The Great Train Robbery (10 page)

The car was a Mark VII Jaguar, in good condition, colour blue, 1951-1955 model. Brown upholstery (the same colour as the dash board) and a most unusual feature of this car was a chrome strip between ½ and ¾ wide ran round each wing following the contour of the wheel-arch, and about 4” to 6” from the edge of the wheel arch. I have been the owner of various Jaguar cars during the past twenty years and have never seen one with chrome strips like these before. I have no idea of the index number of the car. I would describe the driver as follows: 40-45 years, mousy coloured hair, combed straight back and quite thick. I can't estimate the height and I should say he was of medium build. The skin of his upper lip was lighter than the rest of this face as though he had recently shaved a moustache off.
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There was no other outstanding feature about his face. He was dressed in a darkish suit, with a white shirt and I believe a checked tie. He was quite smart in appearance. The man in the front passenger seat was 50-55, had dark wavy hair, bald at front with a lot of grey in it. He was of a plump build, clean shaven, roundish face, longish nose, darkish complexion, almost Jewish in appearance.
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He was dressed in a grey pinstripe suit. He was of a very smart appearance. He had a small cigar in his right hand and once when he leaned forward to flick the ash off his cigar into the ashtray I noticed he had a gold metal wrist watch on his right wrist. This was round and very large. On the dial were two separate gold hands. There were no numbers on the dial but where 3, 6, 9 and 12 should have been were dashes and the rest of the hours were marked by dots. He flicked the ash off his cigar in a very dainty fashion. His little finger was cocked up and he flicked the ash off with his thumb. Both of these men spoke with cockney accents. I would recognise each of them again.

I didn't take much notice of the two men in the back of the car. These two were about 25 years old; one had mousy coloured hair and the other blonde. Both were biggish built and tough looking. The blonde haired man had very large hands. I saw that they were wearing white open neck shirts but no coats. I wouldn't be able to recognise either again.

Over the next week or so I saw this car on three occasions, each time parked in a gateway off the Thame Road, about 400 yards past the entrance to Leatherslade Farm.
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A friend of the Rixon family, Mrs Lillian Brooks, was another local resident who volunteered information to the police:

My husband and I have been friends of the Rixons for a long time. I remember the day when the Rixons finally moved out of the farm. I cannot remember the day but it was a Monday. That day Mr Rixon Senior brought some keys to me. I hung the keys safely on a nail. A gentleman called for them at about ½ past 3 the same day.

He arrived by car and was aged about 35 years, 5' 6” – 7”, stocky build with brown hair. He parked the car on the other side of the road. He said ‘Good afternoon. Are you Mrs Roberts?' I said ‘No. I am Mrs Brooks'. Then he said ‘I think you have some keys of mine'. As I did not know the gentleman I said ‘Where are you from?' and he said ‘From Leatherslade Farm'. I gave him the keys. I said ‘Mr Rixon said you were calling at lunch time.' He said ‘We have been in the house. We got in through the back'. He turned away to go and I said ‘I hope you will be very happy as we are neighbours'. He said ‘Yes, I think we shall be very happy', and ‘I shall be seeing you in the near future'. I did not see very much of him because he would not look me full in the face. He turned his back on me and looked down my garden. He just turned and jingled the keys and gradually worked his way out to the gate. My house is on the Thame Road between Brill and Long Crendon. When he left he went in the direction of Leatherslade Farm. I am not sure if I could recognise the man again. I could only identify him by his stature.
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On Wednesday 7 August, the day the robbers arrived at Leatherslade Farm, Roland Wyatt, a neighbouring farmer, noticed that new occupants had moved into the empty farmhouse. He walked over to Leatherslade Farm to introduce himself and struck up a conversation with a man he thought might be the new owner:

