The Leith rail disaster May 1915

[NAE NOOKIE]

Sorry if this has been brought up before, I noticed it mentioned on the most recent 'Working together' minutes though I was obviously aware of it before.

In May it will be 100 years since the Gretna rail disaster in which the 7th battalion Royal Scots lost over 200 men. As the battalion was drawn almost exclusively from Leith it is also known as the Leith rail disaster. Given the clubs long standing Leith connections and the high chances that a fair few of the dead would have been Hibs supporters would it be appropriate for the club to commemorate the tragedy in some way.

[worcesterhibby]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Sorry if this has been brought up before, I noticed it mentioned on the most recent 'Working together' minutes though I was obviously aware of it before.

In May it will be 100 years since the Gretna rail disaster in which the 7th battalion Royal Scots lost over 200 men. As the battalion was drawn almost exclusively from Leith it is also known as the Leith rail disaster. Given the clubs long standing Leith connections and the high chances that a fair few of the dead would have been Hibs supporters would it be appropriate for the club to commemorate the tragedy in some way.

My great Uncle was injured, but survived the crash….once he recovered he was passed fit and sent to Gallipoli..where he was shot..he was sent home and recovered and was sent to the Somme, where he was injured by a shell and sent home. he recovered and was sent back to France where he was captured and eventually died in a German Prisoner of war camp in Prussia (now modern Poland).

And people say that watching Hibs last season was tough.

[jacomo]

For worcesterhibby's great uncle - poor guy - and others it would be good to do something around this. Something that STF might support?

[JimBHibees]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

My great Uncle was injured, but survived the crash….once he recovered he was passed fit and sent to Gallipoli..where he was shot..he was sent home and recovered and was sent to the Somme, where he was injured by a shell and sent home. he recovered and was sent back to France where he was captured and eventually died in a German Prisoner of war camp in Prussia (now modern Poland).

And people say that watching Hibs last season was tough.

Quite simply, wow. Lest we forget.

[--------]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Sorry if this has been brought up before, I noticed it mentioned on the most recent 'Working together' minutes though I was obviously aware of it before.

In May it will be 100 years since the Gretna rail disaster in which the 7th battalion Royal Scots lost over 200 men. As the battalion was drawn almost exclusively from Leith it is also known as the Leith rail disaster. Given the clubs long standing Leith connections and the high chances that a fair few of the dead would have been Hibs supporters would it be appropriate for the club to commemorate the tragedy in some way.

These books might be of interest to you.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quintinshill...+rail+disaster

.http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ill-Fated-Ba...on+royal+scots

Two members of my family were on the train - one died, the other was severely injured and invalided out of the Army.

The second, Sgt. John Combe, was the uncle of Bobby Combe who played for Hibs in the 40's and 50's and may well be related to Alan, our present goalie coach.

There may well have been signed Hibs players in the battalion as well; this is something I've always 'sort of' meant to investigate but never quite got round to it. (My bad.)

I would certainly be interested in getting involved in some sort of commemoration in May - this battalion tends to be forgotten about, I think because of government embarrassment at the way the men had been treated both before and after the crash. The first of those two books explains that much better than I could.

The battalion was travelling in two trains - the first was involved in the crash, the second went on to Liverpool and the 400 plus men in that train were sent out to Gallipoli. By the end of 1915 there were probably less than 100 of the original battalion left fit for service. The large majority of the original 850-900 men were dead, severely injured, or missing.

The men of the 7th Battalion volunteered for service either before the War or right at the outbreak of hostilities. This gives the lie to the commonly-held belief that until McCrae's came along, the men of the Edinburgh, Leith and Lothians area were unwiilling to come forward to fight in the war.

[KdyHby]

Thanks for bringing this up NN, I knew nothing about it: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quint..._rail_disaster

[ACLeith]

My father told me as a wee boy he stood on Leith Walk with his family watching the funeral procession. His memory was of the pipes playing "The Flowers of the Forest" with the drums muffled and draped in black. He said he didn't really understand what was happening but it sent a cold shiver up his back and for the rest of his life he never heard that lament played without recalling that awful day.

[Moulin Yarns]

May 30th 2015 would be a good time to remember.


Just saying

[erin go bragh]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

My great Uncle was injured, but survived the crash….once he recovered he was passed fit and sent to Gallipoli..where he was shot..he was sent home and recovered and was sent to the Somme, where he was injured by a shell and sent home. he recovered and was sent back to France where he was captured and eventually died in a German Prisoner of war camp in Prussia (now modern Poland).

And people say that watching Hibs last season was tough.

Your great Uncle was a remarkable man WH .
Such a shame he didnt make it home . Remarkable story tinged by sadness . Hibs could run a tribute in one of our programs . Would be a nice touch .
Ggtth

[Scotchmist]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Sorry if this has been brought up before, I noticed it mentioned on the most recent 'Working together' minutes though I was obviously aware of it before.

