wardle_a_d

=D. Analysis (500-650 words) Tips] =

The main area of disagreement was afore-mentioned in my introduction, the misunderstanding between the police and the public. However there were also misunderstandings about everything else, including the role of the cleaner. In fact according to Brenda Haugen (author of "The Great Train Robbery: History-Making Heist") and Pratheek Praveen Kumar (author of "My Time, My World"), the role of the police involved in the real case did not involve any misunderstandings.

In reality, it was the robbers who misunderstood everything and everyone else, for example the problems that the thieves encountered when they were captured were their fingerprints; as many of them had already been on file and could be traced, however, to prevent this [i] "The robbers had tried wrapping their fingertips in bandages to avoid leaving fingerprints behind. Heat and friction, made the bandages fall off. Yet the robbers had not worried about leaving fingerprints. They had expected that the cleaner would erase any trace of their time at the farm."

However, what happened to the cleaner, who worked in the biggest criminal event in British history has constantly been a hot debate between the historians of the world and the detectives at Scotland Yard, about why he never did the job that he was originally asked to do. One view, was that he may have been a traitor who betrayed the criminals in order to get what was coming to them, by neither burning nor cleaning the hideout. The other is that he may have been involved in an accident before he could complete the job. However, there is not one single shred of evidence to prove that he was in an accident, as a historian I believe that he was a traitor and possibly could have been someone to have leaked to the police about the robber's whereabouts or could have disappeared to another country, never to return again.

According to Kumar, on the subject of Detective Jack Slipper, he concludes that Slipper was too good a cop to be making misunderstandings, apart from at first when he tried to sort out the sightings of the robbers from the true ones to the fakes, he “[ii] was a renowned and efficient detective of the Scotland Yard.” He was given the case by Scotland Yard because of his reputation “as it’s most efficient and capable investigator.” He was able, successfully to track down all of the criminals involved including from Ronnie Biggs who managed to sneak out from under the grip of him, only a handful managed to escape being arrested because it was their first criminal act. What also became apparent with Biggs in the interviews made by Colin Mackenzie, was that he was extremely honest in the interviews, and for those who betrayed him he would be willing to take revenge on them “[iii] I’d do it myself. It’s the safest way.” This was what happened 10 years to the day that Biggs escaped over a 30ft wall on a rope ladder and into a furniture van. Jack Slipper and Peter Jones were already in Brazil and “were ready to swoop” and Mackenzie told Biggs that “he had 10 minutes to either give himself up to police or to keep quiet”. Biggs was mortified about his arrest.

[i] Haugen, B (2011). //The Great Train Robbery: History-Making Heist//. North Mankato, Minnesota: Compass Point Books. [ii] Kumar, P (2009). //My Time, My World.// Maryland, USA: Publish America [iii] Documentary – The Great Train Robber’s Secret Tapes: Revealed featuring the original journalist who recorded the interviews of him and Biggs, Colin Mackenzie