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Evacuees at Paddington Station in 1939This moving image of evacuees making their way along platform 4 at Paddington Station was also taken during the 4 day evacuation of London and other major cities in September 1939
SS St Julien as a hospital ship, at Newport Docks, c. 1940This image shows SS St Julien at Newport Docks following her conversion into a hospital ship, as denoted by the red cross painted on the side of her hull
LMS coach no. 6204 converted to an ambulance train car, 1939This official photograph of an ambulance train car was taken on behalf of the Swindon Works Drawing Office in October 1939
A man and woman carrying out work on a steam hammer during WW2, 1942A man and woman carrying out work on a steam hammer during WW2 in the GWR Swindon Works, 1942. The man is wearing a blacksmiths apron
Swindon Works War Work, 22nd January 1942Female worker machining a 25 PDR shell on 22 January 1942. Munitions work issued by Ministry of Supply
Child evacuees on Maidenhead station, 1939An image of a group of child evacuees from the East End of London on Maidenhead station in Berkshire in 1939
Mogul locomotive No. 8314 with bomb damage in 1941A 4300 Mogul locomotive, No. 8314, lies amongst the debris following an air raid in Weymouth on 17th January 1941. Star Class locomotive, Princess Charlotte
Bomb damage to locomotives at Newton Abbot Station, 1940On 20th August 1940 Newton Abbot Station was attacked by three German planes. This image shows the devastation that was caused by both bomb damage and extensive machine gun fire
GWR fire brigade at Paddington Station taking part in a drill, c. 1940This image shows members of the GWR fire brigade at Paddington Station taking part in a drill. Training was an important part of fire fighting and kept employees prepared in case of an emergency
Bomb Damage at Royal Oak near Paddington c. 1940Bomb damage to stations was inevitable after the sustained air attacks by the German Luftwaffe in late 1940 and early 1941
Matilda II tanks under construction at Swindon Work in 1941In September 1941, three Matilda II tanks were photographed leaving AE shop on Rectank wagons. The tanks are incomplete and are presumably ready to be transported elsewhere for final assembly
Workers riveting a locomotive boiler in V Boiler Shop c. 1942In this image taken at Swindon Works sometime during the latter half of the war, three women are shown working on the riveting of a locomotive boiler in V Boiler Shop
USA S160 2-8-0 locomotive No. 1606 coupled to an ambulance train, 1942Once the USA joined the war following the bombing of Pearl Harbour in December 1941 the GWR became involved in the provision of rolling stock for use by the American Army
Tanks being loaded onto Rectank flat wagons, c. 1940Three tanks are being loaded onto Rectank flat wagons which were designed and built specifically for the movement of military vehicles by rail
Siphon G Wagon converted to ward car No. 3209 in 1943By the spring of 1940 Britains railway companies had supplied 25 ambulance trains for use both at home and abroad. In September 1942 the government ordered a further 27 ambulance trains
Evacuees waiting outside the departure platform at Paddington in 1939One of the very first war time roles that the GWR was engaged in was the evacuation of children from cities to the relative safety of the countryside
Bomb damage to Paddington Station in 1941A view of the departure side of Paddington Station following the explosion of a parachute mine on 17th April 1941. A gaping hole can be seen to the right of the image where the station offices were
GWR Wartime Emergency Headquarters in Berkshire, 1940A busy office scene pictured here in 1940. This office was part of the GWRs Emergency Headquarters located at Aldermaston, Berkshire
GWR staff loading a stretcher into a parcel van which has been converted into an ambulance, 1940. The van bears the GWR roundel branding and a stylised poster on the side
Goods vehicle converted into an ambulance ward car, c. 1940This photograph shows an interior view of a goods vehicle that has been converted into an ambulance ward car. The basic slatted bunks held up by chains look to offer little in the way of comfort
Women workers in the Permanent Way Dept at Reading, 1943Three ladies from the Permanent Way Department are pictured here at Reading in April 1943 off-loading wooden blocks from a wagon
Women employee in the Road Motor Department at Slough, 1944The Road Motor Department at Slough was another area that saw the employment of women in traditionally male roles. This photograph was taken on April 18th 1944
Swindon Works employees manouvering a wheel set by crane, c. 1940In this photograph a female crane operator is working alongside two male colleagues, manoeuvring a locomotive wheel set into place
Bomb damage to Bowden Hall locomotive at Keyham Station, 1941This image was taken on 30th April 1941, the morning after an air raid at Keyham Station, Plymouth. It shows extensive damage to Hall Class locomotive, Bowden Hall
US 2-8-0 tender locomotive No. 1604 at Paddington Station, 1942On December 11th 1942, for the very first time, an American built locomotive steamed into Paddington Station. Acute shortages of locomotives on the GW network due to locomotives being sent overseas
