Dunkirk, Southern Railways part in clearing troops from the Channel Ports

Andy's recent post about the tug Simla caused me to reread A D Divine's excellent book Dunkirk again.
On page 242 he writes:
"Then they (the rescued troops) were taken off to the stations, and the Southern Railway took over. There again was a masterpiece of organisation. Almost at an hour's notice the Southern Railway adapted its schedules to take on a stream that amounted to as many as 60,000 men a day. Normal Passenger services were ruthlessly truncated. ... The railways' contribution was a tremendous one."
He goes on to describe the contribution of Southern's ships, and ends about their overall service:
"These things have small glory, but they were an integral part of Dunkirk - a necessary, a vital part."

During the later Aerial evacuation the GWR (God's Wonderful Railway) performed a excellent similar service.

 

No leaves on the line or wrong snow in those days

TD

 

Not in May/June there weren't!

 

Nor at any other time of the year

The effects of weather extremes on the railways of Britain past, present and future. - Weather Extremes





Them were days lad

TD

 

James Allen's dissertation on Southern is well worth a read; especially chapter one, which deals with Dunkirk, among other emergency services. No snow though chaps!
The Southern Railway and the influence of the Second World War on railway nationalisation, by James Allen - The Brighton Toy and Model Index