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Scotsman
21-05-2025
- General
- Scotsman
Leith's 'darkest dawn' remembered 110 years on - the rail disaster that killed more than 200 Royal Scots
Sign up to our History and Heritage newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... At the Drill Hall in Dalmeny Street in Leith, the rail disaster that killed more than 200 Royal Scots as they set off for war is still sharply felt 110 years on. An exhibition to mark the anniversary of the tragedy on Saturday, May 22, 1915 is now open in the building where the 7th (Leith) Battalion of the regiment set off for Gallipoli. Just a few days after the troops left, the Drill Hall became the makeshift mortuary when the bodies of men came home. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Funeral of 100 soldiers from the 7th Battalion (Leith) Royal Scots who died in the Gretna Green rail disaster on May 24 1915. A new exhibition on the tragedy and the men who lost their lives has opened at the Out of the Blue Drill Hall in Dalmeny Street, where the battalion was based. PIC: Royal Scots Regimental Museum | Royal Scots Regimental Museum The tragedy hit Leith hard. The funeral procession extended beyond a mile as it made its way from the hall to Rosebank Cemetery in Leith, where a shared trench was the final resting place for more than 100 men. Then , it was the largest funeral in living memory to bring Leith to a standstill. The scene near Quintinshill signal box, just north of Gretna Green, immediately after the crash. PIC: Royal Scots Regimental Museum. | Royal Scots Regimental Museum The servicemen died after their Liverpool-bound troop train from Larbert smashed into a stationary wagon at Quintinshill, just north of Gretna Green, at 6.49am. Most of the soldiers are likely to have been sleeping at the time that Britain's worst rail disaster unfolded in devastating style around them. As fire raced through the wooden carriages, which were laden with oil lamps and gas fittings, the disaster was compounded when a northbound train to Glasgow smashed into the burning wreckage. Of 498 soldiers on board, 216 of them were killed that morning, far from the battlefields for which they had trained. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'They never even made it across the Border,' said Colonel Martin Gibson, of the Royal Scots Regimental Museum. The disaster left an 'indelible scar' on the close-knit Leith and Musselburgh communities, with several families losing both fathers and sons, he added. At Dalmeny Street today, descendants of those who died have been among those who have visited the exhibition, part of the community outreach programme put together by the Royal Scots Regimental Museum at Edinburgh Castle. Men of the 7th Battalion of the Royal Scots in the trenches at Gallipoli in the months after the train crash near Gretna Green which killed more than 200 soldiers from the regiment. PIC: Royal Scots Regimental Museum. | Royal Scots Regimental Museum One visitor this week was searching for information on her great, great uncle, who was on the train to Liverpool, but whose remains were never found. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The precise number of dead was long disputed because the roll of the regiment was destroyed in the fire, a fire so intense that 82 bodies were unidentifiable. The battalion was recruited from the docks and grain stores of Leith, with a number of families in Musselburgh, Portobello and parts of West Lothian also dreadfully impacted. Scottish Veterans Commissioner Susie Hamilton with *** | Contributed Colonel Robert Watson, of the Royal Scots, said: 'It was a very local battalion, it drew its officers and its soldiers from Leith , Portobello and Musselburgh. They were very much a family affair. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Many fathers and sons and many had been in the battalion for ten, 12, 15 years before the war came. They were very close.' Brothers Corporal James Sime and Private Robert Hill Sime both died in the crash. They were among at least seven sets of brothers who were killed, it is understood. Their father, Sergeant Robert Sime, who lived at 40 Dalmeny Street, went on to become the caretaker of the Drill Hall following his discharge. The senselessness of the solders dying on home turf was compounded by the fact the tragedy may never have happened if the transport ship they were due to embark on Liverpool had never grounded, with the rail journey south postponed as a result. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Captain Robin Bell, who served in the Royal Scots, is the son of Sergeant Ian Bell, who survived the crash, said: 'When war broke out, he and all the other officers volunteered for overseas service. They went to Larbert at 8.30pm on May 19 for the train and they learned the train had been cancelled. 'This was because the troop ship had gone aground in the Mersey. If that had not happened, the 7th would have travelled on another day and would no doubt have reached the war quite safely.' Mr Bell said his father survived after turning down an invite to join a game of bridge in the next rail compartment. He didn't much like the game, Mr Bell recalled. Sergeant Bell stayed put and he and his two friends made it out of the crash. He went on to complete tours of Gallipoli and Palestine. Tragically, all those playing bridge were killed. