VICTORIA CROSSES AND THE LONDON AND NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY

by Peter Curtis

During the 1950s whilst waiting for my train at New Street I sometimes saw a locomotive named PRIVATE W SYKES VC and often wondered who this Private Sykes could have been to warrant his own loco. Many years later I found the answer.

In 1921 the old L&NWR named one of their 'Claughton' class locomotives 'Patriot' in memory of those of their employees who had fallen during 1914--1918. In 1922 they further honoured three employees who had been awarded the VC by naming three more members of this locomotive class as follows: Lance Corp J.A. Christie VC, Private W Wood VC and Private E Sykes VC. These engines ran on the L&NWR and, following grouping, the London Midland and Scottish until withdrawn for scrap in 1933-34.

A new class of locomotive was subsequently constructed in 1933--34 called the 'Patriot' class. The first was named 'Patriot' in memory of fallen employees and both Wood and Sykes had ones named after them, but not Christie who had left the employ of the company.

Lance Corporal J. A. Christie VC

John Christie worked as a clerk at Euston. While serving with the 11th (County of London) Battalion of the London Regiment (Finsbury Rifles) he was awarded the VC for conspicuous gallantry at Bald Hill, Feijja near Jerusalem on 21122 December 1917. After a position had been captured, the enemy launched a counter attack up the communication trenches. In spite of heavy opposition, Lance Corporal Christie bombed the enemy after heading fifty yards into hostile territory, his prompt action clearing the position and saving many lives.

John Christie did not return to railway employment after the war but became a commercial traveller living in Stockport until his death in 1967.

Private W. Wood VC

Born at Stockport in 1897, he joined the L&NWR as an engine cleaner in 1914. He earned his VC for outstanding bravery and initiative on the 28th October 1918 near Casa Van in Italy, while serving with the 10th (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. Private Wood captured an enemy machine gun nest and caused 140 men to surrender. Later his advance was held up by a hidden machine gun returning fire at close range. He then charged the gun position firing his Lewis gun from the hip, killing the enemy gun crew. Without further orders he continued to advanced capturing an enemy trench from which three officers and about 160 men surrendered.

After the war Wilfred Wood returned to railway work and was made fireman, then driver He retired from British Rail in 1960 as a supervisor at Longsight Depot, Manchester and died in 1982.

Private F. Sykes VC

Born at Saddleworth, Yorkshire in 1885, Ernest Sykes joined the L&NWR as a platelayer (track maintenance man) at Micklehurst. He was awarded the VC while serving with the 27th (Service) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (Tyneside Irish) on the 19th April 1917 when, near Arras, regardless of the perils that menaced him, he made four dangerous journeys under heavy enemy fire to rescue his badly wounded comrades.

On returning to work he became a train guard and died in 1949. He is buried in Woodfield Cemetery, Lockwood.

It is a fitting tribute to these brave men that the locomotives bearing their names ran up and down the West Coast line until 1962 (except Christie which was withdrawn in 1934) covering more than six million miles between them. Driver Wood drove his engine on many occasions in normal service, notably on one occasion with Guard Sykes at the other end! The nameplates from the Privates Wood and Sykes engines can be seen at the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers Museum at Alnwick Castle.

 

GRENADES

by Bob Butcher

It is not quite true that the British Army had no grenades at the beginning of the war for it did have a very small supply of the 'Hand Grenade Mark I'. This deficiency was not so much due to any lack of foresight by the generals, but to the fact that each grenade cost £1.1 s 3d, a tidy sum at a time when the Government had reduced the Army's budget. More grenades would have meant less of something else thought to be more important in the open warfare visualised by generals of all nations. Incidentally Lloyd George was Chancellor at the relevant time.

The Grenade Mark I was a complicated weapon and only the Royal Engineers were trained in its use. It had a 16 inch throwing handle with a yard long streamer to ensure that it landed nose first in order to detonate, it was unreliable and its lethal effect poor --moreover it was quite unsuitable for use in trench warfare. As hand grenades were essential in trench fighting, soldiers in the front line and at base had to improvise them, often using empty jam tins. The War Office also began sending over experimental models, ten different types in all. These grenades and those improvised in France had much in common for they were unreliable and, usually required a fuse to be lit by a match or by friction, a difficult thing in damp trenches. To cap it all, they were more dangerous to the user than to the intended victim.

