Nobody can remember that far back. One thing for sure, I wasn’t at the farm I’ve read so much about.’ Detectives Chief Superintendent Butler asked him if he meant Leatherslade Farm and James said, ‘Yes that’s it. I haven’t been there’. He was then told that he was going to be arrested and charged with being concerned in the robbery of the mail train and conspiring with others to rob it. He was cautioned and he replied, ‘Well that’s it. I suppose I’m lucky I didn’t break my neck’. Detective Chief Superintendent Butler showed James the holdall which contained packets of money and asked him if he would like to explain his possession of it. He was cautioned and replied, ‘You don’t want me to tell you blokes anything about that, surely’.57

  James was the third robber in two months to be arrested as the result of an informer’s phone call. When searched he had £131 10s on him and £12,041 in the holdall. The numbers of two £5 notes found in his possession, J69 5007 47 and J94 284281, were both among those reported stolen. A scrap of paper in the holdall showed amounts totaling £109,500, which police suspected might have been his share of the robbery.58

  The police were more than pleased to be able to add the sum of £12,172 10s to the meagre total they had so far recovered over the past four months. The circumstances surrounding this recovery, however, were clear and transparently documented - as compared to a mysterious incident that had occurred only hours before James’s arrest.

  Notes

  1. DPP 2/3718, 1 of 6, part 2 (originally closed until 2045; redacted version opened 25/6/10)

  2. Ibid.

  3. Ibid; Dr Ian Holden was the Scotland Yard forensic expert who had testified at the 1962 Regina v Goody trial at the Old Bailey, where Goody was charged in connection with the London Airport robbery at BOAC’s Comet House. After being found not guilty, Goody had left the dock elated and spoken briefly with the prosecution counsel, pointing out that, ‘your expert isn’t much good is he? He never even noticed this.’ Goody then proceeded to show the counsel an artificial link in the piece of chain that Holden had examined in his laboratory and testified about earlier in the trial. This oversight by Holden was a great embarrassment to him personally and indeed to the prosecution case (see Piers Paul Read, The Train Robbers, p. 33; DPP 2/3588 (still closed until 2045 at the time of writing)).

  4. DPP 2/3718, 1 of 6, part 2 (originally closed until 2045; redacted version opened 25/6/10).

  5. HO 287/1496, POST 120/96 (originally closed until 1993; opened 1994).

  6. DPP 2/3718, 1 of 6, part 2 (originally closed until 2045; redacted version opened 25/6/10). Goody’s defence counsel viewed this deposition as a further example of a fabricated case. Goody had apparently not said, ‘Yes, Mr Butler they are mine’ but given a non-committal answer, not knowing for sure that they were his.

  7. DPP 2/3719, part 2 (originally closed until 2045; redacted version opened 25/6/10).

  8. Frank Williams, No Fixed Address, p. 111.

  9. CRO File No 18605/1929 and Michael Black (real name was Ronald Clarke), CRO File No 12922/49, were former housebreakers. Bruce Reynolds refers to Black as Michael Hackett in Crossing the Line, p. 210, and Piers Paul Read refers to him as Godfrey Green in The Train Robbers, p. 139.

  10. DPP 2 3719, 1 of 3 (originally closed until 2045; redacted version opened 25/6/10).

  11. Ibid.

  12. POST 120/97 (closed until 1993; opened 1994).

  13. Ibid.

  14. Ibid.

  15. MEPO 2/10571, MEPO 2/10575 (both MEPO files still closed at time of writing).

  16. Ibid.

  17. If over £200,000 was being held at Beaford, this would indicate a quantity of money well in access of one person’s share of the robbery proceeds, and the possibility that two gang members who were on full shares might be at the house. According to Piers Paul Read, one of the robbers who evaded arrest and prosecution was among those who were staying at Beaford (Piers Paul Read, The Train Robbers, p. 138.

