Brian Arthur Field (15 December 1934 – 27 April 1979) was an English solicitor's clerk who was one of the masterminds of the 1963 Great Train Robbery. He was the crucial link between the key informant, known only as "Ulsterman", who came up with the idea of robbing a money-laden night mail train, and also provided the details of the schedule and contents of the trains, and the gang capable of planning and carrying out such a complex, large-scale robbery.
Field was found guilty of conspiracy to rob, but his conviction was overturned on appeal. He only served prison sentence for perverting the course of justice, in relation to arranging the purchase of Leatherslade Farm, near Oakley, Buckinghamshire, which was used as the gang's hideout.
Early life Field was born on 15 December 1934 at Windsor and was immediately put up for adoption.
Service in Korean War He served two years in the Royal Army Service Corps, seeing service in Korea. When discharged from the military it was with 'a very good character'.Crime Archive: The Great Train Robbery by Peter Gutteridge The Korean War lasted from 25 June 1950 until an Armistice was signed on 27 July 1953, with 63,000 British troops involved (part of over 1 million troops on the South Korean side). Field would have been 18 when the war was over. While the Service Corps were considered combat personnel, they were primarily associated with transport and logistics. Later in life, while working with the Children's Book Centre, he would animatedly tell fellow Book Centre employee Tony Saez about living through the chaotic experience of being shelled during the war.
Early career and personal success Brian Field quickly became successful in both his personal and professional lives, he married a German girl named Karin and rose to be a solicitor's managing clerk for John Wheater & Co. Despite the fact that he was only 28 at the time of the robbery, he was already much more successful than his boss, John Wheater. Field drove a new Jaguar and had a house he called "Kabri" (an amalgam of Karin and Brian) with his wife at Bridle Road, Whitchurch Hill, Oxfordshire, near Pangbourne, while his boss owned a battered Ford and lived in a rundown neighbourhood. Part of the reason for this is that Field was not averse to giving some of his less savoury clients good information on what some of his wealthier clients had in their country houses, making them prime targets for the thieves. Another key reason being that an honest solicitor was useless to a career criminal of that era. What was needed was a bent solicitor who could arrange for alibis and friendly witness statements and bribe police and witnesses. As the managing clerk at his law firm, Field was able to carry out these activities and encourage repeat business.Crossing The Line (1995) by Bruce Reynolds On one occasion he described the contents and layout of a house near Weybridge where his wife Karin had once been a nanny to a couple of criminals that he represented at various times in his career, Gordon Goody and Buster Edwards.The Train Robbers (1978) by Piers Paul Read, Pp27-29 He had arranged Buster's defence when he had been caught with a stolen car, and later met Goody at a nightclub in Soho. Field was then called upon to assist in the defence of Goody in the aftermath of the "Airport Job" which was a robbery carried out on 27 November 1962 at a branch of Barclays Bank at London Airport. This was the big practice robbery that the South West Gang had done prior to their grand scheme – the Great Train Robbery. Field was successful in arranging bail for Goody and Charlie Wilson.
Great Train Robbery Field was a crucial member of the Great Train Robber gang. He was the link between the gang's organizers and the informants who knew the details of the Royal Mail train and he was also crucial in arranging for the gang's escape with the loot and in purchasing the gang's hideout at Leatherslade Farm and was entrusted with its clean up (which ended badly).
