UK stations destroyed/badly damaged in WW1 and WW2

Ken H · 29 Apr 2019

I am interested which stations suffered bomb damage in the wars

and which were patched up, and which had a postwar rebuild.

and how did the railway manage when its assets were trashed.

I had always assumed this was mostly London, but recent postings have mentioned bomb damage at Manchester Victoria. and of course Coventry got trashed in WW2

I have included WW1 because there were the Zeppelin raids.

Any pics or links to pics would be great.

RailUK Forums

ge-gn · 29 Apr 2019

The M&GN terminus Norwich City was destroyed in the Norwich Blitz. It was replaced with a prefab for the remainder of its use. I think the present Thorpe station may have been damaged, but I may be wrong. There are still air raid shelters near the station.

https://images.app.goo.gl/VLubZcf26bZHjqGj6

Highlandspring · 29 Apr 2019

York was badly damaged in 1942 and an A4 (4469 Sir Ralph Wedgewood) was destroyed.

Kendalian · 29 Apr 2019

Barrow-in-Furness was destroyed in 1941.

The WW1 memorial in the station bears the scars from WW2

Ken H · 29 Apr 2019

Kendalian said:
Barrow-in-Furness was destroyed in 1941.

The WW1 memorial in the station bears the scars from WW2

Found this pic of it pre Ww2
A lot of station

pic from http://www.southlakes-uk.co.uk/rail.html

RichJF · 29 Apr 2019

I believe Portsmouth Harbour was heavily damaged. A bomb landed on the station, separating it from the mainland. I also believe an early 4 Cor was stranded over the sea & then rescued after the war as a result of the damage.

Charing Cross also heavily damaged in 1940 by three German HE bombs where the roof fell onto a train around rush hour time & one bomb went into the District Underground station.

Ploughman · 29 Apr 2019

Damage to Scarborough and Whitby Station roofs from Coastal Bombardment by German Battlecruisers SMS Derflinger and SMS Von Der Tann on !6th Dec 1914.
4 NER Railwaymen were killed in this attack.
West Hartlepool Stn was also hit around 08.15, with a shell through the South end Station wall on the Up platform which also caused damage to the brakes of a train due out at 08.50.
The passenger line to the South was cut in several places, with additional damage to signal and telegraph wires.
2 more NER staff were also killed.

At Hartlepool 127 civilians were killed and 13 Army and Navy personnel.
Scarborough had 18 civilians and 9 at Whitby.
Approx 600 injuries across the 3 towns.

Besides the damage to the NER there was also damage to the railways on the dock system at Hartlepool.
With Shear Legs, Coal Elevators and Cranes damaged or destroyed.
2 locos hit in W Hartlepool shed NER 571 class 59 0-6-0 and 553 L class 0-6-0t

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-30004430

http://www.hhtandn.org/notes/18/the-bombardment-of-the-hartlepools

Ken H · 29 Apr 2019

Ploughman said:
Damage to Scarborough and Whitby Station roofs from Coastal Bombardment by German Battlecruisers SMS Derflinger and SMS Von Der Tann on !6th Dec 1914.
4 NER Railwaymen were killed in this attack.
West Hartlepool Stn was also hit around 08.15, with a shell through the South end Station wall on the Up platform which also caused damage to the brakes of a train due out at 08.50.
The passenger line to the South was cut in several places, with additional damage to signal and telegraph wires.
2 more NER staff were also killed.

At Hartlepool 127 civilians were killed and 13 Army and Navy personnel.
Scarborough had 18 civilians and 9 at Whitby.
Approx 600 injuries across the 3 towns.

Besides the damage to the NER there was also damage to the railways on the dock system at Hartlepool.
With Shear Legs, Coal Elevators and Cranes damaged or destroyed.
2 locos hit in W Hartlepool shed NER 571 class 59 0-6-0 and 553 L class 0-6-0t

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-30004430

http://www.hhtandn.org/notes/18/the-bombardment-of-the-hartlepools

now that surprised me. never expected anything other than air raids.