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Bell added: 'Later that morning, there was a sad roll call and only five out of my father's platoon of 45 answered their name.' Lieutenant -Colonel Peebles, the officer leading the battalion, was interviewed by a reporter for The Scotsman at the County Hotel in Carlisle in the aftermath of the disaster. 'How it occurred, I do not know,' he said. 'All I know is that the men had little or no chance to save themselves.' The officer added: 'The first collision derailed our train and the second, which followed immediately, wrought the greatest destruction. It was an awful scene. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'But the men bore their terrible trials with grand spirit and fortitude. Every man who was uninjured did his best to help the others.' According to National Archives, one of the causes of the crash can be attributed to the poor working practices of the two signalmen working on this line. An article said: ''James Tinsley was due to start his day shift at 6am, but was in the habit of using the local train to reach Quintinshill, saving him a 1.5-mile walk. 'This meant, however, that he would arrive 30 minutes late for his shift. George Meakin, working the night shift, would cover for him by writing down train movements on a piece of paper, which Tinsley would later copy into the train register as if he had been there all along.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Susie Hamilton, Scottish Veterans Commissioner, said: 'This exhibition, commemorating the country's worst-ever rail disaster 110 years ago, honours the young men who lost their lives while on their way to serve their country. It speaks to the heartbreak endured by local families and preserves the memory of a deeply poignant chapter in our nation's history - one that must never be forgotten.'
Edinburgh Reporter
20-05-2025
- General
- Edinburgh Reporter
Gretna 110 exhibition now open at Out of The Blue
GRETNA 110 – The Royal Scots Regimental community outreach exhibition is now open until Saturday. The Royal Scots Regimental Museum will host its annual week-long community outreach exhibition, this year entitled GRETNA 110, at Out of the Blue Drill Hall Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh EH6 8RG from 10.00am to 4.30pm each day until Saturday 24 May 2025. GRETNA 110 commemorates the 110th anniversary of Britain's worst rail disaster at Quintinshill, near Gretna, on 22 May 1915. The exhibition raises awareness of the 227 people killed in the crash, including the 216 Royal Scots officers and soldiers of the 1st/7th (Leith) Battalion who were on the first leg of their journey to fight at Gallipoli, and the impact it had on Leith and the wider Lothians community. The exhibition, being staged at what was the Battalion's Drill Hall in 1915, was officially opened by Scottish Veterans Commissioner, Susie Hamilton, and Depute Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Councillor Lezley Cameron. The terrible disaster left an indelible scar on the close-knit Leith and Musselburgh communities, with several families losing both fathers and sons. Many of the dead were taken to a temporary mortuary that had been established in the Battalion's Drill Hall on Dalmeny Street before the majority were buried in the nearby Rosebank Cemetery, Pilrig Street. A Memorial Service will take place at the cemetery on 24 May. A separate Service will take place at Gretna on the anniversary of the crash. The GRETNA 110 exhibition includes: · A short film, 'Leith's Darkest Dawn', explaining the Crash and the aftermath, including a 1983 interview with a survivor and two direct descendants · Displays, including artefacts recovered from the crash (a molten rifle and bugle) and a paper knife made from the wood of one of the carriages · A dedicated Research Room with access to The Royal Scots records with genealogy and medals experts · Moving illustrated stories from some of the soldiers involved and their families · The important role played by the people of Gretna and Carlise after the Crash · Long lasting sporting connections including football, boxing and swimming · Leith Academy's GRETNA 110 researched creative exhibits display Brigadier George Lowder, MBE, Chair The Royal Scots Trust, said: 'We should never forget those who lost their lives, and the impact on their families, who were at the beginning of their journey to fight for their country.' Robin Bell: 'My father Ian was a platoon commander, of 45 men. He survived the Crash, but at the sad roll call afterwards only four of his platoon answered their names.' Susie Hamilton, Scottish Veterans Commissioner, said: 'This exhibition, commemorating the country's worst-ever rail disaster 110 years ago, honours the young men who lost their lives while on their way to serve their country. It speaks to the heartbreak endured by local families and preserves the memory of a deeply poignant chapter in our nation's history – one that must never be forgotten.' Depute Lord Provost Lezley Marion Cameron (centre) with George Lowder left and Colonel Martin Gibson, OBE, DL. PHOTO Malcolm Ross Piper and Re-enactor, in Gallipoli uniform. PHOTO Malcolm Ross Like this: Like Related
