1957 Explosive Store theft
In January 1957, a Burnbank man was jailed for 3 years after admitting stealing explosives from Dixon’s Collieries.
Charles Tallis, a 44 year old unemployed labourer of Gordon Terrace, Burnbank was jailed at the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday 4th January 1957 for his part in breaking into a National Coal Board explosives store at Burn Field, Priestfield, High Blantyre and stealing 50 lbs of explosives. It is unknown what he intended to do with them.
The newspaper entry was interesting as it mentions “Burn Field” in Priestfield which was either a property or a field. The name is unknown to me, so if anybody knows about “Burn Field” in High Blantyre, please get in contact with me.
It is unlikely this was the Dynamite Magazine store near Auchentibber, as that is quite some distance from Priestfield. Perhaps the mines had separate explosive stores, which does make sense.
Charles was no stranger to crime. He had admitted 12 previous convictions and pleaded guilty to this act in 1957. I found a newspaper report of him stealing 