Uploaded September 2020 | Updated September 2026, 4 hours ago
On the morning of 8 August 1963, a gang of 15 executed a carefully planned heist on a Royal Mail train heading from London to Glasgow. Utilising insider information and tampering with the signals to bring the train to a halt, the gang escaped with over £2.6 million (equivalent to £55 million in 2019). Though most of the culprits were eventually caught, the bulk of the stolen money was never recovered.
Note that this program was made in 1992:
1) Ronnie Biggs eventually returned to the UK voluntarily in 2001 and was immediately arrested on his return and imprisoned. He was released in 2009 on compassionate grounds due to ill health. Biggs died in 2013.
2) In 2019, Danny Pembroke, Jr. admitted that his father Danny Pembroke (alias 'Frank Monroe') was one of the 15. He had received a share of £150,000 (about £3 million in 2019). He escaped detection as he always wore gloves, including at the hideout at the farm, and went outside to the toilet rather than using the one inside the house. Having lived a life of relative comfort, Pembroke died in 2015.
3) Henry Thomas 'Harry' Smith is believed to be 'Bill Jennings' (a.k.a. 'Mr. One'), and unlike most other robbers, actually got to spend his share of the loot, buying 28 houses and also a hotel and drinking club in Portsmouth. Smith died in 2008 and was the only man not ultimately arrested that was on both the Hatherill list, and Tommy Butler's list.
This is the full length episode. Previous uploads are TV recordings with 3 minutes cut.
On the morning of 8 August 1963, a gang of 15 executed a carefully planned heist on a Royal Mail train heading from London to Glasgow. Utilising insider information and tampering with the signals to bring the train to a halt, the gang escaped with over £2.6 million (equivalent to £55 million in 2019). Though most of the culprits were eventually caught, the bulk of the stolen money was never recovered.
Note that this program was made in 1992:
1) Ronnie Biggs eventually returned to the UK voluntarily in 2001 and was immediately arrested on his return and imprisoned. He was released in 2009 on compassionate grounds due to ill health. Biggs died in 2013.
2) In 2019, Danny Pembroke, Jr. admitted that his father Danny Pembroke (alias 'Frank Monroe') was one of the 15. He had received a share of £150,000 (about £3 million in 2019). He escaped detection as he always wore gloves, including at the hideout at the farm, and went outside to the toilet rather than using the one inside the house. Having lived a life of relative comfort, Pembroke died in 2015.
3) Henry Thomas 'Harry' Smith is believed to be 'Bill Jennings' (a.k.a. 'Mr. One'), and unlike most other robbers, actually got to spend his share of the loot, buying 28 houses and also a hotel and drinking club in Portsmouth. Smith died in 2008 and was the only man not ultimately arrested that was on both the Hatherill list, and Tommy Butler's list.
This is the full length episode. Previous uploads are TV recordings with 3 minutes cut.
