A Prize of Arms 1962

Disguise and infiltration into the barracks

The trio infiltrates the army barracks by posing as soldiers. They move toward the pay corps headquarters under the cover of maintenance work and begin preparing to disable alarms to buy time for the robbery. The ruse hinges on convincing staff that they are legitimate maintenance personnel.

Base integration and vaccination

During the day they blend with the base population and participate in routine procedures. They get vaccinated for Overseas service to avoid drawing attention or suspicion. The goal is to appear as ordinary personnel while planning the break-in.

Nightfall: don MP uniforms and pretend to respond to a fire

As night falls, they switch into military police uniforms and return to the pay headquarters, claiming they have received reports of a fire. They proceed to search the rooms, hoping the evacuation will clear access. The plan is to create a diversion while locating the safe.

Starting a small blaze to trigger evacuation

They light a small fire to force an evacuation and to empty the building of witnesses. The interruption buys them time and allows more thorough access to the target rooms. The fire serves as a smokescreen for their next moves.

Breaking into the safe and stealing the loot

With the building evacuated, they break into the safe and steal over £100,000. They move quickly to seize the cash while the others are distracted by the emergency. The money is then prepared for transport off the base.

Cascading fires and a fake casualty

They set several fires around the premises to cover their tracks and misdirect the alarms. They also carry a fake casualty on a stretcher to amplify the sense of crisis and to discourage pursuit. The combined distractions help them slip away.

Escape to the secluded truck

As troops rush to deal with the fires, the criminals retreat to a prepositioned army truck waiting at a secluded spot on the base. They abandon the scene under the cover of the confusion caused by the fires. Their escape route hinges on the chaos they've created.

Officer seeks medics; alarm spreads

An officer calls for medics to check on the supposed casualty, but they are told no one has arrived. Suspicion grows and the base is put on standby while authorities are alerted. The criminals think they have fooled everyone, though the net is starting to close.

Escape via convoy and pursuit begins

The trio tails onto the end of a convoy and begins their escape from the base. The convoy moves off toward the surrounding roads as military police begin to mobilize. The criminals hope to vanish among other traffic.

Confrontation: tracked to a disused barn

Authorities awaken to the heist and dispatch military police to pursue the fleeing truck. The chase leads to a disused country barn where the crooks are believed to be cornered. The tension mounts as the two sides close in.

Final clash: flamethrower attempt

Inside or near the barn, they unleash a flamethrower to clear a path and break through the encirclement. They manage to outpace some opposing forces, but the odds tighten as more troops arrive. The firefight ends with the criminals' threat neutralized.