Amateur Radio and The Walkie Talkie Bank Job
In these times of cellphone interaction its is often difficult to bear in mind that radio interaction in between two parties is not personal. Any radio newbie is aware of that, but it seems that back again in 1971 some bank robbers hadn’t fairly obtained the concept, so when Robert Rowland, an newbie radio fanatic kind Central London, settled down with his radio set and a awesome cup of tea just one Saturday night time, he heard a much far more interesting conversation than he was anticipating. We know, mainly because he taped a substantial portion of what he read, and in 2008 he dug out the tapes so the party could be produced into a film. At the time, the crime turned acknowledged as the ‘Walkie Talkie robbery’, the movie is named ‘The Lender Job.’
When Rowland 1st heard the robbers conversation he considered they ended up robbing a tobacconists store and identified as the area police. They seemed to obtain Mr Rowlands far more amusing that vital suggesting that if he read any additional ‘funny voices’ he get them on tape. An aggravated Mr Rowland did exactly that, working with a cassette tape equipment he experienced been using to find out Spanish.
Sooner or later a area Constable came round, but was before long called absent. Mr Rowland known as the law enforcement once again, but finally, exasperated by their lack of response, and with the apparent robbery continuing on the radio, he known as Scotland Property, headquarters of London’s Metropolitan Law enforcement.
Two simple apparel officers arrived at Rowland’s 4th ground flat in London’s Wimpole Road and sat up with Rowland all evening, listening to the robbers. In the early morning, one more two officers arrived and listened to Sunday’s developments, but a police check out of community banking institutions showed absolutely nothing out of the ordinary (from the outside) On Monday early morning, when staff members arrived at Lloyd’s lender in London’s Bakers Street (not far from the flat of famous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes) they uncovered that most of the protection deposit containers had been emptied by robbers who had dug a tunnel from a close by store and entered the bank vault by way of the flooring.
So far, this appears like a story of incompetence. Rowlands knew that for his radio set to pick up this sort of a solid signal, the robbery will have to have been getting area within just 1 and a half miles, the robbery experienced started out Saturday night time and continued all the way by Sunday – surely ample time for the authorities to find the culprits.
The tale designed the news headlines and then quickly stopped. Scotland Lawn took the tapes and reporters ended up warned off when they experimented with to query Mr Rowland. Then the law enforcement basically threatened to prosecute Mr Rowland for listening to an unlicensed radio station.
No-one particular knows specifically what took place, 4 robbers ended up caught and jailed, but the income and other products stolen had been hardly ever recovered, and considering that protection deposit containers had been associated, no-one knows specifically what was taken. And therein lies the mystery. Over the following many years there were being many scandals involving senior users of he law enforcement drive, and a rumour that a person safety deposit box had contained compromising pictures of a member of the British Royal family members, although other individuals experienced contained proof of police corruption at the best ranges, ensuing in a load of prosecutions and resignations in the late 1970’s.
With the launch of the film numerous British newspapers sough out Mr Rowland, the novice radio enthusiast who experienced taped the dialogue. He mentioned the tapes had been returned to him six a long time after the robbery. The Day by day Mail also described conversing to 1 of the true robbers, who refused to comment on pictures of any royal person but did say that the robbers experienced been disgusted to uncover heaps of disagreeable pornographic pics in the containers which they had remaining in place so the law enforcement could keep track of down the proprietors.
And it all goes to demonstrate that when you settle down with your radio established, you under no circumstances know who you happen to be going to converse to, or what you are likely to listen to, one reason why amateur radio is even now a interesting and absorbing interest.