SeanG · 29 Apr 2019

Middlesbrough Station took a hit in WW2 I believe

eMeS · 29 Apr 2019

There are official maps showing where bombs fell during WWII for Manchester (and I suspect other places), but these don't seem to reflect the wholesale clearance of central Manchester blocks that I remember from my childhood. I'm now wondering if the "official maps" only showed where HE bombs fell, and that incendiaries aren't listed. My reasoning is that every red "bomb spot" on the official maps lists fatalities, but buildings can be destroyed by fire from incendiary bombs, without necessarily causing fatalities.
(Born in 1938, I lived in the Urmston area, and travelled in with parents either by CLC to Central or by bus to Piccadilly. I do remember waking up in December 1940 and seeing the red glow to the east where Manchester was burning.)

Llanigraham · 29 Apr 2019

Cardiff and Swansea were both heavily bombed and both suffered damage to their railway systems, including the stations. I am sure a Google Images search will produce numerous results.

jp4712 · 29 Apr 2019

The index of Manchester bomb maps is at https://luna.manchester.ac.uk/luna/...nce_number,title&pgs=50&res=1&cic=maps002~1~1

Manchester Victoria was very badly damaged; the through platforms especially so. Manchester Exchange was virtually obliterated above platform level. The book 'London Main Line war damage' by B. W. L. Brooksbank (Capital Transport, 2007) is the seminal work for London rail damage (I'd love to see a volume covering LT).

The excellent photo above of Barrow - the large glass structure to the right was the 'display case' for the ex-Furness Railway 'Coppernob' 0-4-0 and the loco still has, to this day, shrapnel marks from teh raid that destroyed the station buildings and its display case.

Photos of Manchester Victoria below.

JPEG%2BVictoria%2BBlitz%2B2%2Bmorning%2Bafter.jpg

Jpeg%2BVictoria%2BBlitz%2B1%2Bmorning%2Bafter.jpg

Manchester Exchange:

Richard Ingram · 29 Apr 2019

Not enemy action, but Soham station in Cambridgeshire was badly damaged by bombs, in this case our own.

https://locoyard.com/2014/06/02/soham-railway-station-disaster-2nd-june-1944/

The line was reopened very quickly, but I am not sure what happened to the station building, it was closed to passengers in the 60's.

Roose · 29 Apr 2019

Reverting to Barrow (Central, as was), the ornate glazed structure on the right of the photo was a case for Furness Railway Number 3 'Coppernob' which also received shrapnel damage. It was subsequently removed for safe-keeping but never returned and may now be seen as a prized exhibit at the National Railway Museum.

Damage to the station and Coppernob's case may be seen HERE. (The title of the article misleading as Barrow is part of historic Lancashire, not Cumberland nor Westmorland.)

Scouseinmanc · 29 Apr 2019

Liverpool Exchange also suffered damage during WWII, both to its roof, which was never repaired & also on the approaches just outside the station. This resulted in an increase in trains to Southport Lord Street from Liverpool Central, whilst the approach tracks were repaired.

DarloRich · 29 Apr 2019

Ken H said:
now that surprised me. never expected anything other than air raids.

Hartlepool was attacked by the armoured curiser Blucher and the battlecrusiers Seydlitz and Moltke shortly after 8am on 16 December 1914. They were armed with 10x11 inch guns each (Blucher being older "only" had 12 x 8 inch guns) and together they fired around 1,100 shells in 40 minutes. The station and the town is very close to the harbour and so would have been in the firing line. The headland area on the other side of the harbour was also attacked as there were several coastal defence batteries based there .

SeanG said:
Middlesbrough Station took a hit in WW2 I believe

3rd August 1942. 8 people were killed, 4 railways staff and 4 civilians, when the station took a direct hit. The fine overall roof was destroyed and a train in the station damaged. Apparently a full train had only just left the station. The railway was fully open inside 30 hours apparently.

