Edwin Pattinson

Mansfield Chronicle Advertiser: 20/2/1942: Gunner E pattinson of Mansfield.
A native of East Kirkby, Gunner E Pattinson of 40 Broomhill Lane, Mansfield was amongst those killed in the accident which befell a troop train at Beighton near Sheffield last Wednesday.
The deceased received his early education at Huthwaite New School and before joining the forces 16 months ago was employed as a conductor for Mansfield General Omnibus Co. He was interested in sport especially tennis.
The military funeral took place yesterday, (Wednesday) in Mansfield Cemetery. A Regimental Sargeant-Major buglar attended togather with four representives of Mansfield Omnibus Co.

Mansfield Chronicle Advertiser: 20/2/1942:
Local Inquest: Mansfield Man Killed in Troop Train Crash. Inquest Opened and Adjourned.
A Mansfield soldier was amongst those killed in the accident to a troop train at Beighton, North Derbyshire last Wednesday as a result 14 men lost their lives and 36 were injured..
He was Edwin Pattinson aged 29 of 46 Broomhill Lane while another man Samuel Phillips was among the injured.

Beighton Troop Train Crash.
Mr E W Rostern, Assistant Superintendant L.N.E.R. said the train was passing through Beighton at approximately 30 miles an hour when it came in contact with a steel plate which was overhanging from a wagon standing in an adjacent siding. The plate caused damage to the coaches of the train in which there were 194 officers and other men and 170 sailors. All the sailors escaped injury.

Mr J F Harrison L.N.E.R, Engineer, said that the eight coaches were damaged, five extensively. He added that the third coach was 3 ins narrower than the standard width and was not touched at all. Twleve wagons were damaged in the sidings through actions of the plate. The Inspector said that it was obvious that the accident was due to the overhanging plate obstructing the passing of the troop train.

William Taylor driver of the troop train, said that the movement of a vacuum indicator suggested that a communication cord had been pulled. He pulled up and got out of the train. Until an officer and a soldier came up to him he was not aware that anything had happened. He neither felt nor heard any obstruction striking his engine.

James Chadwick, driver of a passing train, said that while passing through Beighton he heard a crash and something struck his engine. On stopping he found small bits of wood and cushion stuffing on his train.

Mr F E Allen, Station Master at Beighton, said the plate wagon was in an ordinary siding. He had never been advised that it was an outsized load.

At this point the Inspector- Mr J M Moore (Ministry of War Transport) decided that the inquiry should sit "in camera" to hear evidence of the loading of the plate wagon and its movements in transit.

Manchester Guardian: 13/4/1942
It is understood that the accident was caused by a piece of sheet steel which projected from a stationary goods train. The sides of the carriages were ripped out and soldiers and sailors were thrown onto the rail tracks. The damaged coaches did not leave the line, but torn off doors and other wreakage lay on the track amid a litter of steel helmets, respirators and other equipment.
Miners and villagers, first in darkness and then by flickering light of hand lamps, helped drag the dead and injured servicemen from the wreakage. Rescue work went on for four hours. The injured were rushed to Sheffield hospitals in ambulances which with doctors and nurses were soon on the scene.
The soldiers in the first half of the train were the most seriously injured.
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Nothing was reported in the press for several weeks, and those involved in the clear up were told not to speak of it, amd that it was not a troop train, but a normal passenger train.

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The plate was caught by the 1st and 2nd coaches, missed the 3rd coach as it was narrower, but the 4th coach hit the corner of the plate causing it to rotate further and cut more deeply into the 5th.
The plate then embedded itself into the side of the sixth coach to a maxium depth of 6 feet.

11 soldiers were killed immediately and nearly 40 injured and others trapped. Yet others on the train didn't know what had happened until the train stopped.

It was deemed that the wagon with the steel plate was not braked properly and that the sheet of steel had shifted during the shunt earlier in the evening. Blame fell on guard Halliwell for not applying the brake nor checking the load after completing the shunt. That at 60 he was "not overly alert either in mind nor body". Also the lack of clearence between the siding and the mainline was insufficient.