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Details of the Accident

Place Colchester
Date 12th July 1913,
Railway Company Great Eastern Railway
No. of Fatalities 3
Cause of Accident Collision
Description Cromer to London express crashed into a light engine standing at Colchester station. Cause may have been an error by the signalman. The driver of the light engine standing on the main line became suspicious when the starting signal behind him was cleared. He sent the fireman to the signal box to investigate and then saw the Cromer express approaching at speed. He put engine into forward gear and opened the regulator to little avail.

Sources/Further Reading

  • Railnews, December 2003 (review)
  • The Wreck of the Cromer Express, J.E. Connor (2003)

List of Fatalities

The 3 fatalities are listed in the table below together with brief notes of any other information found so far.

The last column shows the General Register Office (England and Wales) or Statutory Register (Scotland) reference where this has been identified.

Surname First Names Age Occupation Residence Notes GRO/SR Reference
BARNARD William Harry 56 Train driver Rectory Road, Ipswich, SFK Funeral at St. Mary at Stoke 1913/Sep Colchester 4a 706
BURDETT George Henry 55 Railway guard , 1913/Sep Colchester 4a 706
KEEBLE Sydney 32 Locomotive fireman Wherstead Road, Ipswich, SFK Son of Lindley KEEBLE. Buried Bramford Churchyard 1913/Sep Colchester 4a 707