Mr Rixon's father and mother stayed at the house for about a fortnight after their son had gone. Mr Rixon's mother and father had been gone only a few days, when I noticed that curtains were up at the window. I didn't pay much attention as Mr Rixon told me before he went away that the farm property had already been sold. He didn't say to whom, but he did say that the new owners were going to keep pigs. I didn't see anyone at the house until Wednesday 7 August, at about 10 am, when I saw two men standing near a shed where Mr Rixon used to keep his lorry. This shed is just across the lane from the house and is about 10 yards from the house. I noticed that in the shed was an object covered by a green sheet, like a tent covering. From the size and shape, I should think it was a large car or a lorry under the green sheet. I went up to the two men and as I did so, one of them walked away. I asked the one still standing if there were any dogs about because I'm not very keen on dogs.
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He told me that there weren't any. I said, ‘Are you the new owner?' and he said, ‘No. I'm just one of the decorators'. I said, ‘Well when do you think the new owners are going to come up here? He said ‘He won't be up here for quite a long time'. I said, ‘
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ho is the new owner?' He said, ‘Mr Fielding of Aylesbury. If you want to get in touch with the firm who sold it to him, get in touch with Midland Marts, the auctioneers of Banbury.' We then had a bit of conversation about the possibility of me renting a field in the future, as we walked up to the house. I didn't go in though. Sitting in a deckchair was a middle aged man.
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He was sitting outside the door nearest the french window. I also saw two little mattresses, with a book on each, lying on the ground, inflated, a few yards, from the deckchair. The man I was with told me that the inside of the house was in a bad condition. I thought this was strange because only just before Mr Rixon left, I had seen the inside of the house and it appeared to me to be in good condition. We said goodbye to each other and I left, and returned to my fields. Each morning up to and including Sunday, I saw smoke coming from the chimneys, but I don't remember seeing smoke after then. On several days I heard the sounds of metal being hammered. I think I remember there being a fire outside the house but I'm not sure. I would describe the man to whom I spoke as being about 20–30 years of age, 6' 0” tall, medium build, dark hair, very fresh face, wearing glasses. He was wearing white shorts, mauve shirt, red shoes. He spoke rather like a gentleman as opposed to a workman – the man who was with the man I have just described and who walked away as I said, I'm afraid I didn't see him again unless it was he who was sitting in the deckchair when I reached it. Now the man in the deckchair was aged about 50–60 years, very full in the body and face, ruddy complexion, fair grey hair. He was wearing white shorts and mauve shirt.
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Wyatt was not the only person who had witnessed the arrival of the ‘new owners' and had seen them at close quarters. That same day, Wednesday 7 August, Brian Currington, a tractor driver employed on the farm adjoining Leatherslade Farm, had stood only a few yards away from three members of the gang as their Land Rover vehicle arrived and stopped at the farm gate:

On Wednesday 7 August I first saw a Land Rover at the gate of Leatherslade Farm. The driver squeezed through between my tractor and the gate. I stood nearby when one of the three men in the Land Rover got out to open the gate. I described him as follows: 6' 0”, medium build, 25–30 years, no hat, fair to blond hair, tidily cut with parting on left side. I think it was combed back. He had a pale complexion with fairly sharp features. He was wearing a sports jacket – a green check – with a faint brown background. The trousers were gabardine – nicely creased and matched the jacket but were a plain colour. He had a smooth cultured accent which I think was natural. I had not seen him before. He had well manicured hands which were not accustomed to work. He seemed very polite. I would most certainly recognise him again. I saw this man three times in all. The second time was when I saw him leaving the farm after the robbery in some sort of vehicle, which I cannot describe. I last saw him on Friday, 9 August but I cannot recall what time of day it was. He was at the farm entrance after having got out of a vehicle which went towards Bicester. I then left the farm on the tractor and turned left towards Long Crendon. When near King's Lane, which is a half mile from the farm entrance, I saw this man walking along the main road towards Long Crendon. He was wearing the same clothes I had first seen him in. He did turn and I gained the impression that he was expecting someone to pick him up. We passed the time of day and I have not seen him since.

There were two other men in the Land Rover. I can only give brief details of the driver. He was about 25–30 years of age and about medium build. He had dark hair, brushed back. A tanned complexion or weather beaten. I only had a side view of him and I noticed his ears were small and close to his head. I think he had a dark sports coat on but I cannot be sure. They drove up to the farmhouse and as they went by I noticed the Land Rover was loaded right up to the roof – it was bulging – but it was fully covered and I could not see what was in it. There were 2 suitcases on the back – on the tail board which was down – they were light grey in colour and very large.

From then until Saturday, 10 August 1963, my work kept me in the vicinity of the farm. I have a faint recollection of seeing the Land Rover leave the farm later on the Wednesday 7 August. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday I would have been in the vicinity of the farm from 9 am until 5 pm each day.

