Download or read book Britain s Railways in Wartime written by Anthony Lambert and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the long and absorbing history of Britain's railways, the most challenging years were those of the two World Wars, when they were needed the most. Transportation of everything that was grown, made, or mined, as well as soldiers, sailors, airmen, and civilians largely fell to the nation's trains. Yet the indispensable role of railways in wartime has been largely overlooked. This book pays tribute to the way railway workers responded to the demand that they do more with less resources, called upon as they were to cope with an extraordinary change in the character and volume of passenger and goods traffic, to endure dangerously long hours, and to overcome the fear of moving in and through war zones. Small wayside stations could be transformed into a frenzy of activity by the arrival of a camp or supply depot on its doorstep, while disruption through bomb damage could turn the shift of the locomotive crew into an indefinite wait for relief. Featuring a gazetteer of the monuments and memorials created to honor fallen railway workers, this book pays tribute to their heroic responses to the demands of war.
Download or read book Wartime on the Railways written by David Wragg and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2012-10-01 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the American Civil War onwards, railways have been an important aspect of war. So important were the railways that in the First World War, the state took control of the railways, and then repeated this exercise in the Second World War. Wartime on the Railways describes the part played by Britain's railways during the Second World War, dealing not simply with operational matters or the impact of enemy action on the railways, but also looking at financial arrangements, the part played by railway workshops in producing equipment for the military, the wartime experience of the railways' ships, with the narrative augmented by personal accounts from railwaymen, and women as the war years saw much change. The book includes chapters on the railways during the final years of peace, and on each of the 'Big Four' companies, London Transport's underground system, the impact of wartime restrictions on travel and scheduling, the role of the railway workshops, and ports and shipping, as many railway ships were lost during the battle for France and at Dunkirk.
Download or read book Rails to the Front written by Augustus Veenendaal and published by . This book was released on 2017-11-21 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The military use of railways derives from their ability to move troops or material rapidly and, less commonly, on their use as a platform for military systems (like armoured trains and heavy artillery). Until recently, the mobility of large armies generally depended on control of railways to move reinforcements, ammunition and food, as the locomotive and railways cars proved far superior to animal-drawn equipment. Historians Augustus J. Veenendaal and H. Roger Grant capture the critical impact of railways in an abundance of conflicts worldwide, from the German revolutions in the 1840s to the Gulf War in the 1990s.
Download or read book Female Railway Workers in World War II written by Susan Major and published by Pen and Sword Transport. This book was released on 2018-08-30 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During World War II women took on railway roles which were completely new to females. They worked as porters and guards, on the permanent way, and in maintenance and workshop operations. In this book Susan Major features the voices of women talking about their wartime railway experiences, using interviews by the Friends of the National Railway Museum. Many were working in ‘men’s jobs’, or working with men for the first time, and these interviews offer tantalising glimpses of conditions, sometimes under great danger. What was it about railway work that attracted them? It’s fascinating to contrast their voices with the way they were portrayed in official publicity campaigns and in the light of attitudes to women working in the 1940s. These women talk about their difficulties in a workplace not designed for women – no toilets for example, the attitudes of their families, what they thought about American GIs and Italian POWs, how they coped with swearing and troublesome colleagues, rules about stockings. They describe devastating air raids and being thrust into tough responsibilities for the first time. This book fills a gap, as most books on women’s wartime roles focus on the military services or industrial work. It offers valuable insights into the perceptions and concerns of these young women. As generations die out and families lose a direct connection, it becomes more important to be able to share their voices with a wider audience.
