Page 174 - Once a copper 10 03 2020

to calm down enough for each of them to make good their escapes with
their shares of the haul.

So, who arranged the bolt-hole? Enter stage left, two members of the ‘legal
profession’.

Brian Arthur Field was a solicitor's managing clerk for John Wheater & Co.

Prior to the robbery Field had represented GTR team members Buster
Edwards and Gordon Goody. He had arranged Edwards' defence when he
had been caught with a stolen car and had met Goody at a nightclub in
Soho. Field was called upon to assist in Goody's defence in the aftermath of
the "Airport Job", which was a robbery carried out on 27 November 1962 at
BOAC Comet House, Hatton Cross, London Airport. This was a big practice
robbery that the South West Gang had done before the Great Train Robbery.
Field was successful in arranging bail for Goody and Charlie Wilson.

Although he was only 28 at the time of the robbery, he was already
apparently more prosperous than his boss, John Wheater. Field drove a new
Jaguar and had a house in an affluent area, while his boss owned a battered
Ford and lived in a run-down neighbourhood. Part of the reason for Field's
prosperity was that he was not averse to giving Goody and Edwards
information about what his clients had in their country houses, making them
prime targets for the thieves.

Brian Field was a key informant and
organiser of the mock purchase of
Leatherslade Farm, the gang's
hideout.

Leonard Denis Field helped with the
purchase of Leatherslade Farm,
paying the deposit of £5,000 in
return for a 'drink' of £12,000. Lennie
was allowed to think that the plan Figure 80 Leatherslade Farm, the gang's hideout.
was to hijack a lorry load of
cigarettes. Despite not being in on the robbery, he was convicted and
sentenced to 25 years (20 years for conspiracy to rob and 5 years for
obstructing justice), which was later reduced to five.

John Denby Wheater was the employer of Brian Field. He was convicted and
sentenced to 3 years.

Leatherslade was a run-down farm 27 miles (43 km) from the crime scene. It
had been bought two months earlier as their hideout.

Vehicles loaded with the 120 cash bags, the gang then headed along minor Page174
roads, listening for police broadcasts on a VHF radio, the journey taking