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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
Passengers at Paddington Station in 1943This image, taken on Saturday 31st July 1943 (August Bank Holiday), shows hoards of passengers at Paddington Station. In 1939 the slogan " Is Your Journey Really Necessary" was introduced
Bomb damage to Foxs Wood Tunnel, Bristol, 1941A rather forlorn looking carriage can be seen here at the entrance to No.2 Tunnel at Foxs Wood near Bristol in 1941. A bomb had hit the tunnel mouth and ricocheted into the carriage
Signalman in operating signal levers during wartime, c. 1940A signalman in his gas mask continues normal duties at this unknown signalbox. But what is interesting about this photograph is the strange looking metal cabinet with its door ajar stood in
A petrol trailer fire pump hauled by an ex-GWR Express Cartage van, 1940Fire fighting by the GWR was a important job in the Second World War. Incendiary bombs (designed to start fires) were used extensively during the war
Swindon Works Fire Brigade Dennis Fire Engine, 1942This Dennis fire engine was purchased by the Swindon Works Fire Brigade in December 1942. It was used to strengthen their wartime capabilities
Locomotive 4096, Highclere Castle with its wartime black out screen, c. 1940A train speeding through the countryside at night was a prime target for the German Luftwaffe. The glow from the locomotive firebox
Air raid shelter at West Ealing Goods Yard, 1940A rather intriguing photo here of West Ealing Goods Yard, taken in 1940. The strange molehill shaped mounds dotted along the track are air raid shelters
Air Raid notice, issued to passengers in 1940This notice was issued to passengers in August 1940 by the GWRs General Manager, James Milne. The safety of staff and passengers was of the utmost importance
Motor landing craft built by the GWR at Swindon Works, 1942In August 1941 the GWR began building the first of a large number of motor landing craft in the Carriage and Wagon shops at Swindon. No. 13, Wagon Frame Shop was where this work took place
Tanks under construction in A Erecting Shop, Swindon Works. 1941One of the earliest tasks contracted to the GWR by the Ministry of Supply was the erection of tanks for supply overseas. Thousands of tank components were being made by all the British railway
Scammel being loaded with Anderson Air Raid Shelter, West London, 1939Westbourne Park Yard in April 1939 is the focus of this interesting pre-war image. Parts of Anderson shelters are being unloaded from a line of wagons onto a 3 ton Scammell tractor by a Ransome
Motor landing craft under construction, 1942In August 1941 the GWR began building the first of a large number of motor landing craft in the Carriage and Wagon shops at Swindon. No
250lb Bombs at the Swindon Works, early 1940sAn image of some completed 250lb bombs being loaded onto GWR open wagon No. 44 in December 1940. Like with the majority of the war work undertaken at the Works specialist equipment was built to cater
Paddington Station, c1940A group of nurses wave off a train load of evacuees during World War 2. The mass evacuation of children from cities and towns, known as Operation Pied Piper, began in 1939
Damaged railway lamps, 1942These rather forlorn looking lamps appeared in an article from the April 1942 edition of the GWR Magazine. The article looks at the daily toll of damaged and lost locomotive equipment
Coach No. 5189 in the Carriage Body Shop, 1946Great Western coach No. 5189 is featured in this photograph undergoing refurbishment in the Carriage Body Shop at Swindon Works in the summer of 1946
War memorial at Paddington Station in 1949This full length image of the newly rededicated war memorial at Paddington appeared in the December 1949 edition of the, by this time, British Railways magazine
Australian officers and sailors on a visit to Swindon Works, 1945Officers and sailors from H.M.A.S Australia on a visit to Swindon Works on July 13th 1945 whilst their ship was docked at Plymouth awaiting repairs
Australian Navy visiting A Erecting Shop at Swindon Works, 1945An image of the visit from the Australian Navy inside A Erecting Shop at Swindon Works, examining locomotive No. 3827. The officers
Unveiling of the World War 2 memorial at Paddington Station, 1949On the 11th November 1949 the war memorial at Paddington which was erected following the First World War, was again the focus of a moving ceremony when a new plaque was unveiled by former GWR General
World War 2 booklet It Can Now Be Revealed, published 1945Throughout the war the British Railways Press Office issued a series of booklets that outlined the official story of the railways at war
The Goods Yard at Cardiff Docks in 1943The Goods Yard at Cardiff Docks in September 1943 is the subject of this image featuring a group of ladies stacking boxes that have probably just been off-loaded from a goods train
Swindon Works employees welding superheaters for locomotive boilers, 1942A group of female employees are welding the superheaters for locomotive boilers in P1 Shop. As rail operation was essential to the war effort
