Two new plaques unveiled to celebrate Bridlington railway war heroes
Two new blue plaques paying tribute to World War Two railway heroes have been unveiled at one of Northern’s East Yorkshire stations - after a local historian discovered their story.
The train operator, alongside the Yorkshire Coast Community Rail Partnership has honoured two railway men who saved countless lives when a bomb hit Bridlington railway yard, causing a train carriage full of ammunition to be set alight.
Previously, a plaque honouring courageous ticket collector Ernest Barker was installed at the station, but now new research shows that two other railway men also battled blazes alongside him.
Northern and members of the community, including the British Legion, Network Rail and the Yorkshire Coast Community Rail Partnership attended a celebration at Bridlington station, where the additional tributes were unveiled to Arthur Harrison and George Whitehurst.
The heroic railway workers saved lives by battling a fire after a bomb hit the station yard close to a train carriage full of ammunition.
The brave act was carried out on, 11th July 1941, as an unexpected raid by a German bomber caused devastation on nearby Hilderthorpe Road. Five people died as blasts destroyed buildings.
But just a few hundred yards away another bomb was close to causing more carnage. Bridlington railway station yard was also hit - and a fire broke out on a train carriage full of ammunition.
The railway workers ran to the scene and fought the blaze and thankfully extinguished it, saving many lives of the people in the nearby buildings.
They became some of the first people to receive the new George Medal.
Kerry Peters, regional director at Northern said: “We are so pleased to be able to pay tribute to these local heroes and the heritage of Bridlington station. A special thank you to historian Richard Jones for his tireless research.
“I’d like to thank everyone for attending the event and we are delighted to be a part of this community project.”
Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.