A Prize of Arms 1962

Three criminals—Orford, Leigh, and Fenner—hatch a bold plan to rob an army barracks. The target is a pay stash believed to be kept at the base and ready to be shipped out with troops heading for a war in the Middle East. The trio devises a meticulous method to get inside: they slip into the barracks under the guise of soldiers and maintenance workers, making their way toward the pay corps headquarters so they can disable alarms and create a window for a swift escape.

During the day, they blend with the base’s routine, going through the motions of military life to avoid attracting attention. They even undergo vaccinations for Overseas service as part of their effort to appear legitimate, a detail that underscores how carefully they try to align with the rhythms of the post, the procedures, and the daily grind of barracks life. The atmosphere on the base—full of orderly schedules, soldiers moving in and out, and the hum of activity—tries to conceal the growing tension of the plan moving toward its turning point.

As night falls, the criminals switch into military police uniforms and return to the pay HQ, insisting that they have received reports of a fire. They begin a calculated search of the rooms, and a small blaze is started to trigger an evacuation. With the building emptied, they break into the safe and make off with a substantial haul, reportedly over £100,000. The escape is engineered to look seamless: multiple fires are set to cover their tracks, and a fake casualty is carried on a stretcher to complicate alarm signals further. A sense of urgency spreads through the base as troops rush in from various sections to help manage the incident and confirm that everyone is accounted for.

The criminals then retreat to a waiting army truck and slip into the end of a convoy, using the confusion to their advantage. The authorities gradually awaken to the possibility that the camp has been breached, and military police are deployed to pursue the convoy. For a time, it appears the trio has driven free, but the hunt tightens around them. The pursuit leads to a disused country barn where the fugitives seem trapped, and they attempt to force a path to freedom with a flamethrower. They initially gain ground, outrunning the pursuing troops, but in a final turn of events the truck is destroyed in a dramatic explosion, marking a violent and unforgettable retreat from the base.

The whole sequence—from the initial deception to the final explosion—unfolds with a steady, restrained pace that keeps the focus on the scheme, its execution, and the escalating tension as the authorities close in. The film maintains a clear line between the criminals’ calculated planning and the increasing pressure of security and order, painting a stark picture of how a high-stakes heist within a military environment can spiral from audacious theft to a catastrophic culmination.