"RAILWAY EXPLOSION MEMORIALS"

To the eternal memory of those
who died as a result of the railway explosion on 2nd June 1944.


Frank Bridges ............................. James Nightall GC




THE MEMORIAL PLINTH





The memorial plinth and tablet, adjacent to the town's war memorial, was unveiled by H.R.H.Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, on 2nd June 2007.It was constructed by Ivett and Reed of Cambridge On the Portland stone plinth itself, facing the town's war memorial is the inscription:
IT IS NOT WITH HOPE, MY FEEBLE PRAISE CAN ADD ONE MOMENT'S HONOUR TO THY OWN.

In relief on the bronze tablet:-
SOHAM RAIL DISASTER 2ND JUNE 1944.
ON 2ND JUNE 1944 THE TOWN OF SOHAM WAS SAVED FROM CERTAIN DESTRUCTION WHEN AN AMMUNITION TRAIN CARRYING BOMBS IN PREPARATION FOR D-DAY, CAUGHT FIRE AS IT APPROACHED SOHAM STATION. THE TRAIN COMPRISED 51 WAGONS, 44 OF WHICH WERE PACKED WITH 250 LB AND 500LB BOMBS. DRIVER BEN GIMBERT BROUGHT THE TRAIN TO A SAFE STOP IN THE STATION, WHILE SIGNALMAN, FRANK BRIDGES SENT WORD OF THE IMPENDING DANGER FROM HIS SIGNALBOX. FIREMAN, JAMES NIGHTALL WENT TO UNCOUPLE THE BURNING WAGON FROM THE TRAIN, AND GUARD, HERBERT CLARKE SET OFF FOR BARWAY, PLACING DETONATORS ALONG THE LINE TO WARN ON-COMING TRAINS. THE MEN KNEW THAT THE BURNING WAGON COULD EXPLODE AT ANY MINUTE, AND AT 1.43 AM AS THE POPULATION OF SOHAM SLEPT, A HUGH EXPLOSION ENSUED. FRANK BRIDGES AND JAMES NIGHTALL LAY DEAD ON THE PLATFORM, BEN GIMBERT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND HERBERT CLARKE BLOWN TO HIS KNEES, CONTINUED TO SET DETONATORS. 200 BUILDINGS WERE DAMAGED IN THE EXPLOSION, AND MANY PEOPLE WERE INJURED, BUT ONLY TWO DIED. THE ACTIONS OF THESE MEN SAVED COUNTLESS LIVES. THANKS TO THE RECOVERY ACTION LED BY AMERICAN SERVICEMEN THIS VITAL LINE OF COMMUNICATION FOR D-DAY WAS RE-OPENED WITHIN 24 HOURS. BEN GIMBERT AND JAMES NIGHTALL WERE AWARDED THE GEORGE CROSS.

This account is not completely accurate as signalman Frank Bridges actually died from his injuries the next day in hospital. James Nightall was killed instantly and 28 people were injured.


James William Nightall G.C...........George Cross..............Benjamin Gimbert G.C.

The Cambridge breakdown crane arrived at 5:10 am, a ballast train at about 9:20 and with the assistance of 100 US Army personnel and equipment who arrived at 10:50 work was carried out to fill the crater and repair the line. Remarkably the line was open to freight traffic in less that 20 hours, at 8:20 pm on the 3rd June, with light passenger traffic possible the following day.

One of the fullest accounts is the Report, click here

Soham recognises the bravery of the two George Cross men, Nightall and Gimbert in many ways.
FRANK BRIDGES CLOSE is a sheltered housing project in town.
GIMBERT ROAD and NIGHTALL ROAD.
Benjamin Gimbert also is commemorated in March with GIMBERT SQUARE. Also in March is NIGHTALL DRIVE and a plaque for the two George Cross holders at the booking hall at March Railway Station.

Both Gimbert and Nightall had Class 47 locomotives named after them, although the nameplates have since been transferred to Class 66 locomotives, although 47579 also retains its name in preservation.

There is a tablet in St Andrew's Church which is described in that section of this Soham chapter.

Similarly the plaque which was originally at the Soham Railway Station is now within the Soham Village College, in which section it is detailed

There are many memorials for this event and commemorations of those involved, if there are any in Soham I have missed, please let me have the details.

go BACK to Soham Memorials page


They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,
We will remember them.