When Britain declared war on Germany on 4th August 1914, it was trains that enabled the rapid mobilisation of the British forces and their equipment to France. Sunday 10th August 2014 marks 100 years to the day when the first troops mobilised at Londons railway stations to travel to the south coast before onward travel toFrance. Tomorrow, a special event takes place at Waterloo Railway Station and, later in the day, at Southampton, to recreate the journey of those WW1 soldiers. Network Rail, in conjunction with The Khaki Chums and the Pipes and Drums of the London Scottish, will be marking the moment, exactly 100 years ago, that the first trains started rolling, taking the British Army from their barracks to their ports of embarkation. Timings: 11.00 - Waterloo Railway Station, main concourse (Troops will march onto the concourse behind the Pipes and Drums and form up adjacent to the new Network Rail 1914 exhibition). 12.35 - Troops entrain for Southampton 14.00 - Arrive Southampton Central Station (A wreath will be laid at the Station to commemorate the work of the Railwaymen in 1914). 14.10 - Leave station via Commercial Road. The Pipes and Drums will play throughout the march. 14.25 - Arrive Cenotaph, Watts Park (A wreath will be laid at the Cenotaph commemorating those Servicemen and civilians from Hampshire who gave such important service in 1914). 14.40 - Arrive Bargate (During the war thousands of troops marched through the Bargate on their way to, and from, the Docks. There will be a brief stop to recreate 1914 photographs). 15.00 - Arrive at the site of the old Dock Gate (Corner of Platform Road & Central Road). (This is the most important part of the march. On the wall of Admiralty House is a Plaque, erected by The Old Contemptibles in the 1950s, marking the fact that the vast majority of the British Expeditionary Force travelled through those gates on their way to France in August 1914. There will be a tribute to The Old Contemptibles and one of their wreaths will be laid at the memorial). Following the service the Khaki Chums will march back to the Railway Station.
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 16:51:48 +0000
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