Planning the robbery The robbery was planned by several parties with no overall mastermind, although the robbery operation itself was planned and executed by Bruce Reynolds, the target and the information on the timing of the train and the amount of cash being carried, came from the unknown individual dubbed the "Ulsterman". The key field organisers were Gordon Goody, Buster Edwards, and Charlie Wilson. According to one account by Piers Paul Read (1978), in January 1963, shortly after the furore of the Airport Job had died down, Brian Field called Gordon Goody to a meeting at the Old Bailey and asked him whether he was interested in a large sum of money that only a large gang could steal. The following day, Goody and Edwards met with Field at his office at James and Wheater (New Quebec Street near Marble Arch). There they met with Field and another man called "Mark" who was well dressed, aged around 50, with hair turned silvery grey and who spoke with a smooth accent. "Mark" then convinced them to meet the actual informant and drove Edwards and Goody to Finsbury Park where they met another man they nicknamed the "Ulsterman", who was a slightly balding middle aged man, who spoke with a Northern Irish lilt (where Goody had grown up). The "Ulsterman" told them about the night mail trains doing runs between London and Glasgow with large amounts of money. Edwards and Goody then went and discussed the matter with Reynolds and Wilson and it was agreed that they should make a serious attempt. In the meantime they would recruit others and do practice train robberies. On 31 July, Goody and Edwards met with the "Ulsterman" for one last strategy meeting in Hyde Park. They agreed that his share of the loot would be delivered at Brian Field's house. It is at this meeting that Gordon Goody claimed that when he was in the toilet, Goody checked the pockets of his suit jacket and saw the name and address of the owner, presumably the "Ulsterman".The Train Robbers (1978) by Piers Paul Read. The sources for this info was Gordon Goody and the late Buster Edwards, with Brian Field not interviewed for the book at all
Leatherslade Farm Bruce Reynolds and John Daly spotted a potential hideout in Leatherslade Farm at Brill only 27 miles from the crime scene. The farm also happened to be the only major farm in the area not labelled on local maps – the perfect hideout from the police. Field arranged for the farm to be purchased by one of his firm's clients, Leonard Dennis (Lennie) Field (no relation), who had come into some money as he was power of attorney over the affairs of his brother, Alexander Field who was serving time in prison. The two Fields went to see the farm, and in return for a promised sum from a robbery (though he was not told that it was a train robbery) Lennie Field agreed to act as the purchaser and pay the 10% deposit. John Denby Wheater, Field's employer, was the solicitor who carried out the conveyancing for the farm.
In addition to arranging the purchase of the farm, it was agreed that Brian Field would also arrange for the farm to be cleaned up and get rid of any trace of the robbers after they had left. When Gordon Goody asked about the details he was told that "Mark" would carry out the role of "Dustman" and clean up the farm in return for a 'drink' of £28,500. According to Buster Edwards, he stole £10,000 in ten shilling notes to help pay "Mark's" drink.The Train Robbers (1978) by Piers Paul Read (Pp80-81)
The robbery Gordon Goody flew back into England under an assumed name and stayed the night and the following day with the Fields before getting Brian to drive him to Leatherslade at night and only a few hours before the robbery was to take place.
The robbery itself was the largest cash robbery in British history and went off largely as planned, with the train stopping at the red lights at Sears Crossing in accordance with the plan. Train driver, Jack Mills, was coshed on the head, and was forced to drive the hijacked train to the robbery site at Bridego Bridge. Still on time, the robbery was done and the robbers went to Leatherslade Farm, leaving only 7 of the 128 bags of cash left on the train. The share was around £150,000 for the 17 full gang members, (15 robbers, Brian Field and the "Ulsterman").
Field was then supposed to collect Goody, Edwards and two shares of the loot for himself and the "Ulsterman", but the police speculation that the robbers were still close by, and the description of the vehicle given to police by one of the train staff, and broadcast to the public meant that the plans had to be changed. The police believed that they were still in the area rather than fled to London, so the plans changed from leaving on Sunday to leaving on Friday, and the vehicles they had at the farm could no longer be used because they had been seen by the train staff. Field came on Thursday and took Roy to London to pick up his share of the loot and to take Roy James to London to find an extra vehicle. Bruce Reynolds and John Daly picked up cars, one for Jimmy White and the other for Bruce, John, Ronnie Biggs and the replacement train driver. Brian, wife Karin and his associate "Mark" brought the vans and drove the rest of the gang that remained to 'Kabri' to recover. This was far from ideal as he had not planned to get this involved, but Karin accepted the change in plans.
The gang spent much time trying to wipe the farm free of prints and burning some items of clothing. On Monday, however, Charlie Wilson rang Brian Field to check whether the farm had been cleaned, and did not believe Field's assurances. He called a meeting with Edwards, Reynolds, Daly, and James and they agreed that they needed to be sure, so they called Field to a Tuesday meeting at which he admitted he wasn't. Wilson would have killed him there and then but was restrained by the others. By the time they had gotten ready to go back to the farm however, they heard some bad news – it had been discovered.
Trial at Aylesbury In early 1964, ten of the robbers were in custody. With three of the robbers on the run, (and little prospect of an arrest anytime soon), two others interrogated and released, (for lack of evidence), and two others completely overlooked by authorities, (no evidence or known ties to the other gang members), it was decided that the trial of those in custody should go ahead. Brian Field retained the services of Lewis Hawser QC for his defence.
There were ten charges against 13 men: robbery (all except for John Wheater); conspiracy to rob (against all of them); receiving (3 charges against Roger Cordrey, 3 other charges against Bill Boal, and 1 against Brian Field), and 1 for perverting the course of justice against John Wheater.
Trial location crucial to outcome