Page 179 - Once a copper 10 03 2020

The first arrests following the robbery were made as early as 9 pm on the
Wednesday evening. Roger Cordrey, who was being helped by his friend, Bill
Boal, was arrested while putting his train robbery share in a rented lock up in
Bournemouth. It was his bad luck that it was owned by a police widow Ethel
Clark who was suspicious that Cordrey was happy to pay three months in
advance, and pay in cash. Cordrey would plead guilty at the trial.

William Boal, who was not involved in the robbery, was sentenced to 24 years
and died in prison in 1970. Police later acknowledged that he was the victim
of a miscarriage of justice.

The police had started a three-day examination of the farm. 243
photographs were taken of 311 fingerprints and 56 palm prints.

Others

Other arrests followed. Eight of the gang members and several associates
were caught. The other arrests were made by Sgt. Stan Davis and
Probationary Constable Gordon 'Charlie' Case.

On Friday 16 August 1963, two people who had decided to take a morning
stroll in Dorking Woods discovered a briefcase, a holdall and a camel-skin
bag, all containing money. They called police, who also discovered another
briefcase full of money in the woods. In total, a sum of £100,900 was found.
They also found a camel-skin bag with a receipt inside, from the Cafe Pension
Restaurant, Sonnenbichel, Hindelang, Prov. Allgäu. It was made out in favour
of a Herr and Frau Field. The Surrey police delivered the money and the
receipt to officers in Aylesbury, who knew by then that Brian Field was a clerk
at James and Wheater who had acted in the purchase of Leatherslade
Farm. They quickly confirmed through Interpol that Brian and Karin Field had
stayed at the Pension Sonnebichel in February that year. In addition, they
knew that Field had acted for Gordon Goody and other criminals.
Several weeks later, the police went to interview Field, who calmly (for
someone whose relatives had dumped a large part at least of the loot)
provided a cover story that implicated Lennie Field as the purchaser of the
farm and his boss John Wheater as the conveyancer. He admitted to visiting
the farm on one occasion with Lennie Field, but said he assumed it was an
investment of his brother Alexander Field, whom Brian Field had
unsuccessfully defended in a recent court case. Field, not knowing the police
had found a receipt, readily confirmed that he and his wife had been to
Germany on a holiday and gave them the details of the place at which they
had stayed. On 15 September 1963 Brian Field was arrested and his boss John
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Wheater was arrested two days later. Lennie Field had already been arrested
on 14 September.