King of the Conmen

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. Doug was a driver for the BBC Correspondent Unit from D Day to the end of the war. Which famous Dimbleby did he work with? William David Richard Jonathan

2. As he travelled through war-ravaged Europe, Dimbleby and Doug were among the first to visit which concentration camp? Treblinka Buchenwald Dachau Auschwitz

3. The Russians imposed some strict limitations to the Allies going to Berlin, but permitted 'Charlie Peter One' (Dimbleby's BBC crew) access. Doug took him there - but in what mode of transport? Mercedes train jeep Rolls Royce

4. Doug was to embark on his life of crime while in Berlin. The Russian soldiers were looking for a certain item, and smashed Dimbleby's because they did not know the difference between cheap and expensive, buying Doug's at an amazing price - but what was the item which inspired Doug to make a fortune on the Black Market? binoculars camera watch fountain pen

5. Having made £1,000 by selling this item to the Russian soldier, Doug decided to go west to buy as many of these as he could, in order to sell them to the Russians. To which city did he go to buy them? Copenhagen Paris Brussels Amsterdam

6. As a member of the BBC unit, Doug was part of the team which went to the Nuremburg Trials in 1945, sitting in the gallery every day (there was nothing else to do in the city). How long did the trial last? 160 days 316 days 260 days 216 days

7. Jobs were difficult to come by, but Doug had his Black Market money to fall back on. In 1947 he went to London, and found that his fortune was disappearing - through what? gambling drugs alcohol women

8. Now needing money to continue with this habit, Doug bought some forged £5 notes. When he tried to use them, he was unable to do so - why? they were slightly too small they had the same serial numbers they were printed in the wrong colour they were passed to an undercover policeman

9. One of Doug's more lucrative exploits in the late 1940s was that of using Post Office Savings Books. What was the name of the man who introduced him to this fraud? Charlie Freddie Bertie Benny

10. At the same time as he was using illegal Post Office Books, Doug was also obtaining money fraudulently through which means? army paybooks selling tickets ration books selling books

11. Caught and on trial in Autumn 1948, Doug was sentenced to four years penal servitude (which meant there would be no remission until he had served at least 5/6 of his sentence). When he was charged, he asked that a number of other charges be taken into consideration (this effectively meant that he could not be taken to court for these again) - how many other charges did he ask to be taken into consideration? 217 117 370 470

12. Dimbleby wrote to Doug in prison in the late 1940s. True False

13. As a long-term prisoner, Doug was moved from prison to prison, and was among the first to be sent to the first Open Prison in Britain - what was it called? Wandsworth Strangeways Wakefield Leyhill

14. Scrabbling around to make a living after being released, Doug was soon back into crime. He would go from area to area selling door-to-door - what bogus product did he sell? plastic containers encyclopaedias soap powder magazine subscriptions

15. Serving a two-year sentence for this racket, Doug was given a 'fairly pleasant' job in the prison, but in which part of the prison? reception library kitchen offices

16. While making no excuses for himself, Doug recalls how he worked happily for ten months after this sentence, and how the firm he worked for went bankrupt suddenly. Unable to get another job because of his record, he was soon back into crime, this time dealing with stolen cheques. Just ten years after the war had finished, he was embarking on his fourth prison sentence - but for how long this time? five years four years ten years eight years

17. When recalling all his time in prison over the years, Doug admitted to only one incident when he misused the trust placed in him by the prison authorities. He helped a prisoner escape (and denied it vigorously for thirty years). It was reported in the newspaper 'The News of the World' as the con concerned sold his story when he was free - do you know the name of the man Doug helped escape? Alfie Hinds Phil Hammond Nunn May Jim Smith

18. Doug met Val during this sentence, and they were married as soon as he was released in1966. Out of prison once again, and settled at last with a steady job in a printers, Doug lost his job after only a few months. Why did he this happen? the boss found out he was an ex-con he was caught defrauding the bank again the union would not give him membership they moved away after they were married

19. Determined not to let this set-back destroy him, Doug followed another legal path to solvency. He started up his own business with help from his wife. What did they do? a newsagents shop a printing business a door-to-door franchise a mini-cab firm

20. It would seem that Doug and Val were not to enjoy the fruits of their labour at this time, for a unhappy twist of the knife, though no fault of theirs, destroyed their happy, productive, legal lifestyle. What went wrong? someone frauding his bank account a dodgy tax-disk speeding a missing Income Tax return

21. Finding it increasingly difficult to make a living by legal means on his release this time, Doug left Val in 1979 to go to London and back to his criminal lifestyle. This time Doug had reached the 'pinnacle of his life in crime'; in the next eighteen months he would net over - how much money? £50,000 £100,000 £1,000,000 £200,000

22. The judge at his next trial would not listen to the story of Doug's Queen's Pardon (given after the fiasco mentioned in question 20), and after receiving eleven years' sentence, Doug was sent to Wandsworth. After just ten days, he was recalled to court where Judge reduced the sentence according to the Queen's Pardon. Along with this reduction, Doug was permitted more responsibility once again; this included involvement in the seventh Paralympics in 1984 - where was this held? Stoke Manderville Manchester Stockton Newcastle

23. Britannia, the semi-open part of Norwich prison, was Doug's next stop. Here he met a man called Colin who encouraged him in another direction - but which one? gambling Christianity large-scale cons involving the Japanese computers

24. Harassed while working on a fruit and veg stall in a market, Doug panicked and ran off to London again. Still utilising the loophole in the banking system, Doug defrauded thousands of pounds; it was inevitable that he would be caught again, and he was. This time he took another step forward and became a Christian while in prison waiting for his hearing. His case was to be heard by the judge who sent him down in 1981, and his defence lawyer was a man who had once prosecuted him. What was this lawyer's name? Eddie Harvey Charlie Crane Monroe Davis John Bevan

25. While out for seven days' parole, Doug was harassed by the police; by reporting this and the previous harassment, he secured a base by which any future harassment would be taken into account. At how many trials did Doug call upon this as a form of defence? one none two three