Great Train Robbery of 1963
Mentmore Bridge (previously known as Bridego Bridge and then Train Robbers' bridge), scene of the robbery
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| Date | 8 August 1963 |
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| Time | 03:00 |
| Location | Bridego Railway Bridge, Ledburn, Buckinghamshire, England |
| Coordinates | 51°52′44″N 0°40′10″W / 51.87889°N 0.66944°WCoordinates: 51°52′44″N 0°40′10″W / 51.87889°N 0.66944°W |
| Also known as | Cheddington Mail Van Raid |
| Cause | Train robbery |
| Participants | Bruce Reynolds, Gordon Goody, Buster Edwards, Charlie Wilson, Jimmy Hussey, Ronnie Biggs, Tommy Wisbey, John Wheater, Jimmy White and Brian Field |
| Outcome | Theft of £2.6 million (the equivalent of £50 million today) |
| Non-fatal injuries | Jack Mills (train driver) |
| Charges | Conspiracy to rob, armed robbery, obstructing justice and receiving stolen goods |
| Verdict | Guilty |
| Convictions | 11 men sentenced (Bill Boal and Lennie Field later exonerated) to terms up to 30 years |
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. It was after the police found this hideout that incriminating evidence would lead to the eventual arrest and conviction of most of the gang. The ringleaders were sentenced to 30 years in jail.
The plan to intercept and rob the overnight Glasgow-to-London mail train was based on information from Patrick McKenna, a postal worker from Salford who had detailed knowledge of the amounts of money carried on Royal Mail trains. McKenna was introduced to two of the criminals who would carry out the raid — Gordon Goody and Buster Edwards — by London solicitor's clerk Brian Field. His name was kept secret, and he was known to the robbers only as "The Ulsterman".
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