There is a picture here: http://www.railwayarchitecture.org.uk/Location/Middlesbrough/Middlesbrough Station.htm

Ken H · 29 Apr 2019

Scouseinmanc said:
Liverpool Exchange also suffered damage during WWII, both to its roof, which was never repaired & also on the approaches just outside the station. This resulted in an increase in trains to Southport Lord Street from Liverpool Central, whilst the approach tracks were repaired.

that is well weird. I mentioned Lord St at 10:15 this morning on another thread! - https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...s-northern-connect.181820/page-2#post-3984256

DarloRich · 29 Apr 2019

Sunderland station was bombed in the early hours of 6th September 1940. The overall roof was destroyed. - some pictures here: http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/s/sunderland_central/

Newcastle good station was destroyed on 1 September 1941. Pictures here: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/history/gallery/manors-goods-station-newcastle-before-11780068

gordonthemoron · 29 Apr 2019

Wasn't there a bombed out freight/parcels station at Manors, Newcastle? I remmeber a massive bomb site from when I was a kid

Mutant Lemming · 29 Apr 2019

Scouseinmanc said:
Liverpool Exchange also suffered damage during WWII, both to its roof, which was never repaired & also on the approaches just outside the station. This resulted in an increase in trains to Southport Lord Street from Liverpool Central, whilst the approach tracks were repaired.

Both the James Street stations suffered damage with the Mersey railway surface buildings being destroyed. The tower (similar to the one still standing at Hamilton Square) survived the bombing but was deemed unsafe and had to be pulled down.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&id=D4263317399B4AA054694F3C0E08022F5FD4186E&thid=OIP.cVYCxyGz4HXQvbm99wJnJAHaIg&mediaurl=http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pDrdusLcJTw/UJOmNGxRDTI/AAAAAAAAPjQ/cmoKhIMjSUA/s1600/James+st+station+bomb+damage+in+May+41.jpg&exph=960&expw=835&q=james+street+station+bomb+damage&selectedindex=3&qpvt=james+street+station+bomb+damage&ajaxhist=0&vt=0&eim=1,2,6

The LOR suffered damage at various other points as well as James Street.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?...railway+bomb+damage&ajaxhist=0&vt=0&eim=1,2,6

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/mol/collections/overhead-railway/item-284347.aspx

Bookd · 29 Apr 2019

It is interesting that whilst now there is a lot of historical coverage of the world wars in my youth they were not much mentioned.
Hartlepool was the first place to be attacked in the first world war, and there was a small plaque on the sea wall to mention this.
When I was young there there must have been many people who were alive and remembered the bombardment but it was never mentioned, and although I lived there I only discovered the detailed history much later. I don't think that we were even told about it at school, although the site of the first hit was visible through the window.
The Heugh Battery gun station was in my time a derelict site, of no noticeable interest which in recent years has been made into a museum and tourist attraction.

ChiefPlanner · 29 Apr 2019

Kings Cross , St Pancras , Paddington and Moorgate (LT) had heavy damage. Ditto Portsmouth and Southsea , Cannon Street , Blackfriars and of course the approaches to Waterloo (Main) had a large number of bombs on the approach tracks.

Funnily enough - St Albans had a "good war" - bomb wise , with no known impact on the MML north of Hendon.

Aictos · 29 Apr 2019

Does Castor on the Peterrborough to Northampton line count as that was badly hit by a V1 bomb during World War II.

Nothing left of the station site those days now tho

Mutant Lemming · 29 Apr 2019

ChiefPlanner said:
Kings Cross , St Pancras , Paddington and Moorgate (LT) had heavy damage. Ditto Portsmouth and Southsea , Cannon Street , Blackfriars and of course the approaches to Waterloo (Main) had a large number of bombs on the approach tracks.

Funnily enough - St Albans had a "good war" - bomb wise , with no known impact on the MML north of Hendon.

