Download or read book Steaming to Victory written by Michael Williams and published by Random House. This book was released on 2013-05-16 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the seven decades since the darkest moments of the Second World War it seems every tenebrous corner of the conflict has been laid bare, prodded and examined from every perspective of military and social history. But there is a story that has hitherto been largely overlooked. It is a tale of quiet heroism, a story of ordinary people who fought, with enormous self-sacrifice, not with tanks and guns, but with elbow grease and determination. It is the story of the British railways and, above all, the extraordinary men and women who kept them running from 1939 to 1945. Churchill himself certainly did not underestimate their importance to the wartime story when, in 1943, he praised ‘the unwavering courage and constant resourcefulness of railwaymen of all ranks in contributing so largely towards the final victory.’ And what a story it is. The railway system during the Second World War was the lifeline of the nation, replacing vulnerable road transport and merchant shipping. The railways mobilised troops, transported munitions, evacuated children from cities and kept vital food supplies moving where other forms of transport failed. Railwaymen and women performed outstanding acts of heroism. Nearly 400 workers were killed at their posts and another 2,400 injured in the line of duty. Another 3,500 railwaymen and women died in action. The trains themselves played just as vital a role. The famous Flying Scotsman train delivered its passengers to safety after being pounded by German bombers and strafed with gunfire from the air. There were astonishing feats of engineering restoring tracks within hours and bridges and viaducts within days. Trains transported millions to and from work each day and sheltered them on underground platforms at night, a refuge from the bombs above. Without the railways, there would have been no Dunkirk evacuation and no D-Day. Michael Williams, author of the celebrated book On the Slow Train, has written an important and timely book using original research and over a hundred new personal interviews. This is their story.

Download or read book War Administration of the Railways in the United States and Great Britain written by Frank Haigh Dixon and published by New York : Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1918 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Britain s Railways at War 1939 1945 written by Oswald Stevens Nock and published by Shepperton : Allan. This book was released on 1971 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beskriver de britiske jernbaner under 2. Verdenskrig; krigstidsaktiviteter, troppe- og materieltransport, specielle transporter, mørklægningsproblemer, fjendtlige luftangreb og de hurtige reparationer efter air-raid damage, bombning, m.m.

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 712 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book British railways and the great war organisation efforts difficulties and achievements written by Edwin A. Pratt and published by Dalcassian Publishing Company. This book was released on 1921-01-01 with total page 570 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Great War Railwaymen written by Jeremy Higgins and published by Andrews UK Limited. This book was released on 2015-09-03 with total page 339 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The railways were intrinsic to fighting the First World War, whether at home or abroad. On the Western Front and beyond trains ferried men and supplies to and from the front on a staggering scale, ensuring that the war machine functioned without pause. Back in Britain, the railway network shipped millions of tonnes of war material from the factories to the ports, becoming the lifeblood of the war effort. Great War Railwaymen details this incredible achievement, exploring not only the vast infrastructure, but also those who operated it. Despite the importance of the railways, many of those involved in the industry went off to fight in the mud and trenches, on the world's oceans, or in the skies above war torn Europe. Between them, they were awarded 2500 Military medals, 44 Distinguished Conduct Medals, 27 Military Crosses and 6 Victoria Crosses. This is their story. Meticulously researched and lovingly produced, Jeremy Higgins narrates the fascinating stories of over a thousand of these men, vividly capturing their wartime experiences and pressing home the vital importance of the railways, and those that ran them, to the Allied victory in the First World War.

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 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 British Railways and the Great War written by EDWIN A. PRATT and published by . This book was released on 2020-10-14 with total page 576 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1912 the British did not anticipate fighting a war on their own soil, but did anticipate the use of the railways as a massive facilitator for troops in the forthcoming European war. The author had access to official information when compiling this important semi-official work, which covers all aspects from the preparations for war in 1912 until the end of the Railway Executive Committee control in 1921. In addition to a general survey there is an account for each major railway company. Much technical information is included throughout this monumental work of reference.

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 Britain s Railways at War 1939 to 1945 written by Alan Earnshaw and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Blighty s Railways written by Alexander J Mullay and published by Amberley Publishing Limited. This book was released on 2014-06-15 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Alexander Mullay tells the story of Britain's Railways during the First World War. From troop and hospital trains to carrying munitions and freight, the railways were vital.

Download or read book Britain s Railways in World War I written by J. A. B. Hamilton and published by . This book was released on 1967 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book British Railways and the War written by Fred Arthur McKenzie and published by . This book was released on 1917 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book List of References on the Relation of British Railways to the European War written by Bureau of Railway Economics (Washington, D.C.). Library and published by . This book was released on 1917 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book British Railways and the Great War Organisation Efforts Difficulties and Achievements written by Edwin a Pratt and published by Franklin Classics. This book was released on 2018-10-12 with total page 704 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Download or read book Britain s Railways in Wartime written by Kevin Robertson and published by Ian Allan Publishing. This book was released on 2008 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During World War 2 Britain's railways were in the frontline and were targeted by the Luftwaffe's violent offensive against the homeland. Many railway workers lost their lives, and locomotives, rolling stock and infrastructure were destroyed. However, the railways were also an essential part of Britain's war effort, not only maintaining the flow of people and goods at home and evacuating people from the cities, but also playing a vital role in the movement of the armed forces and their equipment. The massive build up to D-Day would not have been possible without the logistical support of the railways. During this challenging and turbulent time, many photographers recorded for posterity the impact of war on the railways. As with many aspects of daily life during the war, the railways were effectively brought under government control and many photographs were taken for propaganda purposes. Despite this, there are also many moving images of the struggle to survive. In this excellent volume, distinguished railway author and dedicated historian Kevin Robertson has brought together the very best of a fascinating collection of images which have never been seen before. Showing not only locomotives, rolling stock, and infrastructure, he also beautifully captures the plight of the people involved at the time who kept the railways running against all the odds. This will be essential reading for all railway historians and enthusiasts, as well as anyone who is interested in the social context of this significant period.