Dimensions
162 x 240 x 35mm
The railway system during World War 2 was the lifeline of the nation, replacing road transport - vulnerable to fuel shortages - and merchant shipping - an easy target for the Luftwaffe. By contrast, the railways were harder to bomb and not so difficult to repair. Astonishing feats of engineering restored tracks within hours and bridges and viaducts within days. The railways mobilised the troops, transported the munitions, evacuated the children from the cities and kept vital food supplies moving where other forms of transport failed. Railwaymen and women were so vital to the war effort that they were not allowed to join up - though many did so, defying the ban and performing 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. Even the locomotives were sometimes celebrated as heroes - one old engine named Victoria was credited with bringing down an enemy aircraft when its boiler exploded during the attack and caused the plane to crash. There were quite astonishing feats of moving goods and people. During one weekend in September 1939, more than 1.3 million frightened and confused children were evacuated to the countryside from the cities. The following year, the evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk saw more than 600 special trains transporting 319,000 troops from Dover to camps and hospitals throughout Britain. In the two months leading up to D-Day, 24,459 special trains were scheduled and nearly 3,700 ran in the week before D-Day itself. This is a story of courage, ingenuity and fortitude, which has not been told before.