Luton suffered a few raids though - and although the stations didn't suffer most of the bus fleet was wiped out when the Park Street depot was bombed in September 1940.

dazzler · 29 Apr 2019

Highlandspring said:
York was badly damaged in 1942 and an A4 (4469 Sir Ralph Wedgewood) was destroyed.

One of the roof support columns was destroyed, the column adjacent to the buffer stops of what is now platform 1 has a plain top, unlike the ornamented ones on all the other columns.

ChiefPlanner · 29 Apr 2019

Mutant Lemming said:
Luton suffered a few raids though - and although the stations didn't suffer most of the bus fleet was wiped out when the Park Street depot was bombed in September 1940.

Interesting about the loss of the bus fleet. Bit like Bristol losing the tram power station which killed that mode of transport.

There are a couple of bomb craters in the Heartwood Forest twixt Sandridge and Harpenden , so they might have been planning a go at the nearby MML , or more likely a cut and run (home) !

WesternLancer · 29 Apr 2019

eMeS said:
There are official maps showing where bombs fell during WWII for Manchester (and I suspect other places), but these don't seem to reflect the wholesale clearance of central Manchester blocks that I remember from my childhood. I'm now wondering if the "official maps" only showed where HE bombs fell, and that incendiaries aren't listed. My reasoning is that every red "bomb spot" on the official maps lists fatalities, but buildings can be destroyed by fire from incendiary bombs, without necessarily causing fatalities.
(Born in 1938, I lived in the Urmston area, and travelled in with parents either by CLC to Central or by bus to Piccadilly. I do remember waking up in December 1940 and seeing the red glow to the east where Manchester was burning.)

Think all places had the details - I've seen a reprint in my local paaper a few years ago

here - for example, are the hull maps - http://www.rhaywood.karoo.net/bombmap.htm

used in a recent BBC doc series last year that featured 3 or 4 towns and focused on what happened to people affected by one bomb selected from the maps

ps - link above makes the point about incendiaries in the note that relates to your point

Ken H · 29 Apr 2019

WesternLancer said:
Think all places had the details - I've seen a reprint in my local paaper a few years ago

here - for example, are the hull maps - http://www.rhaywood.karoo.net/bombmap.htm

used in a recent BBC doc series last year that featured 3 or 4 towns and focused on what happened to people affected by one bomb selected from the maps

ps - link above makes the point about incendiaries in the note that relates to your point

Looking at those maps is quite chilling. Especially as my Dad was bomber crew (Wireless op) in 1944 in the RAF. This gives the opposite side of the story.

(Bear in mind. You had to do 30 operations. There was a 1 in 7 chance of not coming back each operation. Do the maths. He as 19 at the time. He escaped doing another tour because the was ended in the far east when the US dropped the A bombs.)

ChiefPlanner · 29 Apr 2019

Ken H said:
Looking at those maps is quite chilling. Especially as my Dad was bomber crew (Wireless op) in 1944 in the RAF. This gives the opposite side of the story.

(Bear in mind. You had to do 30 operations. There was a 1 in 7 chance of not coming back each operation. Do the maths. He as 19 at the time. He escaped doing another tour because the was ended in the far east when the US dropped the A bombs.)

Hence your aforemetioned Lincolnshire birthplace ! - slightly off topic , but very brave people , our (Welsh) Grammar School role of honour for those lost was about 90% RAF - Sergeants etc at the age of 21. Listen to another Welshman , Wynford Vaughan-Thomas who did a live (well disc) recording of a Lancaster raid over Berlin for the BBC. Makes your hair stand on end , he did it once - but to be fair was at Anzio , Normandy and pretty much all the way to Berlin and the death camps. Met him twice , wonderful man.

edwin_m · 29 Apr 2019

Derby station platform buildings were destroyed by an air raid. The post-war concrete replacement canopies were themselves replaced a decade or so back.

UK stations destroyed/badly damaged in WW1 and WW2

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