For seventeen hours, a small-time thief remained hidden in the false ceiling of a Bank of America branch armed with only a pocket telescope, pen and paper, and a child’s potty. Stuart Buckley’s patience paid off when he managed to observe the vault’s combination being entered by the manager below him, setting the stage for what would become the world’s largest bank robbery, meticulously planned in a park shelter in Berkeley Square, Mayfair.
Buckley, an inside man in the £8 million heist at the London bank in October 1974, thought it would be a flawless operation. Employed as an electrician just months after serving a jail term, Buckley gained the trust of bank officials, giving him unrestricted access to the bank’s branches and keys.
He carefully surveyed the Mayfair vault, documenting security measures and gathering crucial information. Despite aiding in the gang’s arrest, Buckley refused to testify against the mastermind, who remained at large.
After unsuccessful attempts to breach the vault, Buckley finally obtained the combination by hiding above the vault door. However, the heist took a turn for the worse when a gang member, William Gear, received a parking ticket, leading to his arrest and subsequent identification of Buckley as an accomplice.
Several gang members were sentenced to over 100 years in jail, with ringleaders receiving the longest terms. Despite extensive investigations, a significant portion of the stolen £7.5 million remains unaccounted for, believed to have vanished with the mastermind, identified as Frank Maple, who fled to Morocco.
Maple, a notorious criminal living a lavish lifestyle, was eventually apprehended in Greece in connection to multiple crimes, including the bank robbery. Despite various legal battles and temporary incarcerations, Maple managed to evade significant charges, thanks in part to Buckley’s refusal to testify against him.
Maple later faced accusations of kidnapping a wealthy couple in Andorra, further solidifying his criminal reputation. Alongside another criminal, Mickey “The Pimpernel” Green, Maple remained elusive to authorities for many years, involved in a wide array of criminal activities across different countries.
Green, transitioning from bank robberies to drug trafficking, remained a fugitive for decades, evading multiple law enforcement agencies globally. His assets were seized in Ireland, but he continued to evade capture until his death from cancer in 2020. Meanwhile, Maple, if alive today at 86, remains a mysterious figure, disappearing with the substantial stolen wealth.
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