Iron Mink Wagon converted into a salvage van, c. 1940This special salvage van was converted from an iron mink wagon. It was used to collect scrap from principal stations on the GWRs network
GWR station staff member in a gas mask, c. 1939During an air raid the threat of poison gas bombs being dropped by the German Luftwaffe was extremely high. Mustard gas was the most deadly gas available and could take up to 12 hours to take effect
Australian Navy on locomotive No. 6021 King Richard II, 1945A group of visitors from the Australian Navy pose for this photograph on top of locomotive No.6021 King Richard II. The officers
U.s locomotive No. 1604 at Swindon Works in December 1942U.S locomotive, No. 1604 is photographed here at Swindon Works in December 1942. Many of the American engines that were shipped to Britain were actually on their way to service on the continent
Female employees at Swindon Works making lamps, c. 1940A larger group of female employees have been photographed here engaged in the making of lamps at Swindon Works. The tin lamp bodies
U. S. 0-6-0T shunting tank engine No. 1940 in its black War Department livery, 1942This is an unusual inclusion in the photographic collection at STEAM, being an image of a U.S. 0-6-0T shunting tank engine which never actually worked the Great Western network
American S160 Class 2-8-0 locomotive No. 1609 upon arrival at Newport Docks, 1942From late 1942 American locomotives began to arrive at the Great Westerns South Wales Docks, having been shipped over from America to assist allied forces both in Britain and on the Continent
Carriage No. 4329 from US General Dwight D. Eisenhowers Alive train in 1942One of the most important areas in which the GWR was asked to support both the war effort and the US army was in the provision of what was codenamed the Alive train which was to be used by the US
Presentation of a War Savings League Cup to members at Swindon Works, 1944This photograph was taken on 20th April 1944 and shows Chief Mechanical Engineer, F.W. Hawksworth, presenting a War Savings League Cup to members at Swindon Works
A 16 inch gun barrel loaded onto an eighteen wheel gun wagon in 1942This photograph, taken at Old Oak Common on the 10th April 1942, shows a 16 inch gun barrel that has been loaded onto an eighteen wheel gun wagon ready for delivery
GWR lorry delivering paintings from the National Gallery to a slate mine in Wales in 1940This photograph of a GWR lorry was taken around 1940. It shows the in delivery of historic and valuable paintings from the National Gallery in London to the disused Manod slate mine at Blaenau
16 inch naval gun loaded on a set of four POLLEN E wagons, 1944This image shows a 16 inch naval gun being carried on a set of four POLLEN E wagons in March 1944. Built in the early 1900s
Military tanks loaded onto Crocodile G wagons, c. 1939A train load of military tanks, loaded onto Crocodile G wagons, make their way through Acton, en-route to the Channel Ports, for shipment over seas
A Sea Hurricane being loaded onto an armed merchant ship at Cardiff docks, c. 1941As well as assisting in the transportation of military goods by rail the GWR also facilitated the war effort at their docks
0-6-0 Dean Goods locomotives No s. 2479, 2576, 2425 and 2399 in the process of being scrapped, c. 1949The sorry sight of four The sorry sight of four 0-6-0 Dean Goods locomotives, photographed in the late 1940 s, in the process of being scrapped. Identified as engine No s
2-8-0 locomotives under construction in AE shop, 1943In this image, War Department 2-8-0 locomotives are shown under construction in AE shop at Swindon Works in May 1943. In order to meet the demand for locomotives for war work
Great Western Tender, No. W84, formerly No. 2641, 1941Great Western Tender, No. W84 is featured in this official image taken in April 1941. Formerly No. 2641, this 4000 gallon engine tender was requisitioned by the Government for use with a fire
Dean Goods locomotive No. 2533 in War Department black liveryThis official photograph of a Dean Goods locomotive No. 2533 was taken at Swindon Works in October 1939 prior to its shipment overseas
Swindon Home Guard manning an anti-aircraft gun platform, c. 1940Swindon Works was considered a prime target for aircraft strikes during World War II. Here, two members of the Home Guard are manning an anti-aircraft gun platform situated on the roof of uniform
Van loaded with waste paper from the General Stores at Swindon Works, 1941Paper salvage was introduced by the Government at the outbreak of war in 1939. It was designed to encourage the recycling of materials to aid the war effort
Bomb damage to No. 24 shop at Swindon Works in 1942Swindon Works should have been a prime target for the German Luftwaffe, but the Works remained relatively unscathed from any air raids on the town
Air raid damage to goods wagons at Newton Abbot Station in 1940On 20th August 1940 Newton Abbot Station was attacked by three German planes. This images shows the devastation that was caused by both bomb damage and extensive machine gun fire
Air raid damage to the gas holder at Swindon Works, 1942Swindon Works following the air raid on 27th July 1942. The gas holder at the gas works is pock-marked by machine gun fire from a lone aircraft that had swooped over the town early in the morning