Those who made the ultimate sacrifice to save others.

London has a wealth of history, much of which is still available to see, if you know where to look.  Yesterday, I was in the City of London.  This is known as 'The Square Mile' and is the financial district.  The City of London has its own Lord Mayor, not to be confused with the Mayor of London, currently Boris Johnson, who is not a Lord and is responsible for the rest of London outside of the City. The City has its own police force, being quite separate from the Metropolitan Police who cover the rest of London (excluding the railways and some other institutions.

Anyway, back to the story.  I was walking around the west of the City when I came across Postman's Park, so-named due to its proximity to one of the main postal sorting offices.  This park is made up of former churchyards.  In this park is the Watts Memorial to those who gave their lives to save others. It consists of a number plaques of glazed tiles, each commemorating an act of heroism by ordinary people.  G.F.Watts was a Victorian artist.

A few of the plaques relate to acts of heroism on the railways and I thought it might be interesting to look at these and the stories behind them…


Messrs. Peart and Dean were the loco crew of the GWR's 4.15pm Windsor Express to Paddington. Outside of Acton Station a connecting-rod broke and punctured the boiler and firebox.  Despite being scalded and burned, both men heroically stayed at their posts to bring the train safely to a halt in Acton Station. 

Both men are buried in the same tomb in Kensal Green Cemetery, London. Their tomb, which depicts a locomotive, is a Grade 11 Listed monument and was restored in 1994.

Terry

Thank you for this - very interesting and touching.

<sup>William Goodrum was in the employ of the North London Railway.  He was working as a lookout, or flagman, with a track maintenance team, working on Kingsland Road Bridge.  His job was to warn the other members of his team of approaching trains.  At 1.30pm a train from Kew approached the bridge and Mr.Goodrum signalled to his colleagues.  However, one member of the team failed to heed the warning so Mr.Goodrum stepped onto the track, shouting at his colleague and waving his arms to alert him.  The other man was alerted and stepped to safety.  Unfortunately, Mr.Goodrum was not so lucky and was struck by the train before he could himself step to safety.  He was killed instantly.

Terry</sup>

 

This is the only railway related plaque that does not relate to a member of staff but to a member of the travelling public.  Unfortunately, Mr.Watts misspelt the name of James Hewens as James Hewers.  On Monday 23rd September, 1878, at 11.25pm on a platform at Richmond Station, Mr.John Charles Jepson, aged 20, and much the worse for drink, fell onto the track and into the path of an approaching train.  Without a moment's hesitation. Mr.James Hewens, aged 34, a fellow passenger, and a stranger to Mr.Jepson, jumped onto the same track in an effort to save the other.  Unfortunately, both men were struck by the locomotive, sustaining injuries which would claim both their lives. Mr.Hewens died in the early hours of the 24th September and Mr.Jepson died at noon.

Little is known of James Hewens apart from he had once been a soldier based at Carisbrook on the Isle of Wight and he may have fought in the Second Opium War in China and seen action in South Africa, India and Ceylon.  He left a widow, Mary.

Terry

 

Frederick Alfred Croft was employed as an Inspector on the South Eastern Railway.   On 11 January, 1878, he was on duty at Woolwich Station. Waiting for a train were officers in charge of a woman being taken to Barming Lunatic Asylum. As their train arrived, the woman broke free and jumped in front of it. Mr.Croft managed to drag her out of the path of the train, but was tragically killed.

Terry

On 17th January, 1903, Daniel Pemberton and his colleague, Thomas Harwood were working on the track at Twickenham.  On being surprised by the approach of an express train, Mr.Pemberton pushed his colleague to safety and was himself struck by the locomotive and killed.

 

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

 

 

I've been to Postman's Park Terry - a super little hidden gem.  As you say, some fascinating things in that tiny park. :thumbs

thanks for showing them, very touching to read,
:thumbs;-):cool: