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Image: Train at Bedford Midland Station c.1900 [Z1306/10/41/24]
Sunday 13th December 1914: A fatal accident took place at Bedford Station in the early hours of this morning in which a Midland Railway goods guard, Alfred Charles Cave, was crushed under a wagon wheel. Mr Cave arrived at the south siding with 33 wagons from the Bedford yard. He was told by Henry Harlow, a shunter, that there was room only for 21 wagons as the siding was already partly filled and was told where to put the rest. Cave began shunting. While Cave was uncoupling the 21st wagon Harlow heard a pole crack and his colleague cry out. He found Cave lying on the line in front of the wheel, which was pushing him along. The wheel then mounted his body and fell off the rails. Harlow raised the alarm and the driver stopped the train, which had not been going at more than 3 m.p.h. The accident may have been the result of Mr Cave having difficulty unlocking a very heavy screw coupling. Mr Harlow thought Mr Cave had got the pole between the wagons to lift the coupling off, and either the pole broke as he pressed on it, or Mr Cave slipped. He said that Cave was “one of the best shunters round about Bedford, and a rare man for doing a bit of work”. He had been a guard on the Midland Railway for 26 years and was one of the best and most experienced men at Bedford. He died on the way to hospital.[1]
In the evening a meeting of the National Union of Railwaymen was held at Bedford Picturedrome. It was presided over by Mr F G. Kellaway MP who said every civilian in the country owed a debt to the railwaymen for their work, the risks of which had been demonstrated by the death of Mr Cave and which were all too often overlooked by the public.[2] The sacrifices of life and limb made by those who worked on the railways were just as valuable as the sacrifices made by the men in France. He commended the work of the A.S.R.S. which would make the lot of Cave’s wife and children a little easier.[3] The railways had also contributed more than their fair share to the forces, and forty men of the Bedford branch had already joined the colours.
Mr Thomas MP also spoke to the meeting, expressing his delight at the way the railwaymen of Bedford were now recognising their responsibilities and that membership of the branch had risen from under one hundred to over five hundred in three years.[4] He believed that Germany had assumed that the workers of Britain would seize the opportunity of the war to press their claims for improved conditions and higher pay and that the resulting conflict with the authorities would work in the Germans’ favour. He also believed that the workers differences with the railway companies were nowhere near as great as their differences with the enemy. They knew their country was in danger and would play their part as much as the soldiers who were facing the bullets. He said 66,000 railwaymen were already serving the king, a greater number than that contributed by any other industry. He trusted that after the crisis was over the just claims and sacrifices of the railwaymen would be recognised. The Executive intended to do everything in its power to ensure the current state of affairs where the men’s wages were being reduced while shareholders’ dividends were guaranteed should be changed. They should also realise that if the government could take control of the railways as easily as they had done at the beginning of the war, private ownership was a danger to the state and the railways should be owned and controlled by the people in peace time as well as in war.
A collection was held for the Belgian Relief Fund.
Source: Bedfordshire Times 18th December 1914
[1] An inquest into Alfred Cave’s death was held on Tuesday 15th December and a verdict of accidental death was given.
[2] Frederick George Kellaway (1870-1933) was the Liberal Member of Parliament for Bedford from 1910 to 1922.
[3] The Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants had in fact merged in 1913 with two smaller railway unions to form the National Union of Railwaymen.
[4] James “Jimmy” Thomas (1874-1949) was an official of the A.S.R.S. who became general secretary of the N.U.R. from 1919 to 1931. He was Labour MP for Derby from 1910 to 1936 and later served as Secretary of State for the Colonies.
In the evening a meeting of the National Union of Railwaymen was held at Bedford Picturedrome. It was presided over by Mr F G. Kellaway MP who said every civilian in the country owed a debt to the railwaymen for their work, the risks of which had been demonstrated by the death of Mr Cave and which were all too often overlooked by the public.[2] The sacrifices of life and limb made by those who worked on the railways were just as valuable as the sacrifices made by the men in France. He commended the work of the A.S.R.S. which would make the lot of Cave’s wife and children a little easier.[3] The railways had also contributed more than their fair share to the forces, and forty men of the Bedford branch had already joined the colours.
Mr Thomas MP also spoke to the meeting, expressing his delight at the way the railwaymen of Bedford were now recognising their responsibilities and that membership of the branch had risen from under one hundred to over five hundred in three years.[4] He believed that Germany had assumed that the workers of Britain would seize the opportunity of the war to press their claims for improved conditions and higher pay and that the resulting conflict with the authorities would work in the Germans’ favour. He also believed that the workers differences with the railway companies were nowhere near as great as their differences with the enemy. They knew their country was in danger and would play their part as much as the soldiers who were facing the bullets. He said 66,000 railwaymen were already serving the king, a greater number than that contributed by any other industry. He trusted that after the crisis was over the just claims and sacrifices of the railwaymen would be recognised. The Executive intended to do everything in its power to ensure the current state of affairs where the men’s wages were being reduced while shareholders’ dividends were guaranteed should be changed. They should also realise that if the government could take control of the railways as easily as they had done at the beginning of the war, private ownership was a danger to the state and the railways should be owned and controlled by the people in peace time as well as in war.
A collection was held for the Belgian Relief Fund.
Source: Bedfordshire Times 18th December 1914
[1] An inquest into Alfred Cave’s death was held on Tuesday 15th December and a verdict of accidental death was given.
[2] Frederick George Kellaway (1870-1933) was the Liberal Member of Parliament for Bedford from 1910 to 1922.
[3] The Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants had in fact merged in 1913 with two smaller railway unions to form the National Union of Railwaymen.
[4] James “Jimmy” Thomas (1874-1949) was an official of the A.S.R.S. who became general secretary of the N.U.R. from 1919 to 1931. He was Labour MP for Derby from 1910 to 1936 and later served as Secretary of State for the Colonies.
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