Download or read book Britain s Railways in the First World War written by Michael Foley and published by Pen and Sword Transport. This book was released on 2021-09-30 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is easy to believe that the only part that Britain’s railways played in the First World War was to carry the soldiers to the ships that would take them to France. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Without the help from the railways it is unlikely that the war would have been over as quickly as it was. In Britain’s Railways in the First World War Michael Foley examines how the railway system and its workers proved to be a vital part of the war effort, one contemporary writer even commenting that he thought they were as significant as the navy. The book describes how the enlistment of railway troops for the Royal Engineers to meet the increasing transport demands of the military was to bleed the civilian system dry as skilled railwaymen were sent to work at the front. In addition, the military commandeered thousands of Britain’s railway vehicles, sending them to each of the theatres of war, and turned the already stressed railway workshops away from maintaining what remained of the country’s railways and rolling stock so they could produce armaments for the forces instead. The book also reveals how the British were so far behind their enemies and allies in the use of railway support to the front lines that they had to plead for help from Canada.
Download or read book Engines of War written by Christian Wolmar and published by PublicAffairs. This book was released on 2010-11-02 with total page 739 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The birth of the railway in the early 1830's revolutionized the way the world waged war. From armored engines with swiveling guns, to the practice of track sabotage, to the construction of tracks that crossed frozen Siberian lakes, the "iron road" facilitated conflict on a scale that was previously unimaginable. It not only made armies more mobile, but widened fighting fronts and increased the power and scale of available weaponry; a deadly combination. In Engines of War, Christian Wolmar examines all the engagements in which the railway played a part: the Crimean War; the American Civil War; both world wars; the Korean War; and the Cold War, with its mysterious missile trains; and illustrates how the railway became a deadly weapon exploited by governments across the world.
Download or read book Trains to Victory written by Donald J. Heimburger and published by Heimburger House Publishing Company. This book was released on 2009-07-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Trains to Victory tells the dramatic story of the years 1941-1945 when U.S. railroads, using fewer cars and locomotives than in WWI, moved more tonnage and more passengers than ever before. Divided into 13 chapters, plus a 32-page four-color section, an introduction, bibliography and a complete index, the volume appeals to railfans, historians, military historians, and many others. The 380-page hardbound book features 542 photographs, an additional 285 illustrations, a four-color laminated dustjacket and a complete listing of U.S. military camps, posts and bases as of August 1, 1941. The book discusses the implications of the war on the railroads, embarkation of troops and materiels, how the Military Railway Service joined the fight and what was happening on U.S railroads during the war. It also addresses new railroad cars and locomotives built for the war, military camp railroads, how Alaska’s railroads played a part in the conflict, how women helped the war effort, and what was happening in foreign theaters. It describes how railroads aided in the return of wounded troops and equipment, and the atmosphere on the railroads immediately after the war. Scale drawings of war-emergency box cars are also included, as are troop train car plans. Trains to Victory covers such topics as the huge Chicago & NorthWestern Proviso Yards during wartime, personal glimpses of the war from a number of railroaders and intriguing aspects of the war from the Army Engineers, Association of American Railroads and the War Department. Wartime products of locomotive and railroad car manufacturers such as Baldwin, Alco, Davenport, Lima, Whitcomb, Budd, Electro-Motive, H.K. Porter, Pullman, American Car & Foundry and the St. Louis Car Company are documented throughout the volume. Hardbound, 8½ x11", 380 pages, 825 photos and illustrations, 32-page all-color photo section, 13 chapters, extensive historical military/railroad documentation.
Download or read book Railway Travel in World War Two written by Peter Steer and published by Pen and Sword Transport. This book was released on 2024-01-30 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The popular image of railway travel during the Second World War is that of a sparse service of dirty and grossly overcrowded trains that were forever being delayed. The iconic ‘is your journey really necessary’ poster campaign is credited with discouraging the public from traveling by train. This book questions these assumptions and examines the mobility requirements of the British public during the war years and aligns these to the level of service provided by the railways. Throughout the war the railways were managed by the Railway Executive Committee (REC) whose members were all senior railway officers. The conflicts between the REC and the government in respect to controlling passenger numbers on the railway system, which was overcrowded with essential additional war related freight traffic, are examined; as are the propaganda campaigns aimed at restricting ‘unnecessary’ travel. The public’s response to the travel restrictions are analyzed to determine how railway passengers’ attitudes and reactions corresponded to the publicly accepted mythology. Many British citizens did reduce their railway journeys, but for others who had previously had little need to travel by train, the exigencies of war resulted in them having to make long and often difficult journeys by rail.
