The Great Train Robbery (9 page)

Rixon's wife Lily recalled that:

Sometime in March of this year in answer to an advertisement that was placed in local papers, several people visited our farm at Leatherslade, Brill, which was for sale. Towards the middle of June I remember two men arriving at the farm to inspect the building, I know it was on a Thursday because my husband had gone to Brentford Market in the course of his business. It must have been sometime in the afternoon when they arrived. I know they had a car because they drove their car up to the back door. I had expected someone to call because several telephone conversations had been made by my husband and prospective purchasers during the previous few days. The man who did most of the talking was about 30 years of age, 5' 10” in height, slim build, dark hair, I believe a little wavy. He had a slightly tanned complexion and was clean shaven. He spoke fairly well with a London accent. He was wearing a brown suit. I heard afterwards from somewhere that he was a solicitor's clerk, and now I think of it this description would fit him quite well.

The second man was also about 35 years of age, not much taller than myself - I am about 5' so this man would be about 5' 4” or 5' 6”, fair hair, pale complexion. Because of his height he appeared to be broader built than the other one. This man's hair I would say was coloured. He had no grease on it. He was clean shaven. I can remember him speaking. I can't remember what he was dressed in but it struck me he was not particularly well dressed. I would know both these men again. I heard afterwards that the second man was the proposed buyer and I was very surprised to hear this.

The inspection of the house was made very quickly without hardly any comment made at all. I went out into the yard with them and indicated the toilet which is an outside one. The first man said, ‘I don't know what we are going to do with that,' and pointed back towards the house. I said, ‘Well what do you want it for?' and he said something to the effect that he was going to do some alteration. There was talk of a swimming pool and other things. He said, ‘Is the place still for sale,' and I told him another man was interested in buying it and he replied, ‘If he drops out will you send the contract to Wheater's straight away, and he will get it signed up immediately.' The two men then left.
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Wheater also told Bernard Rixon that the two men who had casually called at the farm a day or two previously were the prospective purchaser and the other his managing clerk. Rixon consulted his solicitors and eventually a price of £5,550 was agreed. He understood that a deposit of £555 (10 per cent) had been paid to the estate agents Midland Mart, and he agreed with his solicitors that the purchaser could have possession of the premises when full settlement was made. He was later given to understand that full settlement could not be made until 13 August 1963, because the purchaser's money would not be available until that date. The purchaser still wished to take possession of the premises by 29 July 1963, and finally it was agreed that he could take over on that date, providing he paid 7 per cent interest on the balance owing to cover the mortgage on the new property that Rixon was buying.
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Rixon left the farm on Sunday 7 July but left his parents and the majority of the furniture in the house. They moved out on 29 July 1963. Before leaving the house, Rixon had a telephone call from a ‘Mr Field' asking him to leave the key. By arrangement this was left with Mrs Brooks, who lived at The Bungalow, Thame Road, Oakley. To describe the premises as a farm was something of a misnomer. It consisted of a cottage that has been rebuilt and renovated so that two families could separately occupy it. Five acres of land made up the smallholding, which stands on a rise almost directly below Brill, but which itself looks down on the Oxford to Thame Road, the B4011, and commands an excellent view of the surrounding countryside and approach roads. The farm is not easily seen from the main road. There is only one entrance direct from the Thame Road, a rough but hard surface track about 300 yards in length leading directly to the farm and outbuildings. Leatherslade Farm is not marked on the Ordnance Survey map but is shown as Nuthooke Farm. Locally it is more generally referred to as ‘Rixon's place'.
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At the time that Sergeant Blackman phoned the Buckinghamshire Headquarters, giving the information that Leatherslade Farm had no doubt been used as a hideout for the thieves, Commander Hatherill and Detective Chief Superintendent Millen were at HQ. They had spent two hours that morning discussing the crime and its investigations made to date with DSs McArthur and Fewtrell. Immediately the information about Leatherslade Farm was received at Buckinghamshire HQ, Brigadier Cheney, Commander Hatherill and their team of senior officers left for Brill, where they arrived at about 1.30 p.m.
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Arrangements were made for the farm to be adequately guarded to ensure that it was secured until an examination by experts from the forensic laboratory and fingerprint department of Scotland Yard could be made. DS Maurice Ray headed the forensic search of the property:

I went there on the 14 August. I and other officers made a very careful examination of the farm. On the 15 August, in the kitchen at Leatherslade Farm I found a palm mark on the sill of the window in the kitchen nearest to the back door. This was photographed in my presence by Senior Photographer Creer. On the 16 August, I took possession of an unopened tin of Johnsons Travelkit and the cellophane wrapping. There was a tin of Saxa Salt, which had been opened. I removed the cellophane wrapping and handed this and the salt drum to Senior photographer Creer. These things I found on the second shelf of the larder at Leatherslade Farm.