In May it will be 100 years since the Gretna rail disaster in which the 7th battalion Royal Scots lost over 200 men. As the battalion was drawn almost exclusively from Leith it is also known as the Leith rail disaster. Given the clubs long standing Leith connections and the high chances that a fair few of the dead would have been Hibs supporters would it be appropriate for the club to commemorate the tragedy in some way.

Thanks for posting this NN. I have been watching out for events to commemorate this. It's amazing that so few people know about it. My great uncle also survived the crash but was killed in 1917 in Palestine. There is not a doubt in my mind that he was Hibs through and through, just as I expect many of them were. I really hope we can do something to mark the day and show our respect for these guys.

Might be a bit wishful thinking, but lifting the Scottish Cup a week after the 100th anniversary, would be nice

[Scottie]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

My great Uncle was injured, but survived the crash….once he recovered he was passed fit and sent to Gallipoli..where he was shot..he was sent home and recovered and was sent to the Somme, where he was injured by a shell and sent home. he recovered and was sent back to France where he was captured and eventually died in a German Prisoner of war camp in Prussia (now modern Poland).

And people say that watching Hibs last season was tough.

Respect WH for your great Uncle.

Puts all our lives into perspective. I'm sure Hibernian will commemorate the anniversary in some way.

[Conrad Gray]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

My father told me as a wee boy he stood on Leith Walk with his family watching the funeral procession. His memory was of the pipes playing "The Flowers of the Forest" with the drums muffled and draped in black. He said he didn't really understand what was happening but it sent a cold shiver up his back and for the rest of his life he never heard that lament played without recalling that awful day.

gretna1.jpggretna 2.jpg

The above images are from part of the funeral procession at Pilrig Street and Leith Walk at Pilrig Street. A terrible sight.

I read recently that Bobby Combe's father and two uncles were on the trains. My limited research so far has found 3 Combe's on the trains, so this seems to tie up.

I am aware that Leith Acadamy are doing a lot of research for the anniversary. Does anyone here have any knowledge of their projects?

ALso, if anyone is aware of any other Hibs links to this I would be very interested to hear them..

[NAE NOOKIE]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

My great Uncle was injured, but survived the crash….once he recovered he was passed fit and sent to Gallipoli..where he was shot..he was sent home and recovered and was sent to the Somme, where he was injured by a shell and sent home. he recovered and was sent back to France where he was captured and eventually died in a German Prisoner of war camp in Prussia (now modern Poland).

And people say that watching Hibs last season was tough.

Ye gods .... there's got to be a film in that, sounds like some story.

[NAE NOOKIE]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

These books might be of interest to you.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quintinshill...+rail+disaster

.http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ill-Fated-Ba...on+royal+scots

Two members of my family were on the train - one died, the other was severely injured and invalided out of the Army.

The second, Sgt. John Combe, was the uncle of Bobby Combe who played for Hibs in the 40's and 50's and may well be related to Alan, our present goalie coach.

There may well have been signed Hibs players in the battalion as well; this is something I've always 'sort of' meant to investigate but never quite got round to it. (My bad.)

I would certainly be interested in getting involved in some sort of commemoration in May - this battalion tends to be forgotten about, I think because of government embarrassment at the way the men had been treated both before and after the crash. The first of those two books explains that much better than I could.

The battalion was travelling in two trains - the first was involved in the crash, the second went on to Liverpool and the 400 plus men in that train were sent out to Gallipoli. By the end of 1915 there were probably less than 100 of the original battalion left fit for service. The large majority of the original 850-900 men were dead, severely injured, or missing.

The men of the 7th Battalion volunteered for service either before the War or right at the outbreak of hostilities. This gives the lie to the commonly-held belief that until McCrae's came along, the men of the Edinburgh, Leith and Lothians area were unwiilling to come forward to fight in the war.

Thanks Doddie, informative as always.

[mim]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

My great Uncle was injured, but survived the crash….once he recovered he was passed fit and sent to Gallipoli..where he was shot..he was sent home and recovered and was sent to the Somme, where he was injured by a shell and sent home. he recovered and was sent back to France where he was captured and eventually died in a German Prisoner of war camp in Prussia (now modern Poland).

And people say that watching Hibs last season was tough.

That's a quite mind boggling story, JC.
Great respect to your great uncle.

[wazoo1875]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

My great Uncle was injured, but survived the crash….once he recovered he was passed fit and sent to Gallipoli..where he was shot..he was sent home and recovered and was sent to the Somme, where he was injured by a shell and sent home. he recovered and was sent back to France where he was captured and eventually died in a German Prisoner of war camp in Prussia (now modern Poland).

And people say that watching Hibs last season was tough.

What an incredible story, he must've been a hell of a brave man. Terribly sad he never made it back just one more time.

[ACLeith]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

gretna1.jpggretna 2.jpg

The above images are from part of the funeral procession at Pilrig Street and Leith Walk at Pilrig Street. A terrible sight.

