Page 68 - All About History - Issue 27-15

Heroes & Villains
RONNIE BIGGS

Enemies

Jack Slipper
Slipper was determined to
bring Biggs to justice. He
travelled to Brazil in 1974 to
arrest Biggs, greeting him
with the words: “Long time
no see, Ronnie.” But, pictured
on a return flight with an
empty seat beside him, was
nicknamed ‘Slip-up of the
Yard’ by the press.
Colin Mackenzie
Mackenzie was interviewing
Biggs for the Daily Express
in Brazil on the day Slipper
arrested him. In 2011, he told
a British documentary that he
had met Slipper and Detective
Inspector Peter Jones the
night before. Photographer
Bill Lovelace had signalled that
Biggs was in the room.
John Miller
Ex-SAS members John Miller,
Fred Prime and Norman
Boyle abducted Biggs and
took him on a yacht, but
they lost control off the coast
of Barbados. Miller told a
TV interviewer he wanted
to take him to a country
Ronnie Biggs is
sympathetic to Britain’s pleas
arrested following the
for extradition.
Great Train Robbery
Biggs was a petty criminal and not even a spell
in the RAF in 1947 couldputhimbackontrack. “He returned in 2001, giving himself
He went AWOL and broke into a pharmacy, causing
him to be discharged and jailed. Aged 19, he served up after 13,068 days on the run”
three months in Lewes Prison for stealing a car,
meeting Reynolds for the first time. His crime spree
continued for 14 more years, culminating in a four- in Wandsworth Prison, Biggs had a burning desire A foreign life on the run began. Biggs moved
year stretch for burglary. to escape. He plotted with fellow convict Paul around Australia, changing his name – becoming
Upon his release, he sought to abandon crime Seabourne to get over the prison’s 25-foot perimeter Terrence King and Terry Cook, among other aliases
and become a carpenter. The 27-year-old met wall. Biggs suggested parking a van outside, – as he sought carpentry work. His wife joined him,
Charmian Brent, aged 17, but soon fell back into his allowing him to jump to safety once he reached the using the name Margaret Furminger and bringing
old ways, dragging his girlfriend into his schemes top. The plan was deemed to be a winner. their children. They even had a third: Farley, born
too. Brent was arrested for being the lookout Biggs’s escape relied on Seabourne’s smooth in Adelaide in April 1966.
when Biggs and friend Michael Haynes broke into release from jail. With that in place, the plot was By 1968, with the other train robbers all in
premises in 1957. Biggs was imprisoned for two and giventhegreenlight.At3pm on 8 July 1965, Biggs prison, Biggs was the only one at large, but the net
a half years. Two months after being released, on and three other helpful inmates – Brian Stone, Eric began to close in. A Reuters journalist reported that
20 February 1960 he married Brent. They had their Flower and an unnamed Scottish convict – went Biggs was in Melbourne and his face was shown
first child, Nicholas, on 23 July. Biggs settled down totheexerciseyard.Seabourne’s truck pulled up in the media. Biggs borrowed a passport, inserted
and in March 1963 had a second son, Christopher. and a rope ladder was thrown over the wall. Biggs his own image and flew to Caracus, Venezuela, en
But he was suffering financially and turned to his and Flower ran while Stone and the Scottish man route to Rio de Janeiro. He landed on 11 March 1970
old friend, Reynolds, for a loan. Instead, Reynolds held back wardens trying to catch them. The two under the name Michael Haynes.
offered an invite into his gang. men dropped on to the roof of the lorry before But Biggs was to experience heartbreak. His
But while the Great Train Robbery – dubbed transferring to a getaway car. Biggs had escaped. brother, Jack, had died of a heart attack while Biggs
one of the greatest crimes of the 20th century His underworld connections served him well. was carrying out the train robbery, but nothing
– was initially successful, fingerprints found at Handed a temporary passport and a route to Paris, could prepare him for the news that his ten-year-old
Leatherslade Farm, where the gang had taken the he was also offered plastic surgery. At first, Biggs son had been killed in a road accident on 5 January
money after the heist, proved damning. Biggs was had surgery on his nose, followed by a face-lift. 1971. Biggs said in his autobiography, Ronnie Biggs:
found guilty and sentenced to 30 years in prison. With the job done, he flew to Australia under the Odd Man Out, that he considered handing himself
Yet that was only the start of his infamy. Locked up alias Terrence Furminger. It was December 1965. in. He decided against it.
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