Wartime On The Railways

From the American Civil War onwards, railways have been an important aspect of war. So important were the railways that in the First World War, the state took control of the railways, and then repeated this exercise in the Second World War. Wartime on the Railways describes the part played by Britain's railways during the Second World War, dealing not simply with operational matters or the impact of enemy action on the railways, but also looking at financial arrangements, the part played by railway workshops in producing equipment for the military, the wartime experience of the railways' ships, with the narrative augmented by personal accounts from railwaymen, and women as the war years saw much change. The book includes chapters on the railways during the final years of peace, and on each of the 'Big Four' companies, London Transport's underground system, the impact of wartime restrictions on travel and scheduling, the role of the railway workshops, and ports and shipping, as many railway ships were lost during the battle for France and at Dunkirk.

In the long and absorbing history of Britain's railways, the most challenging years were those of the two World Wars, when they were needed the most. Transportation of everything that was grown, made, or mined, as well as soldiers, sailors, airmen, and civilians largely fell to the nation's trains. Yet the indispensable role of railways in wartime has been largely overlooked. This book pays tribute to the way railway workers responded to the demand that they do more with less resources, called upon as they were to cope with an extraordinary change in the character and volume of passenger and goods traffic, to endure dangerously long hours, and to overcome the fear of moving in and through war zones. Small wayside stations could be transformed into a frenzy of activity by the arrival of a camp or supply depot on its doorstep, while disruption through bomb damage could turn the shift of the locomotive crew into an indefinite wait for relief. Featuring a gazetteer of the monuments and memorials created to honor fallen railway workers, this book pays tribute to their heroic responses to the demands of war.

During World War 2 Britain's railways were in the frontline and were targeted by the Luftwaffe's violent offensive against the homeland. Many railway workers lost their lives, and locomotives, rolling stock and infrastructure were destroyed. However, the railways were also an essential part of Britain's war effort, not only maintaining the flow of people and goods at home and evacuating people from the cities, but also playing a vital role in the movement of the armed forces and their equipment. The massive build up to D-Day would not have been possible without the logistical support of the railways. During this challenging and turbulent time, many photographers recorded for posterity the impact of war on the railways. As with many aspects of daily life during the war, the railways were effectively brought under government control and many photographs were taken for propaganda purposes. Despite this, there are also many moving images of the struggle to survive. In this excellent volume, distinguished railway author and dedicated historian Kevin Robertson has brought together the very best of a fascinating collection of images which have never been seen before. Showing not only locomotives, rolling stock, and infrastructure, he also beautifully captures the plight of the people involved at the time who kept the railways running against all the odds. This will be essential reading for all railway historians and enthusiasts, as well as anyone who is interested in the social context of this significant period.

The story of the railway personnel and success of the railway system in WA in ensuring the effective movement of troops and supplies during World War 2. Quarto, photos.

The military use of railways derives from their ability to move troops or material rapidly and, less commonly, on their use as a platform for military systems (like armoured trains and heavy artillery). Until recently, the mobility of large armies generally depended on control of railways to move reinforcements, ammunition and food, as the locomotive and railways cars proved far superior to animal-drawn equipment. Historians Augustus J. Veenendaal and H. Roger Grant capture the critical impact of railways in an abundance of conflicts worldwide, from the German revolutions in the 1840s to the Gulf War in the 1990s.

Jernbanernes militære historie med tyngden på den britiske indsats. Den behandlede periode omfatter især tiden fra den amerikanske borgerkrig til 2. verdenskrig.