Engine Drivers

[Fiftiesfury]

It's great to see that some were decorated, but you would have thought that the Government would have at least issued the Defence medal to those on the railway that although didn't receive special mention, continued to aid the war effort in the way they did. I don't expect that they will ever recieve one, as there are not many left alive to take the honour of receiving this medal

[52nd Airborne]

The railway played a massive roll in WW2 and it disgusts me that the roll they played isn't recognised.

London Transport walk past the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday, Why is it you never see railway staff walking past the Cenotaph?

Discuss!

[Kyt]

It certainly is a shame that railway workers have not been officially recognised since the war, especially as during it they were feted. The BBC produced a special programme and booklet about them in 1944:

"Junction X" Home Page

And we mustn't forget the contribution of the railway women

Female railway staff at Pontypridd during the Second World War



and:

Railway Women in Wartime

[ChrisM]

Originally Posted by Fiftiesfury

Don't get me wrong when I say that he did more for the war effort than say, the home guard and they received the medal!

Just to blur the boundaries......!

It's worth remembering that many railwaymen, like most men in reserved occupations, were also serving in the Home Guard and Civil Defence (until the end of 1941 entirely voluntarily) and were thus deliberately exposing themselves to additional risk and potentially putting their lives on the line. Your father-in-law may even have been amongst them.

It was revealed in early 1942 that 90,000 employees of the mainline railway companies were fully trained Home Guards. Here's a picture of just 26 of this vast number of men, this unit drawn from the GWR and LMS in Shropshire and representing many railway trades.

Chris

[52nd Airborne]

Originally Posted by ChrisM

It was revealed in early 1942 that 90,000 employees of the mainline railway companies were fully trained Home Guards. Here's a picture of just 26 of this vast number of men, this unit drawn from the GWR and LMS in Shropshire and representing many railway trades. Chris

Hats off to the Railway lads! I never realised that so many were in the Home Guard

[jamesicus]

I was an avid train spotter and railway buff during my youth. I saved all of my wartime railway magazines which are often a rich source of railway & railwaymen exploits during the war -- copies are sometimes offered on e-bay.

"It can now be revealed", a book published jointly by the railway companies right after the war in 1945, is a particularly valuable reference for it contains a wealth of information -- accompanied by numerous photographs -- relating to the role of the railways and railwaymen during WW2. This book is also occasionally offered on e-bay.

[ChrisM]

Further to James's interesting contribution, another source of information about the role of the railways during this period - and written whilst it was all happening - is a series of articles in The Times entitled "The Railways in Wartime" which appeared on January 6th, 8th, 9th and 10th, 1942.

Chris

[von Poop]

Originally Posted by 52nd Airborne

The railway played a massive roll in WW2 and it disgusts me that the roll they played isn't recognised.

London Transport walk past the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday, Why is it you never see railway staff walking past the Cenotaph?

Discuss!

Difficult line to draw though, do munitions workers march? (or receive ostensibly 'military' decorations) do weapon designers and other 'backroom boys'? Or even the folk from Bletchley Park? or bombed out civillians?
I suspect there is a general awareness of the railway contribution amongst the 'history crowd', (didn't I see a documentary on this subject this year?) but there's a huge can of worms to open on 'who should march?' which I suspect is left mostly closed by the RBL for purely practical reasons.
On the other hand there's the question of 'how' you get to march? the LT people are civvies marching but could any body make a claim and request to join in? Didn't the Wavy navy recently get accepted by the RBL after a fairly concerted campaign? I suppose it's a question of motivation, justification, numbers and keenness.
I wonder if the London transport people just had a more vocal/keen representation when the initial order of march was determined?
Cheers,
Adam,

(good stuff by the way, made me think I must find out more on the History of the main london Cenotaph march...)

[52nd Airborne]

Originally Posted by Von Poop

Difficult line to draw though, do munitions workers march? (or receive ostensibly 'military' decorations) do weapon designers and other 'backroom boys'? Or even the folk from Bletchley Park? or bombed out civillians?
I suspect there is a general awareness of the railway contribution amongst the 'history crowd', (didn't I see a documentary on this subject this year?) but there's a huge can of worms to open on 'who should march?' which I suspect is left mostly closed by the RBL for purely practical reasons.
On the other hand there's the question of 'how' you get to march? the LT people are civvies marching but could any body make a claim and request to join in? Didn't the Wavy navy recently get accepted by the RBL after a fairly concerted campaign? I suppose it's a question of motivation, justification, numbers and keenness.
I wonder if the London transport people just had a more vocal/keen representation when the initial order of march was determined?
Cheers,
Adam,

(good stuff by the way, made me think I must find out more on the History of the main london Cenotaph march...)

Cheers VP, you've made some good points!

[kfz]

And the Engines too.

WD Austerity 2-10-0 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As much a military vehicle as a sherman tank