The Gretna Train Crash

[Amsterdam]

Exhibition reveals the stories of rail crash - Edinburgh Evening News

Apologies if this is the wrong forum. This may be of interest to fellow Hibstorians. Sounds like it is worth a look. I, like others probably, learned of this tragedy when reading 'The Making of Hibernian'.

 

[Fritz]

I never knew about this. I`m not a Hibs historian or even an Embra/ Leith historian but what an awful tragedy. Never knew.

 

[PILTONSTANY]

There's a memorial and mass grave at Rosebank Cemetary in Pilrig where these men are buried.

 

[Bambino]

I genuinely clicked the link thinking of how it would be about how that gadge who smoked and drank gallons of lucozade fecked up the fitba club.

 

[Amsterdam]

Been reading a little more of the back story & the reports state that, at the funeral, the guard of honour was McRaes Battalion, they were still in training.

 

[stumac]

yeah I knew about this, being an ex royal scot, we were told about it in regimental history etc, not in much detail though, I must pop up to larbert though I didn't know there was a plaque there

 

[beefy]

Anyone tell me how to make this photo bigger?

I can't see no photo

 

[stumac]

There was a good turnout yesterday, just seen the pics from the regimental association

 

[tricky]

am planning to go to a talk on this subject on Friday night at Royal Scots club

Open History Society | A history society for everyone

edit : think this thread may be in wrong forum

 

[Purple & Green]

On a tangent, if your interested, this is an excellent book on football and the outbreak of the first world war:

FOOTBALLS WHITE FEATHERS Scottish Football at the start of the First World War: Amazon.co.uk: John Litster: 9780953468287: Books

 

[southfieldhibby]

This facebook page has lots of interesting info leading upto the 100th anniversary next month.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Remembering-the-Leith-Battalion-Gretna-1915-2015/583565491749221?fref=ts

I think hibs lay a wreath each year

 

[Davy]

Programme on BBC 2 at 9pm tomorrow about this.

Hopefully on catch up then if the game is still being played. I read quite a bit about the crash and been to the cemetry which is not far from my work. I think I posted something a while back about it and that it would be good to recognise it in some way and the 10th anniversary is as good as any time, so well done Hibs for doing so.

I do hope though it is remembered as the people of Leith (and Edinburgh) and not just a kinda propaganda thing like MacRaes battalion was to some people. I am sure there were plenty people who joined that battalion who were not Hearts supporters and similarly a lot of people in the rail crash may not even have been football fans. It is just good to remember because they were local people like you and me who wanted to serve their country in a time of need.

As an aside the story really is pretty remarkable and tragic and the court case afterwards. Amazing that the signalmen later once again worked for the railway.