Commemorative events have been held to mark the centenary of a 1915 rail crash at Quintinshill near Gretna, Dumfriesshire, Britain’s worst ever rail disaster. The collision of 3 trains killed more than 200 people, most of them soliders of a Leith-based 1/7 Battalion of the Royal Scots who were travelling down to Liverpool to catch a troopship to the fighting around Gallipoli. Our new World War One microsite provides details and links.
The commemorations took place in three locations connected to the crash: At Larbert, where the soldiers joined their train for the journey south; at Quintinshill near the crash site; and at Rosebank Cemetery in Leith, where so many of the dead troops were buried.
A BBC TV news story “Quintinshill: a terrible day for the regiment” provides further reporting. Coverage in national and local media included this story in the Sunday Post about the impact on one family in East Lothian.
In the Edinburgh Pilmeny area a local project to ‘Remember the Leith Battalion’ ran activities to include young people in the commemorations; these included poppy stencils on pavements on the route to the cemetery; a ‘Tree of Life’ display at the local Drill Hall, and a stained glass window.
A new theatre production, “Persevere“, was also staged by local drama groups. The play is based on local soldiers, their farewells, and the impact of the deaths and injuries in the community.
A service was also held at Carlisle Station, as some of the train crew came from the Carlisle area and many of the wounded were taken to hospital in the city.
BBC TV screened a documentary about the crash, “Britain’s deadliest rail disaster”, presented by historian Neil Oliver.
The BBC also published an iWonder online resource about the tragedy.