It was not until 1916 that the BEF had a reliable, effective, safe and relatively inexpensive hand grenade--the 'Bomb, Hand No 5' or the Mills Bomb as it was better known. With modifications it eventually became 'HE 36 Grenade'. Originally invented by a Belgian army captain but perfected by William Mills, it was egg shaped, about three inches long and with a serrated cast iron casing which provided a good grip and facilitated fragmentation. It weighed 1½ lbs. The fuse was inserted before going into action. Holding the grenade so as to hold down the striker lever on the side, the thrower removed the safety pin immediately before throwing and when the grenade left the hand the lever was released which allowed the spring-loaded striker inside to hit the detonating cap of the fuse. The grenade then exploded after five seconds. Anyone standing in the open within ten yards was bound to be hit and those within twenty or even thirty yards stood a good chance too. It was probably the best hand grenade in service in any army and during trench fighting became more important to the infantryman than his rifle.

During 1916 grenade dischargers were brought into service. One type consisted of a grenade with a rod attached which was placed in the muzzle of a rifle, the heel of which was placed on the ground and a blank cartridge fired. Later the superior Cup Discharger was introduced.

The cup was locked onto the muzzle of the rifle, the heel of which was placed on the ground. A Mills bomb with a fiat base plate was placed in the cup and the safety pin removed. A blank cartridge was fired which propelled the bomb for up to 240 yards. Small range adjustments could be made by regulating a vent in the side of the discharger.

Later a lighter 'egg' grenade, the No 34 was introduced. Other grenades included one filled with thermite. Throughout the war 75 million Mills bombs were made and distributed to the various theatres of war, In the BEF alone there were no fewer than 7,191,763 grenades of twelve different types at the end of the war.

THE FORTUNE TELLER

by J.P.Lethbridge

The occult boomed in First World War Britain. On 29th December 1916 a fortune teller Thomas Morgan, alias Professor Melini of Edgware Road, London was tried at Marylebone Police Court by Mr Denman. The prosecution was conducted by Mr Muskett and the defence by Mr Hill.

The first witness Harold Ashton a journalist, had visited Melini's premises on 12th December and asked if a man called George was alive. Melini extended his hands, clasped the witness's palms in them and went into a 'semi coma' with his hands twitching and his eyes closed and repeatedly twitching. He eventually said that 'George' was 'in the spirit life' ie dead. Melini said that Ashton would have much success and a change in business, would inherit money unexpectedly and live into old age. Ashton paid him five shillings about twenty-five pounds in our terms, and in cross examination admitted having visited several palmists for a story for his newspaper.

The second witness Annie Betts of Barnet, had visited the accused and told him that she had one child. Melini predicted that she would have two more. He also suggested that she was separated from her husband although she was in fact happily married. She refused to pay and left in disgust.

The third and last prosecution witness, Nina White, testified that Melini had said that she would have three or four children, go on a long sea voyage, come into legacies, and marry twice. She paid ten shillings and sixpence for these prophecies.

The prisoner testified in his defence that he was a palmist, clairvoyant and astrologer. He claimed to have taken exams in palmistry and to have called himself 'Melini' because a spirit had told him to. He said he believed in what he did and the defence argued that before someone could be convicted of illegal fortune telling it must be proved that he was a confidence trickster

The magistrate said that charging for fortune telling was illegal even if the fortune teller was in good faith. He convicted Melini on two counts, the charge relating to Annie Betts being dropped as no payment had been taken. He fined the prisoner twenty-five pounds, about two thousand five hundred pounds in our terms, or three months in gaol. He warned him that if he came before the court again he would be gaoled without the option of a fine.

The Bulletin of the Birmingham Branch of the WFA

Compiled by Bob Butcher

September 2008