On the 15 August, in the kitchen at Leatherslade Farm I took possession of a Pyrex plate which was in a cupboard under the draining board and which bore a thumb mark. Later the same day at Bucks County Police Headquarters, I received from Detective Constable Milner part of the lid of the Monopoly box which bore a finger mark. On the 16 August, in the larder at Leatherslade Farm, I took possession of a part-used bottle of Heinz Tomato Ketchup which was on the second shelf in the larder.

On the 14 August, I examined an Austin Lorry bearing the index number BPA 260 which was in the shed at Leatherslade Farm. On the outside of the tailboard about 5 feet 3 inches from the ground, I pointed out to Senior Photographer Creer, a palm mark which he photographed in my presence.

On the 15 August, in the bathroom at Leatherslade Farm I pointed out to Senior Photographer Creer a palm mark on the metal handrail let into the side of the bath and he photographed this mark in my presence.

When I was inspecting Leatherslade Farm I noticed and it was visibly apparent that considerable areas in the house and articles had been wiped. On the draining board in the kitchen were two sponges and from the results obtained when applying powder it was obvious to me that these had been used to wipe down these areas. On 17 August, at New Scotland Yard, I received from Detective Constable Milner nine sacks, mail sacks, containing various papers and on 29 August, I handed the majority of these papers to Mr Moriarty of the General Post Office.
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The account of DC Keith Milner, who accompanied Ray, gives a more detailed insight into the wealth of clues that awaited the police inside the farmhouse and outside in the yard, gardens and outbuildings:

On the morning of 14 August, 1963, I went to Leatherslade Farm, Oakley, and there together with forensic science experts I examined the scene of a bonfire which was situated near the large garage. Here I found a partly burned balaclava, part of a burned nylon stocking in a burned jacket pocket and a piece of burned banknote which was sticking to a small bottle.

There was a full water butt situated by the side of the house. We emptied this and found in it a handle, a pump, a torch, a brace, a pair of wire cutters, 3 pairs of insulated wire cutters, a pair of bolt cutters, a hacksaw blade, a wood saw, a screwdriver, and some sweets.

I was present when Detective Superintendent Ray removed a pick axe handle from behind the nearside seat of lorry BPA 260 which was in the large garage at the farm. I then went into the house itself, and from the cellar I took possession of thirty-three full mailbags, and five empty mailbags. I also took a pair of blue trousers, a blue jacket, a towel, a pair of underpants, a Banlon turquoise shirt and a ‘St Michael' pullover from the cellar. There was also one full mailbag in room ‘Y' and another full mailbag in the kitchen. In room ‘Z' was a foam rubber strip and two dark green sleeping bags. I took possession of all these articles and they were taken to Aylesbury police headquarters.

Later the same day, the mailbags were emptied by Detective Chief Inspector McCafferty, Faber, Detective Sergeant Brown and myself, and I listed the contents. In the mailbags I found a total of £541. There was a large quantity of varied articles in these bags, which included some bandaging, a leather glove which appeared to pair with the glove which was found on the signal near Sears Crossing, three balaclavas, a black hood with eye holes and a nylon stocking mask. There was also a leaflet which bore the instructions for the use of handcuffs. Six sleeping bags, eleven air beds, five air cushions, thirteen blankets and twenty towels were also found in the mailbags. 4 x 6 volt batteries each of which had wire soldered to the terminals, and which appeared similar to the four batteries at the home signal at Sears Crossing, and forty torch batteries were also taken from the mailbags.

There was also a set of chessmen, part of a game called Monopoly and part of a game of ‘Snakes and Ladders' and ‘Ludo'. There was a large amount of army type clothing and equipment, which included a Lieutenant's jacket bearing a Special Air Service badge, a Corporal's jacket bearing a badge of the Parachute Brigade, a waterproof jacket, two army cold weather jackets, two army snow jackets, a camouflage jacket, and an army survival kit.