Download or read book Railways in Wartime written by Ernest Frank Carter and published by . This book was released on 1964 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jernbanernes militære historie med tyngden på den britiske indsats. Den behandlede periode omfatter især tiden fra den amerikanske borgerkrig til 2. verdenskrig.
Download or read book Railways at War written by J. N. Westwood and published by . This book was released on 1980 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The North Eastern Railway in the First World War written by Rob Langham and published by Fonthill Media. This book was released on 2017-01-24 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The North Eastern Railway underwent extreme change after the outbreak of war in August 1914. Within months, the company raised its own battalion of men and was the only railway company to do so. The NER also set to work adapting to the changes and requirements the war would bring. Not only would there be a drop in regular passenger traffic levels and increase in freight, transporting both war material and troops, but the workshops formerly used to build locomotives were turned over to making weapons of war. In December 1914, the railway came under attack from the Imperial German Navy, causing damage to the NER's infrastructure and killing several of its men. As the war went on, locomotives and rolling stock were sent to France to help with the enormous logistics required for operations on the Western Front. The planned opening of an electrified railway line for freight went ahead with a brand new fleet of powerful electric locomotives, adding to the company's portfolio of electrification with the electrified Tyneside passenger line and Newcastle Quayside. NER land was used to build an enormous munitions factory at Darlington and the unprecedented use of women in the work place meant traditionally male-only roles were increasingly seeing women take over and freeing men for military service.Overseas, men of the NER that joined the forces served with honour, but many were not to come home. The North Eastern Railway in the First World War tells the story of one railway's war, of how it continued to operate and adapt, and the men and women who served with the company or left to fight for the country's freedom.
Download or read book British Railways and the Great War written by Edwin A. Pratt and published by . This book was released on 1921 with total page 714 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Britain s Railways in the Second World War written by Michael Foley and published by Pen and Sword Transport. This book was released on 2021-01-18 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fascinating account of the British Railways system’s vital role in the defense of the country and support of the Allied forces during WWII. The outbreak of the Second World War had an enormous effect on the railway system in Britain. The ‘Big Four’ companies put aside differences and worked together for the war effort. The logistics of transporting troops during the evacuation of Dunkirk and the preparations for D-Day were unprecedented. Meanwhile, they had to cope with the new and constant threat of aerial bombing. As a result, the railway system effectively served as another branch of the military. At the end of the war, Winston Churchill likened London to a large animal, declaring that what kept the animal alive was its transport system. The metaphor could have been applied to the whole of Britain, and its most vital transport system was the railway. This book brings to light the often-forgotten stories of the brave men and women who went to work on the railways and put their lives on the line.
Download or read book Facts about British Railways in Wartime written by British Railways Press Office, London and published by . This book was released on 1943 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Railways in Wartime written by Tim Bryan and published by Shire Publications. This book was released on 2011-07-19 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The strategic importance of railways was recognized almost from the beginning of their development, but it was not until the end of the nineteenth century that their real value was appreciated by the military. In both the First and Second World Wars, railways were crucial in the transportation of men, munitions and coal, whilst on the Continent British forces operated railways to support the war effort. The heroic story of railways at war was confirmed in the months before and after the 'D' Day landings in 1944 when literally thousands of trains were run to support the Allied invasion, cementing their role as the 'fourth service' during World War II. Here, Tim Bryan provides an authoritative and fully illustrated guide to the railway's role in twentieth-century wartime.
Download or read book Facts about British Railways in Wartime 1943 written by British Railways' Press Office and published by . This book was released on 1943 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book War Record of the London and North Western Railway written by Edwin A. Pratt and published by . This book was released on 1922 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
