The train which conveyed the remains of the Unknown Warrior from Dover has been the subject of much discussion in the South Eastern and Chatham Railway Society, (SEC Soc). We have discovered that there are many gaps in our knowledge and we would like to share what we know with the forum in hope that you could help to complete the story. 1. HMS Verdun arrived at Dover Admiralty pier at 15:30pm on Wed 10 Nov 1920, and berthed about one hundred yards from Dover Marine station. 2. The coffin was escorted to the train in Dover Marine and loaded in about 1 hour. The coffin was placed into a Cavell Van (No132) and the wreaths into another vehicle. There was one saloon coach for the officer and 15 soldiers of the guard. The Times reported that the wreaths were placed into the saloon compartment of this vehicle whilst the soldiers were crowded into the remaining seats. 3. The train was the Up Boat Train to Victoria and was timetabled to depart from Marine station at 16:25 with arrival scheduled at 18:52. The funeral van and coach were attached to the rear of this train which was made up of the No 20 boat train stock (dating from 1905). The train departed at either 17:20 or 17:50pm. The next scheduled boat train (using No24 train stock) was due to leave at 17:10. These were conditional timings and were dependant upon the tides and the arrival of the cross channel boats. The train has been described in some accounts a being 'special' but our understanding is that there was no special arrangements made by the railway for this event, notwithstanding the carriage of the bodies of Cavell and Fryatt as precedents, except for the preparation of the engine. 4. The train was pulled by SECR 4-4-0 loco class E1 No 506, (as described by Bradley). This loco was a replacement for No 179 which failed for a broken tyre, and both were specially prepared by painting them in glossy black. No 506 was photographed in this livery two years later. 5. The train was observed to travel very slowly through the stations on its way to London travelling over the route Dover stations, Kearsney, Shepherdswell, Adisham, Canterbury East, Faversham, Sittingbourne, Gillingham and Chatham. It was reported that it was a 'great lighted train rushing past' (Daily Mail 11Nov1920). This seems to imply that the normal trains in 1920 did not have the carriage lights switched on at night. 6. The train arrived at Victoria and berthed at the normal arrival platform 1. The Times reported that the funeral van and coach were detached from the rear and shunted into platform 8 by a small engine at 20:32pm (according to the plaque which marks the spot in Victoria). This platform was noted by the Times as being on the Brighton side. We understand that platforms 1 to 8 were on the LCDR (to become SECR) side of the station, with the Brighton platforms towards the western side. 7. The van and coach was berthed in platform 8 until the next day.