  18. POST 120/95 (closed until 2001; opened 2002).

  19. Lincoln & Lincoln were Bob Welch’s solicitors.

  20. POST 120/448 (opened 2003; some material still closed until 2017).

  21. This would be the equivalent today of buying drinks with a £50 note.

  22. MEPO 2/10571 & 2/10575 (both still closed at time of writing); POST 120/131 (closed until 1994; opened 1995).

  23. POST 120/448 (opened 2003; some material still closed until 2017).

  24. Ibid.

  25. Frank Williams, No Fixed Address, p. 43. MEPO 2/10571 (still closed at time of writing). Much later it was finally decided that Beaford Farm should be raided and DS Steve Moore, a team of Flying Squad officers and Devon police officers undertook the search. This was after the five individuals had left. No money or items of interest were found.

  26. POST 120/448 (opened 2003; some material still closed until 2017).

  27. Ibid.

  28. Ibid.

  29. According to Welch he was to go abroad after a farewell meeting with his brother (Piers Paul Read, The Train Robbers, p. 138 ff).

  30. MEPO 2/10571 & MEPO 2/10575 (both files still closed at time of writing).

  31. DPP 2/3718, 1 of 6, part 2 (originally closed until 2045; redacted version opened 25/6/10). According to Flying Squad enquiries, the red Cortina Reg No 796 FXC Welch was driving had been hired by Charles Lilley from Fry’s Hire Ltd of 43 Glenhouse Road, Eltham, London SE9.

  32. POST 120/95 (closed until 2001; opened 2002).

  33. ASSI 13/643 (opened 1995); DPP 2/3718, 1 of 6, part 2 (of pages 142−150 covering the Flying Horse Hotel incident, pp. 143−150 remain closed until 2045).

  34. The file contained this newspaper clipping − ‘The Cup Final looks like being a flop for ticket touts. Last night the price for a pair of 63s tickets dropped to £20 against £75 for a pair of 50s tickets paid for last season’s Spurs v Burnley final.’ (Daily Express, 25 May 1963, p. 1). When the case came to court, Judge Edmund Davies ruled that the jury should ignore the entire issue of the Flying Horse Hotel (J 82−245).

  35. Consideration was given to
charging Lilley in connection with the robbery, possibly on a charge of ‘receiving proceeds of the mail train robbery’. However, Lilley’s DPP file records ‘no action taken’. DPP 2/4006 (still closed until 2045); MEPO 2/10571 (still closed at time of writing).

  36. James Kensit, CRO File 3850/34; born 1915, alias George Downey. Nicknamed ‘Jimmy the Dip’, a known associate of a host of names including Reginald and Ronald Kray, Charles and Edward Richardson and William Howard (a key player in the 1952 Eastcastle Street TPO robbery). Kensit was also the father of actress Patricia (Patsy) Kensit (born 1968) who has starred in Absolute Beginners, Lethal Weapon 2, Emmerdale and Holby City and was married to Rock stars Jim Kerr and Liam Gallagher.

  37. DPP 2/3718, 1 of 6, part 2 (originally closed until 2045; redacted version opened 25/6/10).

  38. MEPO 2/10575 (still closed at time of writing).

  39. DPP 2/3718, 3 of 6 (originally closed until 2045; redacted version opened 25/6/10).

  40. Ibid.

  41. POST 120/104 (originally closed until 1996; opened 1997); MEPO 2/10575 (still closed until 2045 at the time of writing).

  42. Ibid.

  43. MEPO 2/10571 (still closed at time of writing).

  44. Ibid.

  45. MEPO 2/10571 (still closed at time of writing); Daily Express, 25 January 1964, p. 1.

  46. The People, 1 March 1964, p. 1.

  47. See note 41 above.

  48. POST 120/97 (closed until 1993; opened 1994).

  49. Ibid.; when Daly’s case came to court, Wilfred Fordham QC successfully argued that references in DI Frank Williams’s statement to the gun licence in the name of Michael Black found during the search of 65a Eaton Square should not be produced to the jury. He contended that there was no evidence that a gun had been used in the commission of the robbery or that the other documents had been used by Daly illegally.