US soldiers embarking a ship in a GWR South Wales Dock, 1942The GWR docks in South Wales became busy points for the arrival and departure of US troops from mid 1942 when the first American ship to arrive at the Companys docks berthed at Swansea on the 18th
American Flag flying from Paddington Station hotel on July 4th 1941This image shows the American Flag flying from the front of the hotel at Paddington Station on July 4th, American Independence Day, 1941
Chevrolet Thornton military trucks lined up at Caerphilly Works, 1941This image taken in April 1941 shows five Chevrolet Thornton military trucks lined up outside the GWRs works at Caerphilly. These trucks were imported from the USA and arrived unassembled in crates
Railway carriage converted to an ambulance ward car, c1939This internal view of an ambulance ward car gives a clear image of both the ingenuity used in converting rolling stock for medical use, but also the cramped conditions endured within these vehicles
A corridor brake composite carriage converted into a rail mobile emergency canteen, 1941In November 1941 this 56 feet corridor brake composite carriage was converted at Swindon Works into a rail mobile emergency canteen
A paper recycling cart outside the General Stores at Swindon Works, 1941A paper recycling cart outside the General Stores at Swindon Works in 1941. Bound bundles of paperwork and ledgers can be seen piled on the cart ready to be taken away to be pulped
Bomb damage to the GWRs salvage warehouse in London, 1940In a cruel twist of fate, this image from the 15th November 1940 shows bomb damage to the GWRs salvage warehouse at Park Royal in north-west London
The 13th Battalion Home Guard at a rifle shoot at Liddington, c. 1942The 13th Battalion Home Guard at a rifle shoot on the chalk ridge at Liddington, near Swindon. The Home Guard evolved to be a well-equipped trained army and would partake in numerous drills
GWRs Home Guard battalions on parade at Castle Bar Park in London, c. 1940The Home Guard was originally known as the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV). The LDV was formed in May 1940, but in August 1940 the LDV changed its name to the Home Guard
Standing down parade of 13th Battalion Home Guard, Swindon Works, 1944By the end of 1944 the threat of invasion from Germany became unlikely and it was decided that the Home Guard could be stood down
Saint Class locomotive, 2947 Madresfield Court with gun fire damage, c. 1940This photograph of Saint Class locomotive, Madresfield Court, shows damage to the cab after it came under aircraft machine gun fire at Yarnbrook, near Westbury
Anti-aircraft platform at Swindon Station c. 1940An anti-aircraft platform can be seen in this image of Swindon Station, but what is most intriguing is the very small Swindon Junction sign hanging in the centre of the platform canopy
Wartime shells being packed up in 24F shop, ready for transportation in 1942By 1943 the majority of Allied munitions production was undertaken by America and Canada. This eased the pressure on British workshops as there had become a serious shortage of materials
Shell production for World War 2 in 24F shop at Swindon Works, 1942An image of the shell production line in 24F Shop showing view of the workshop space for shell inspection during World War 2
War time work in Q Shop at Swindon Works, 1942This image was taken in March 1942 and shows four women operating a large pressing machine in Q Shop. The women are making 4.5inch copper bands for ammunition shells
Welding Containers for Bombs, K Shop, 1940Some rather intricate hot work is taking place in this photograph taken in K Shop, the Coppersmiths, in November 1940. The men are welding exploder containers for 250lb bombs that were ordered by
Midget Submarine superstructure, 1943Also built in the Carriage and Wagon Works at Swindon were 50 of these midget submarine superstructures which were produced for the Admiralty
Anti-Aircraft Gun, Swindon Works, 1940sThis anti-aircraft 6-pounder navel gun was manufactured for the Admiralty in W Shop at Swindon Works during World War II. It comes with a mounting that would have allowed it to be fixed to
0-6-0 tender locomotive Dean Goods No. 2430 in wartime livery, c. 19390-6-0 tender locomotive Dean Goods No.2430 is pictured here in its wartime livery. The tender is painted with the WD for War Department and the engine bears its War Department number, 177
2 PDR gun mounting, 1943A side view of a 2-pounder pom-pom gun mounting built for the Admiralty at Swindon Works. This image was taken in the AM Shop in February 1943 and shows the ammunition positioned in the side trays
Female permanent way workers, c1940During the Second World War women were employed in various different roles within the GWR. The women here fixing track chairs to wooden sleepers as part of their role within the permanent way
GWR Salvage Corps leaflet, 1940During the war the GWR were committed to salvaging paper and other material. In August 1940 General Manager, James Milne, invited employees to join the GWR Salvage Corp
Locomotive driver in air raid kit, during WWIILocomotive no. 5085 Evesham Abbey with a locomotive driver on the footplate wearing a gas mask during WWII
GWR parcel van converted into an ambulance, 1940. The driver and another man in uniform are wearing gas masks. The van bears the GWR roundel branding