|
Sherman Tank Disaster, 1945
Colin G Maggs Suggested by Mike (Jake) Jacobs November 2019 It never ceases to amaze me how much information readers have seemingly at their fingertips. I mentioned to Mike Jacobs recently that I hadn’t found the details of a Second World War train crash involving a trainload of tanks passing through Box Tunnel. Quick as a flash, he brought Colin Maggs’ marvellous book The GWR Swindon to Bath Line where the details that Colin discovered were on page 80.[1] I can do no better than reproduce Colin’s amazing research as no other record of the crash exists as far as I am aware. |
Mill Lane Halt 1936 (courtesy Patty Baldwin and Rose Ledbury)
|
West of Box Mill Lane Halt a catch point was situated on the Up line. In 1945 a train carrying twelve Sherman tanks was proceeding through Box Tunnel when Guard Fred Payne sensed something was wrong. In the dark he was unable to see whether the train was going backwards or forwards, so he felt the wall with his shunting pole. Discovering that it was running backwards, he leapt off, knowing that his van would be derailed at the catch points and perhaps crushed.
Reference
[1] Colin G Maggs, The GWR Swindon to Bath Line, 2003, Sutton Publishing Limited
[1] Colin G Maggs, The GWR Swindon to Bath Line, 2003, Sutton Publishing Limited