WW1 RoH

 

There are three BTPHG Roll of Honour pages. This one, another covering the Officers lost in the Line of Duty, and a third page covering the Second World War and the Korean War.

THE GREAT WAR

Hundreds of railway and dock staff joined the colours during the Great War. The railways actively encouraged its staff to join up and “pals regiments” were created to allow staff from a particular company to join and serve together. A total of 186,475 railway workers joined the military services of these 18,957 lost their lives.

The Railway and Dock Police Forces played their part and hundreds of men joined up; their places taken by Special Constables including some women.

To give an example; of the 272 uniform staff of the Midland Railway Police no fewer than 152 (56%) joined the colours and it is fair to assume that many of those who did not were over military age. Sadly, 30 gave their lives and 38 were wounded. Eighteen decorations were gained, the Chief of Police, Major A HENDERSON alone receiving the DSO and the OBE in addition to being mentioned in despatches four times.

This list contains the names of 135 Railway, Dock and Canal Police Officers (and one Police Clerk) who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the Great War. Where records show “Police Officer” it has been assumed that they were Constables but this may be incorrect. A list of the abbreviations used in the table can be found below, together with a breakdown of those lost from each Force.

The table lists the personnel by name in alphabetical order by default, but each column can be sorted by clicking on the column header to suit the users’ requirements. The table shows 75 entries by default, but this can be expanded up to 100. The search box can also be used to find any item required.

Sources

Kevin Gordon was responsible for compiling the original information contained on this Roll of Honour. During the War Years several railway companies published magazines which listed not only staff who had been killed in action but also those who were missing, wounded or taken prisoner. Kevin researched these magazines at the Reading Room of the National Railway Museum and obtained much of the information contained in this list. Further information has been obtained from the Commonwealth War Grave Commission website and other research.

Update January 2014: Further research has been conducted by Richard Stacpoole-Ryding and Viv Head, and this has yielded a substantial addition to the number of names on the list.

Update March 2015: Further research has been conducted by Richard Stacpoole-Ryding and Ed Thompson, and this has once again yielded a number of additions and changes to the names on the list.

Update October 2016: Further research has been conducted by Ed Thompson, and this has once again yielded a number of additions and changes to the names on the list.

Particular thanks go to Barry KITCHENER who has collated details of Railway Staff who fought and died in the Great War. Many details of Police Officers have been gleaned from his comprehensive research. There is also a list of those to be acknowledged below.

It is intended to update and add to this list when further information becomes available. Please send any additions, amendments or comments to: RoH@btphg.org.uk

More detailed information can be found in this document:  BTPHG RoH (UpdatedMay 2020).

NameRankForceLocation
ASTLEY G.E.DetectiveLNWRLiverpool Lime Street
BARKER G.APCNERNewcastle
BARNES A.H.PCNERYork
BARTLE P.F.PCGCRGrimsby
BAXTER A.PCMRTilbury
BEDDIS J.H.PCMRSheffield
BELL. G.PCNBRGlasgow
BERRETT W.J.PCGWRHockley Goods, Birmingham.
BEWSEY F.V. (MM)PCGNRKings Cross
BILTON HARRYPCNERHull
BOURN S.G.PCGWRPaddington
BOYLE D.PCGNRNot Known
BRITT R.PCGNRNot known
BROOKBANK W.A.PCGCRGrimsby Docks
BROWN. A.PCNERGateshead
BRUNDISH R.V.PCGERStratford
BUTCHER F.PCMRBradford
BUTLER W.J.PCGNRKings Cross
CAMPBELL T.PCNBRNot known
CANNELL S.J.PCMRBirmingham
CARNALL H.E.PCMRBirmingham
CARR A.N.PCNERMiddlesbrough
CASEY. J.PCNERConsett
CHAFER H. J.PCGCRImmingham Dock
CHUTER A.PCLNWRCamden
CLARK W.PCGCRImmingham Dock
CLARKE R.R.PCGERBishopsgate
COCKBURN J.S.OCNERBlaydon (left the service of the NER prior to enlisting)
COE W.H.PCGWRPaddington
CORMACK J.PCNBRNot known
CREASE J.PCGNRKings Cross
DAVEY J.PCGNRKins Cross
DAVIS A.J.PCLNWRBirmingham New Street (just before the outbreak of war he left the service of the LNWR)
DAVIS H.PCGWRHockley Goods, Birmingham.
DODD H.Police ClerkLNWREuston
DODDS J.T.PCGNRKings Cross
EADES H.J. (DCM)PCGWRPlymouth
EATON H.PCGNRKings Cross
EBREY H.G.DetectiveLNWRBirmingham New Street
ELLIS E.PCBDPCardiff Docks
FAIR D.H.PCMRLondon
FISHER C.PCLSWRNine Elms
FITZWILLIAM J.PCLBSCRHavant
FOOT E.J.PCLSWRNine Elms
FORRESTER HPCGERLiverpool Street
GARVEY D.PCLSWRNine Elms
GEATER W.E.PCGERNot known
GOODWIN F.DetectiveLNWRSt. Helens, Lancashire
GRANT APCMRDerby
GRISTWOOD J.H.PCMRLondon
GUNDRY A JPCGERParkeston Quay & Stratford
HALL W.PCNBRNot known
HAND T.A.PCLYRHalifax (left the L&YR prior to the outbreak of war)
HARRISON F.H.PCMRBirmingham
HARRISON J.PCLSWRSouthampton Docks
HARVEY J.H.PCMRSheffield
HAYWOOD H.J.PCLBSCRLondon Bridge
HEWITT G.PCLSWRNot known
HICKLIN T.PCMRBurton
HICKS W.PCMRBirmingham
HIND A.E.PCMRLondon
HOGG A.PCNERTyne Dock
HOLBERT J. V.PCMRWolverhampton
HOLLIDAY W.J.PCGWRPaddington Goods
HOWARD J.PCLBSCRWillow Walk
HUTCHINGS G.PCGNRNot known
IMBERT H.G.PCGERParkeston Quay
JAY G. (MM)PCGERCanning Town
JERMYN S.PCMRManchester
JORDAN F.PCMRLiverpool
KELLY BPCGNRKings Cross
KELLY J.E.PCGNRNot known
KELLY W.SergeantMRBradford
KING EPCGNRNot known
LAUGHLIN H.J.PCGWRPaddington
LAVIS F.W.PCGWRPlymouth Millbay
LEARNER C.L.PCGNRNot known
LEWIS C.G.PCGWRPlymouth
LIGHT W EPCNERNewcastle
LOVEDAY H.H.PCMRCarlisle
LUTTMAN C.PCSECRNot known
LYON L.H.PCNERHull
MACE S.PCGNRNot known
MACHIN H.DetectiveLNWRStockport
MARTIN A.A.PCGERLondon
MARTIN A.E.PCLNWRBroad Street
MCKIMMIE C.S.SergeantMRHeysham
MEAKIN W.PCMRNottingham
MERRITT A.PCGNRNot known
MILLER EPCL&YWyre Dock
MILLER H.E.B.DetectiveGWRPaddington
MILLER W.A.PCNERNot Known (left the NER prior to the outbreak of war)
MULHERIN J.PCNERHull Docks
MUNSON W.J.PCMRLondon
MURRAY J.PCMRToton Sidings, Derbyshire
NEWBOLD J.PCMRBirmingham
OUNSWORTH F.PCNERGateshead
PAYNE S.PCLBSCRNewhaven Harbour
RAPER J.PCNERHull Docks
RATTRAY P.A.S.PCGNSRAberdeen
REED W.H.PCNERHull
RIGBY N.PCGWRPaddington
RILEY J.PCGSWRNot known
ROBINS J.PCMRWorcester
RUTLAND C.F.PCGCRAylesbury
SCALLY J.SergeantLNWRLondon Road, Manchester
SCOTT A.PCNERSunderland
SEAMAN HPCGERLondon
SHEPLEY J.W.PCGNRKings Cross
SMITH C.J.PCGNRKings Cross
SMITH F. C.PCBDPCardiff Docks
SMITH T.PCLNWRBirmingham New Street
SPARKES W.H.PCMRLeeds
STEWART W.PCNBRMethil
STIEBER F.R.PCGWRPaddington Goods
STOKES B.PCGERNot known
SULLIVAN P.PCLBSCRLondon Victoria
SUMMERS A. HPCMRSheffield
TARGETT E.PCLSWRNine Elms
TAVENER P.A.PCNERNewcastle
TAYLOR C. S.PCMRNormanton Junction
TULEY A.PCNERMiddlesbrough
TUNGATE R.PCNERBeverley Borough Police. See note [1]
VOYCE H.E.DetectiveLBSCRBermondsey
WALKER A.G.PCMRLeicester
WALLEY F (MM)PCLNWRLiverpool Lime Street
WARD H.PCGERNot known
WATTS W.H.PCGWRCardiff
WEDGE A.PCLNWRManchester London Rd
WELLS W.M.PCMRPoplar
WILLCOCKS F CPCLCNot known
WILSON W.H.PCGERLiverpool Street
WISE E.G.PCLBSCRNot known
WITCHER T.H.PCMRSheffield
WORMALD S.PCL&YManchester Victoria

 

Notes

[1] Robert TUNGATE served with the NER Police before transferring to the Beverley Borough Police prior to enlistment.

 

List of abbreviations:

Railway CompanyAbbreviationOfficers Killed
Bute Dock PoliceBDP2
Glasgow and South Western RailwayGSWR1
Great Central RailwayGCR6
Great Eastern RailwayGER12
Great North of Scotland RailwayGNSR1
Great Northern RailwayGNR16
Great Western RailwayGWR13
Lancashire and Yorkshire RailwayL&Y2
Lee ConservancyLC1
London and North Western RailwayLNWR11
London and South Western RailwayLSWR6
London Brighton & South Coast RailwayLBSCR7
Midland RailwayMR29
North British RailwayNBR5
North Eastern RailwayNER18
South East and Chatham RailwaySECR1

 

 

Acknowledgements:

Many thanks to the following people for supplying information to compile this Roll of Honour:

Barry KITCHENER   (Railtrack Duty Station Manager & Western Front Association Member.)
PC Martin MACE   (BTP Brighton)
PC Leigh SHACKLES  (BTP Derby)
Lynn THURSTON    (Librarian, National Railway Museum)
Alan WOODCOCK  (Weatherall Green & Smith, York)
Mandy MURPHY-ASKEW  (Western Front Association)