The Heist That Stopped a Nation
At 3 a.m. on August 8, 1963, a Royal Mail train from Glasgow to London slowed for a false red signal near Cheddington, England. The light had been tampered with—wired to a battery and lamp, covered by a glove. When co-engineer David Whitby stepped down to investigate, a man seized him from behind.
He was warned not to shout. Minutes later, 15 masked men boarded the train. They struck the lead engineer, Jack Mills, with a crowbar, and uncoupled the first two cars. Mills was forced to drive the front portion of the train half a mile down the track. Unarmed postal workers, unaware of the unfolding crime, remained in the trailing cars.
£2.6 Million in 15 Minutes
In the second car, four guards oversaw over £2 million in small bills—cash scheduled for incineration due to a bank holiday surge. The robbers broke through a sealed door, overpowered the guards, and offloaded 120 mailbags into waiting vehicles. In just 15 minutes, they had taken £2.6 million—worth more than £40 million today.
Scotland Yard quickly launched an investigation. Fingerprints lifted from Leatherslade Farm, the thieves’ hideout, eventually led to the arrests of all 15 men. But one key figure remained unknown: the inside informant, known only as “The Ulsterman.”
One Name, Three Witnesses
The Ulsterman had provided the gang with precise information—when and where to strike, which carriage carried the money, and that no alarms were present. Only three people knew his real name. Over the decades, the identity of this insider eluded police and the public.
Gordon Goody, one of the original planners of the robbery, kept the name secret. Unlike his accomplices Ronnie Biggs and Bruce Reynolds, Goody avoided publicity, relocating to Spain and living quietly.
A Final Confirmation
In the 2014 documentary A Tale of Two Thieves, Gordon Goody, then 84, agreed to discuss the crime. He recalled the robbery in detail and shared the Ulsterman’s name—believing the man had since died. Investigators hired by the filmmakers searched post office records and identified a likely candidate: Gerald McMorran.
Presented with the man’s photo, Goody studied it and hesitated. After five decades, he confirmed the identity with a quiet “yes.” Police had recovered only a fraction of the stolen money, and the robbery remained one of the most infamous in British history. The man who helped make it possible remained free, unnamed for 51 years—until Gordon Goody finally gave him one.
At 3 a.m. on August 8, 1963, a Royal Mail train from Glasgow to London was stopped by a false signal near Cheddington.
In minutes, 15 masked men boarded it, attacked the crew, uncoupled the lead cars, and vanished with £2.6 million. But one key player stayed hidden…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/pR4Ewhfkrt
— Detective Tiger’s Stories (@TigerDetective) August 1, 2025