Brian Marshall . . . . Glevum Lodge The man who tracked down Ronnie Biggs!

“I hear you’re going to Rio, Brian. I want you to find Ronnie!” In the ‘Fascinating Lives’ series, Brian talks to Dick Smith, editor of It was 1973 and those were the words of Commander Dave Dilley, the squaretalk and another former cop. boss of the Flying Squad. Brian was a Detective Sergeant in Gloucestershire Constabulary, but making his mark at ‘The Yard’, working in a new intelligence unit, a forerunner to National Crime Agency.

Right: Brian and his wife, Rosemary, at their penthouse flat in Cheltenham.

Below: Train-robber, Ronald Arthur Biggs

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The Great Ronnie Biggs was a London villain; having already done three stretches in prison by the time he was 30. In the early hours of 8th August 1963, his birthday, he was one of the gang that carried out the crime of the century; robbing the Glasgow to London mail-train. The haul, £2.6 million would be equivalent to more than £50m these days. There was an audaciousness about the offence which captured an admiring fascination amongst sections of the public, tempered only by the fact that the train driver, , was viciously coshed with an iron bar. He never properly recovered from the brain injuries.

The gang holed up at Leatherslade Farm in Bucks, intending to stay there for some considerable time. The police, however, were making good progress. Two of the team closing in were masons; Jim Neville,

who later headed up the Anti-Terrorist Unit and Leonard ‘Nipper’ Read, who later came to fame successfully capturing and imprisoning the Krays.

“Pass the ketchup, Ron!” In the event, the gang fled; Biggs taking his share, £147,000, in two canvass bags. The accomplice, who had been instructed to burn down the farmhouse failed and Biggs’ fingerprints were found on a ketchup bottle. Three weeks later, he was arrested in South London along with 11 other members of the gang. In 1964, he and several others were each sentenced to 30 years inside.

His incarceration was short-lived, as just fifteen months later, Biggs escaped from Wandsworth Prison; scaling the wall with a rope-ladder Page 2

and dropping onto a removal van. He went to and then , Lodge visit where he underwent plastic surgery in a bid to change his appearance. “It was actually through my masonic He was joined by his wife and children and they made it to Australia, contacts that I found Biggs. Having where they remained for two years. He did not go unnoticed and in established that the lodge was October 1969, the press reported that the police were aware of his recognised by UGLE, I got myself an presence in . Ronnie deserted his family and jumped on a invitation. At the festive board after ship to . From there, he made his way to , arriving in the meeting, I got talking to a brother 1970. called Alan, telling him I was looking for the singer, Vanessa. He suggested The Sweeney I try Corcovado, which was popular Moving on to 1973 and Brian Marshall had befriended a Brazilian family amongst tourists and ex-pats. It’s visiting Gloucester; in particular a young lady called Maria. Now that huge granite peak; the home to seconded to the Met, he saved up six weeks of annual leave to holiday Rio’s Christ the Redeemer statue. He out in Rio and renew the friendship. He had also been asked by a also revealed that he had recently Danny Baldwin, a barber in Gloucester, to see if he could find his employed an odd-job man called daughter, Vanessa. She’d made off with a Brazilian nightclub owner. Brian. Like many Englishmen, he enjoyed strong tea. ‘Michael’ also Then came the third and most secret part of his mission. He was called spent his weekends in Corcovado amongst the tourists.” in by Commander Dilley and entrusted with very confidential information. There was a “whisper” that Biggs was in Rio. “Being the “I had to get proof!” man you are, you might come across him. Who knows?” said the boss of The Sweeney. There was an arrangement for me to have local police contact, but to stay schtum regarding Biggs.

“I arrived at San Dumas Airport in October 73,” said Brian. “I was met by Maria and her parents, who I believe anticipated I might become a son-in-law, and also a high-ranking Rio detective. I was installed in an annexe at Maria’s parents’ house, but my time with her was strictly regulated and we were never left unchaperoned. During the day, we’d go sight-seeing, but at night I’d revert to my ‘working capacity’ and So, the following weekend, Alan, Maria and Brian went to Corcovado. went on the town with my new police chief friend. We covered every Alan pointed out the man. “He was simply an older version of the ten- aspect of Rio nightlife and got the VIP treatment. year old photo I’d seen of Biggs,” said Brian. “I heard him order, ‘a pot of tea with two teabags.’ I knew I had him, but I had to get proof.” As Page 3

soon he had finished his tea, Brian treat him heroically. A treaty with Brazil was signed in 1997, but the snaffled the cup and saucer, courts there still rejected extradition. It was not until 2001 that Biggs carefully wrapping them in paper arrived back in Blighty, voluntarily, and on a Lear jet paid for by ‘The napkins, and dropped them into his Sun’; which it is claimed had also paid his son, Michael, in Rio, the sum haversack. He followed Biggs to of £20,000. Biggs spent only 8 more years in prison, serving less than a the car-park, then tailed him by cab third of his sentence, being released on ‘compassionate grounds’. He to Copacabana Beach. “I waited in died at the age of 84 in 2013. the street, Brian continued, “until Biggs came out, now accompanied Queen’s Commendation for Bravery by a very attractive woman.” Brian was born in Park Street, close to Gloucester Cathedral, on 2nd April 1932. Orphaned before the age of ten, he moved to Southgate The woman was Raimunda, the future mother of Biggs’ child, who and he retains only sad memories of his childhood. He was educated at would play such an important role in frustrating the attempts to deliver Hatherley School where he developed a life-long passion for sport, not the crook back to Britain to face the music. Brian dropped off the cup least football, rugby, cricket and athletics. and saucer at the British Embassy, where it was rushed back to London in the diplomatic bag. A fingerprint examination proved it was Biggs. He fulfilled his Brian had not only spotted his man, but had housed him too. “I ambition of joining phoned Dilley and he was delighted!” the police, becoming a cadet in 1948. He “All in all, it was a fantastic six weeks. I also found Vanessa, whilst became a regular doing the rounds of nightclubs. I watched Pele play at the Maricana constable in 1952, Stadium and even witnessed a voodoo ceremony. However, I didn’t go breaking for national home with Maria on my arm. It was not meant to be.” service in the RAF for two years. Bigg’s celebrity status We all know that the efforts to get Biggs back to London went on for years; there being no extradition treaty with Brazil. He survived a kidnap in 1981 by Brit ex-soldiers, but the boat on which he was carried foundered off . They were rescued and Biggs was sent back to Brazil. He appeared on countless punk records and films were made about him. Unsurprisingly, some sections of the press appeared to