I read recently that Bobby Combe's father and two uncles were on the trains. My limited research so far has found 3 Combe's on the trains, so this seems to tie up.

I am aware that Leith Acadamy are doing a lot of research for the anniversary. Does anyone here have any knowledge of their projects?

ALso, if anyone is aware of any other Hibs links to this I would be very interested to hear them..

Cheers for that RU. I had seen one of the pics before but not the other.

[Famous Fiver]

Puts things in to perspective.

It would be a great gesture for this anniversary to be marked by the club, if for no other reason to acknowledge the sacrifice of the family of Bobby Combe, a truly great Hibby.

I knew nothing of the Combe connection, and there must be many other Hibs connections, unreported and not generally known, which if gathered together would be a fitting tribute to all these young men.

Lest we forget..........

[cabbageandribs1875]

http://www.oldleither.com/GretnaIcon.html








Pilrig st, where i was born and bred, sister and bro in-law got married(and still are) in Pilrig church in the photo, i had my all-green suit on that day and giving any passing jambos the middle finger on their way to ER that day for the Scottish cup game...Hibs 2 Hertz 1 :) i imagine South Leith parish church will have some kind of commemoration for the rail disaster

[Jonnyboy]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

My great Uncle was injured, but survived the crash….once he recovered he was passed fit and sent to Gallipoli..where he was shot..he was sent home and recovered and was sent to the Somme, where he was injured by a shell and sent home. he recovered and was sent back to France where he was captured and eventually died in a German Prisoner of war camp in Prussia (now modern Poland).

And people say that watching Hibs last season was tough.

An amazing story and as others have said, what a brave brave man

[son of haggart]

Amazing to think that nearly 3 times as many died in this as the Tay Bridge disaster, and how relatively little it is known today

[Pinkie]

My grandfather's brother was killed in this disaster so I have also been looking out for events. Turns out it is being commemorated as part of the Scottish Government's commemorations programme: http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/WW1...wide-144e.aspx

I've not been able to find much online except that there are events planned for Gretna and Leith / Pilrig, but I would expect more info will be released fairly soon cos May isn't far away now.

AFAIK, it's never been something that Hibs have drawn links to publicly. I have only ever known it as a Leith connection rather than a Hibs connection so I'd be surprised if Hibs will have been linked into the commemmorations planning. That is probably quite advanced by now, but I agree that it would be a nice thing if the club could commemmorate in some way.

[PatHead]

A real tragedy which should be remembered.

[brog]

In Alan Lugton's 3rd book in his Hibs trilogy he states that " 8 of the soldiers killed at Gretna had at one time or another been on Hibs books". He also provides an interesting piece of information in that Hibs made ER available for military training early in the war & Hibs players, members of the Edinburgh-Irish Brigade & Hearts players all drilled at ER. As mentioned in other posts 101 soldiers were buried in a mass grave at Rosebank cemetery on Pilrig Street & many others were buried in Eastern cemetery behind ER. I have no doubt that the great majority of the dead would have been Hibs fans but it is 100% certain they were all from Leith & as a Leith club we must play an active role in any commemoration. Thanks to the OP for starting this important thread, hopefully we can keep the thread active until May.

[PatHead]

I have dropped an email to one of the government officials at the end of Pinkie's email. I asked what the form of the commemoration was taking.

I will update when an answer is received.

[Jonnyboy]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

In Alan Lugton's 3rd book in his Hibs trilogy he states that " 8 of the soldiers killed at Gretna had at one time or another been on Hibs books". He also provides an interesting piece of information in that Hibs made ER available for military training early in the war & Hibs players, members of the Edinburgh-Irish Brigade & Hearts players all drilled at ER. As mentioned in other posts 101 soldiers were buried in a mass grave at Rosebank cemetery on Pilrig Street & many others were buried in Eastern cemetery behind ER. I have no doubt that the great majority of the dead would have been Hibs fans but it is 100% certain they were all from Leith & as a Leith club we must play an active role in any commemoration. Thanks to the OP for starting this important thread, hopefully we can keep the thread active until May.

This 100%

[jdships]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Quite simply, wow. Lest we forget.

Two of my father's relatives were injured and he always told the family -
" There wasn't a family in Leith who wasn't related/friends with/ knew someone who was killed/injured /was there in May 1915. ".
Quite a thought !

[Jonnyboy]

Without wishing to sound morbid, is there a list anywhere of names of those that perished?

[Killiehibbie]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Without wishing to sound morbid, is there a list anywhere of names of those that perished?

I remember reading that the memorial at Rosebank Cemetery lists the names, whether that's all the names or just those buried there I don't know.

[Jonnyboy]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I remember reading that the memorial at Rosebank Cemetery lists the names, whether that's all the names or just those buried there I don't know.

Thanks for this

Edit: Found this which pretty much includes the names - sorry, misread re the dates