There were also six khaki denim jackets, two pairs of khaki denim trousers, four anoraks, a camouflage gas cape, three berets, two Special Air Service badges, three army housewives, and some army webbing equipment. Eleven blue denim overalls, three blue denim jackets, one pair of blue denim trousers, and a blue bib and brace overall were also found in the mailbags.

On 16 August, 1963, I took these articles to New Scotland Yard fingerprint department. The following morning I returned to New Scotland Yard and handed these mailbags to Detective Superintendent Ray. On that same day I handed to Dr Holden among other articles the 4 x 6 volt batteries, the leather glove and piece of black paper which I had taken from the home signal at Sears Crossing. I also handed to him three balaclavas, a pair of khaki denim trousers, four pairs of blue denim overalls, 3 blue denim jackets, the leather glove and the 4 x 6 volt batteries all of which were taken from the mailbags which were found at the farm.

On the 18 August, 1963, I returned to Leatherslade Farm and took the front and rear number plates from the large new land rover. They were paper type plates bearing the number BMG 757. I also removed the number plates from the lorry. These also were paper ones bearing the number BPA 260.

The following day, 19 August, 1963, I took possession of a number of articles from the parcel shelf of the large new land rover. These articles included a lock, some foreign coins, and matches, a pair of sunglasses and a piece of yellow cord. From the kitchen of the farm I took possession of a gas cylinder, a camping gas stove, six empty tins of 7 pint capacity beer cans, and two full ones.

I also took possession of quantities of cooking and eating utensils, and a large amount of tinned food, eggs, bread, and toilet rolls. These articles were taken from the kitchen and larder of the farm house, and were later photographed by Detective Constable Bailey.
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In terms of information given to the police by local villagers, one of the most important witnesses was Mrs Emma Nappin of Brill Road, Oakley, who made a statement to the police on 14 August:

I am not a very good sleeper. I remember hearing about the mail train robbery on the wireless. After I went to bed the night before I heard about the train robbery I went to sleep and then woke up again at about midnight. I got out of bed. My window faces out on the Brill Road. As I was looking out of the window there was rather a bright light. It came down on the Thame Road before it got to my house. They came past my house. I think it was a motorbike that came first
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and then it looked like a van to me, then a car. I could see the shape of the van quite easily. I could not see anyone in the vehicles. I went back to bed and woke up again later that night round about 3 o'clock or just after. I stayed awake. I heard something coming again between 3 and 3.30 I would say, I wouldn't say for sure. I know it was before 3.30. I saw the same three vehicles come back as I saw go up. They came down the Brill Road from Brill and when they got to the corner they turned left in the same direction as I had seen them coming from earlier in the evening. When they turned left on the Brill Road they could be anything from ½ to a mile from Leatherslade Farm house. On the return journey they were showing very dim lights. I saw no-one in the vehicles.
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Apart from Mrs Nappin, other local people were able to provide information about a number of suspicious vehicles seen at various times in the vicinity of Leatherslade Farm. Lionel Hopcroft, a local wood merchant, for example, gave a particularly significant and detailed account:

Between 4.30-4.45 pm on Tuesday 30 July 1963 I phoned Luxicars, Oxford, to find out if a Jaguar car I had on order was ready for me to collect. I phoned from the kiosk in the square, Brill, and just as I was leaving the kiosk a Mark VII Jaguar containing four men pulled up alongside me and facing Thame Road. The driver then called out to me and asked where Leatherslade Farm, Brill, was. I told him that there was no Leatherslade Farm, Brill but that it laid between Brill and Oakley. He then asked me if I knew the phone number of the farm. I said I didn't and I didn't think it would be on the phone as no one lives there. He then asked me how they could get there. I gave him directions and the man sitting beside him said, ‘I told you we'd taken the wrong fucking turn'. Then they drove off down the Thame Road. Whilst I was talking to the driver I was looking through the driving window, which was wound down. The glove compartment on the side of the front passenger seat was open and I could see inside the glove compartment a packet of ‘Manikin' and the butt of what was either a revolver or an air pistol. The man in the front passenger seat saw me looking towards the glove compartment and immediately closed it with his knee.