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Queen’s Commendation for Bravery During his career, Brian was to gain 23 commendations, the most prestigious of these being the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery in 1967.

The citation in the London Gazette read, ‘For services when apprehending a mentally deranged man armed with a shotgun.’ “He was intent on murdering his philandering wife!” explained Brian, quite calmly.

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Sport Brian excelled in running and rugby whilst in the police. He won this 880-yards National Police Athletics Championship trophy 8 years out of ten; so often, in fact, that in 1962 they said he could keep it!

Brian (circled) played on the wing for the Gloucestershire Police rugby team. Hooker, Cyril Thomas from Lydney, also in this picture, played 362 games for Gloucester RFC, captained the British Police team and was an England trialist.

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Working for Cunard Brian left the Police after 25 years’ service in 1977; taking up the post Brian even had his photo published in ‘Vogue’ magazine in a feature on of Chief Security Officer on the Cunard flagship, QE2. the QE2, (below)

“Like me, Dick, you’ve probably got a degree in kidology,” quipped Brian. “Here I was, one day a copper working in London. The following day, I am in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in a smart uniform and putting on a brave face. I am welcoming 800 US citizens, the good and the great, on board this luxury ship. And I am supposed to know what I am doing! But we handle it, don’t we? All those years in ‘the Job’ and nothing phases us.”

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The Falkland’s Conflict . . . a Queen at war! invaded the Falkland Islands on my fiftieth birthday. A day later, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher announced the despatch of a Task Force. The QE2 was requisitioned as a Troop ship and I immediately volunteered to remain in post. I could guarantee that I would be the only police pensioner toddling off to that war!”

By 12th May, the transformation of the ship for battle duty was complete and we set sail. “Our send off from Southampton is an occasion I shall always remember with pride. We carried 3000 troops; Ghurkhas and Guards regiments. Between duties, they had waiter service in the restaurants and were on -decks, enjoying the sun. Once we disembarked our troops, it was something of an anti- climax.” On the long journey back to port, Brian wrote a report for ‘The Citizen’ We were later to learn from newspaper, which was printed on the front page. He announced he intelligence sources, that an was raising money for a fund set up for the dependants of the Argentinian sub had been Merchant Seamen who were killed or wounded during the Falklands despatched from Buenos Aires crisis. He arranged a series 5-mile races (25 laps of the boat deck) and with the sole mission of raised £3000. “That got me into charity, really,” he said. “I later led a sinking the QE2. Thankfully, it QE2 team in the New York marathon, this time in aid of Guide Dogs for developed engine trouble and the Blind.” had to return to base. Left: Brian’s medals . . . Falklands Medal and Police LSGC Medal with Queen’s Commendation spray of laurel leaves

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Retirement . . . or Brian’s version of it! charities, including Cheltenham Cobalt. In addition, he raises money I retired from Cunard in 1984 and took a position as an investigations for his village church; (he also has a home in Nailsworth). He has been officer with GCHQ. “I frankly found that rather boring and took final a regular on the ‘public speaker’ circuit, talking about his adventures retirement just two years later,” he said. and experiences in life to many groups and societies.

Brian first set eyes on Rosemary in 1970. “She was in the Information Room with Cheltenham Police and, as a ‘radio despatcher’, I realised she had been telling me ‘where to go’. Sometime later, we were to marry and she’d routinely have the right to tell me ‘where to go!’” Rosemary later became an air hostess. There are two sons and a daughter.

At the same time, he has not refrained from energetically pursuing his love of running, cycling and long-distance walking in the UK and many parts of the world. “The result is that I am now on my second pair of replacement hips!” he joked.

Following his first hip-replacements, he cycled from John O’Groats to Land’s End. He has ‘walked in Hannibal’s footsteps’ across the French Alps and trekked the ‘Spanish Pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela’. Well into his seventies and accompanied his son, Simon, he cycled coast-to-coast across Mexico. The pair then cycled across Rajasthan in India. He accepted an invitation to return to South America, joining local Freemasons in Brazil in a cycling tour to raise funds for their charities. Being in the area, he chose to go to Peru to climb the Machu Picchu. At 78, he and Simon climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, in aid of MacMillan Cancer Relief, as reported in ‘The Gazette’ (right). At the age of 80, he took on and conquered Ben Nevis.

Brian has never forgotten that both his parents died from cancer when he was very young, so he has made it his aim to raise funds for cancer

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50 years in masonry Brian was initiated into Glevum Lodge on 12th November 1968. On 8th January 2019, he was back in the same room, being presented with his 50-year certificate by Assistant PGM, James Bartlett. James had just one or two interesting things to tell the brethren present about this adventurous mason!

Acting as chauffeur for Brian’s special evening was his nephew, Simon Slade, who was initiated into Thornbury Lodge last year. “I shall be watching young Simon’s masonic career with interest,” said Brian.

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