I saw nothing on the Thursday but on Friday 9 August I gained the impression that vehicles were leaving although I saw only one van. This van was an enclosed van, of Bedford 50 cwt type; it was not a dormobile. It was a dull grey in colour with windows at the back. I saw this leaving the farm I think in the afternoon as it turned right into the village at Oakley. I cannot say who was in it. After I had seen this van leave it seemed very quiet. I later noticed that the tracks I had made with my tractor were then undisturbed. On Friday, 9 August I was in the vicinity of the gates entrance to Leatherslade Farm every 20 minutes or so and from late in the afternoon of that day things seemed very quiet. I recall that when I first saw the Land Rover on the Wednesday, 7 August, I remember the fair haired man addressing the driver of the Land Rover as ‘Barry' or ‘Gary'.

This last comment was of particular interest to the police, who already had knowledge of an individual they suspected was the Land Rover driver. According to DCS Butler, very shortly after the robbery, ‘several names of men physically involved in the offence were given to another officer and myself. One of these was Henry Thomas Smith, CRO No 1551/1947, who was living at 262 Fieldgate Mansions, Stepney, a poorly furnished flat.'

The police mused that it could well be that Brian Currington was mistaken and that it was ‘Harry' not ‘Barry or Gary' that he had overheard. It was therefore decided to immediately take out a warrant to search Smith's flat and bring him in for questioning. This was to be undertaken by three officers with support outside the flat.

DS Jack Slipper's statement explains that:

On the 14 August 1963 at 2.45 pm with Detective Sergeants Moore and Caple, I went to 262 Fieldgate Mansions, Stepney, a first floor flat occupied by Henry Thomas Smith, CRO No 1551/1947, and Margaret Wade, his common-law wife. Margaret Wade, who was alone in the flat, opened the door. I told her we were police officers and that I had a warrant authorising us to search the premises for stolen bank notes. We entered and searched the premises but with negative result. Mrs Wade indicated that Smith was due home at any time. We remained on the premises and at 3.45 pm the telephone rang. Mrs Wade picked up the phone and said, ‘Steam Company. No you must have the wrong number'. She then replaced the receiver. It was obvious that the caller did not have the wrong number and no doubt it was Smith himself. At 4.45 pm the telephone again rang. I picked up the receiver and said, ‘Bishopsgate 5235'. There was a short pause and the caller said, ‘Who's that?' ‘I'm a police officer. Are you Harry Smith, the occupier of this flat?' The caller said, ‘Yes, why?' I said, ‘I would like to see you about a certain matter'. The caller said, ‘What's it all about? Is it about my brother's bother?' I said, ‘I don't intend to discuss it over the phone. Are you coming home?' The caller said, ‘Yes, I'll be there in half an hour'. He then rang off.

At 5 pm the telephone rang again. I picked up the receiver and said, ‘Bishopsgate 5235'. The caller said, ‘Harry here. Look I know it's nothing to do with my brother - you've had your card marked. You want me for the train job. If you give me your name I'll get a mate of mine to see you'. I said, ‘I want to see you'. The caller said, ‘You know I can't afford to see you.' I said, ‘You've got three young children here, you can't stay away forever'. The caller said, ‘I know that but I'm still not coming and I'll take some finding'. The caller then rang off. We then left the premises. Observations were kept on the premises for the following two weeks and Margaret Wade was followed away on two occasions but Smith was not seen.
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Having combed the farm property for clues and interviewed the local inhabitants, the police now turned their attention to how the gang came to acquire the farm in the first place. According to DS McArthur, among the first to be interviewed were Bernard Rixon and his agent Douglas Earle:

Douglas Anthony Earle is the manager of the Branch Office at Market Square, Bicester of Midland Marts Ltd, the agents who acted for Rixon in the sale of his farm to Field. As Wheater contacted Rixon direct Earle had very little to do with the transaction and did not meet the purchaser. On 23 July 1963, he received a letter and the cheque for the deposit, amount £555, which was drawn on the account of James and Wheater. The cheque was paid into his Company's account at Barclays Bank Limited, Bicester. Joyce Winifred McRoberts of 5, Withington Road, Bicester, is a secretary employed by Midland Marts Limited who describes the visit, in the early part of July 1963, of a man giving the name Richards
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who wanted particulars of a farm for sale at Brill. Her description of this man could fit one of the train robbers but does not fit either of the Fields.
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