On 2nd January 1946 at the GWR ‘North Savernake Sidings’ eight soldiers lost their lives, and a number more suffered injury when an ammunition train exploded. Others, assisted bravely by members of the National Fire Service, Great Western Railway risked their lives to ensure that a further and far more massive ammunition explosion didn’t happen following the serious and devastating blast (200 tons of high explosive) that happened without warning.
Today, Marlborough remembered. And the Mayor and the Master General of Logistics for the Army together unveiled the memorial stone, located under High Walls in New Road.
The team, led by Col (retd.) Ed Newman, historian Neil Stevens and Marlborough builder Roddy Millar sought and succeeded in raising funds to create this memorial with grants from The Royal Logistics Corps Association, Marlborough Town Council, Marlborough History Society, The Kennet Valley at War Trust, Sam MacArthur of Ramsbury Stonemasons who inscribed the stone and many other local organisations, businesses and individuals. They made this possible.
The stone for the base of the memorial all came from a local source at Rockley Manor, the same stone as that of the High Walls behind the memorial (although just a bit cleaner). The memorial itself was lovingly created by Roddy Millar topped with a single piece of inscribed Portland Stone supported by the local stones, with sections of track incorporated at the sides and adjacent to the front to reinforce the link with the railway that served this area until the early sixties.
New Road was closed for the ceremony, the unveiling timed perfectly to just miss the ‘National Emergency’ mobile phone test.
Historian and team member Neil Stevens addressed those at the unveiling, detailing the events of the day, calling out the names of those who perished, and names of all other soldiers, fire fighters and railwaymen who were awarded gallantry medals for their part in preventing a much larger and potential catastrophic explosion.
Many relatives of those involved in the heroic acts of that day came back to Marlborough today for the unveiling. Even from as far as Canada. David Moore, educated at Marlborough Grammar School, but since – fifty years ago – emigrating to Canada travelled back to Marlborough with members of his family to witness the memorial unveiling and dedication ceremony as his father, Harold F.C. Moore was one of those GWR Railwaymen awarded a BEM (British Empire Medal) for his role in saving much of the town.
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