Details of the Accident

Place Lewisham St Johns, Kent, England
Date Wednesday 4th December 1957, 6.20 p.m.
Railway Company British Railways (Southern Region)
No. of Fatalities 90
Cause of Accident Collision
Description Driver of the 16.56 London Charing Cross to Ramsgate missed two warning colour light signals in the fog and ran into the rear of the preceding train which was stopped at a red signal. This train was stopped so that the driver could telephone the signalman as there was some doubt as to which route the train should take at the next junction. The train describer system was at fault because of the fog and slow running. During the collision, the tender of the Ramsgate train swung sideways and dislodged a steel column that supported an over-bridge. The bridge collapsed and crushed two of the coaches.

Sources/Further Reading

  • Steam World magazine, January 1995 (photographs of damaged locomotive in depot - 34066 Spitfire)
  • The Times, 5th Dec 1957
  • https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?r=216839441:4078&d=bmd_1646647063

List of Fatalities

78 of the 90 fatalities that have been identifed so far are listed in the table below together with brief notes on any other information found so far.

The last column shows the General Register Office (England and Wales), Statutory Register (Scotland), General Register Northern Ireland or Civil Registration for Ireland reference where this has been identified.

Surname First Names Age Occupation Residence Notes GRO/SR/GRONI/GROIE Reference
ADAMSAgnes M.47Embledon Road, Ladywell, SE13, LND1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 90
ALLCHINRichard J.41Tonbridge, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 90
ALLENJoseph W.49(no address), 1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 90
AMBROSELeonard Herbert38Conn Blythe Road, Tonbridge, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 90
ASHLEYRosemary Gillian19Hillcrest View, Beckenham, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 91
BAKERPatricia D. F.19Lushingham Road, Beckenham, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 44
BAKERRichard A.37Stonepark Avenue, Beckenham, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 94
BANFIELDMaurice John28George Street, Tonbridge, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 94
BARNARDJohn Daniel55Woodfield Road, Tonbridge, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 92
BASSETTPeter B.58Estridge Way, Tonbridge, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 93
BERKELEYAnthony J. B.21Tunbridge Wells, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 93
BIRCHGuthrie Oswald58Eversley Way, Folkestone, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 93
BONDF. J.Tonbridge, KEN
BRIDLEDenise S.18Catford, LND1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 94
CHARLESWORTHFrederick35Keswick Road, West Wickham, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 95
CLIFTKenneth Albert19Private (Army)Hexel Road, Catford, SE6, LND1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 95
COOMBSThomas53Christchurch Road, Ashford, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 95
COPPARDRoy Reginald28Kentish Mansions, London Road, Tunbridge Wells, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 95
DAVISCharles R.50Broadwater Down, Tunbridge Wells, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 95
EAGLANDBrian19FusilierConnaught Barracks, Dover, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 96
EMESVictor B.38Harold Crescent, Abbey Wood, S.E., LND1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 96
EVERARDAlan C.22Douglas Road, Tonbridge, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 96
FLETCHERAlfred Ernest47Bentham Hill, Southborough, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 96
FREEMANGraham B.E.3Catford, KENYoungest victim. He had visited Father Christmas on Oxford Street that afternoon and was returning home.1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 196
GIBSON-FLEMINGRobert47(no address), 1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 97
GREENHugh M.37Church Cottage, Horsmonden, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 97
HALLASBrian H.34Bentham Hill, Southborough, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 97
HALSEYWilliam J.58St. Annes Road, Dymchurch, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 91
HALSTEADWalter C. N.49Wickham Grove, West Wickham, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 91
HARRISFlorence Ada36Persant Road, SE6, LND1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 98
HEAVERPercy H.51Harold Street, Dover, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 98
HENNINGJosephine E. H.32Ewhurst Road, SE4, LND1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 98
HICKSWilliam J. N.34West Dean Avenue, Lee, SE, LND1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 93
HUBBARDBarbara M.20Eden Way, Beckenham, KENUnmarried.1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 98
HUMPHRIESSidney J.47Vale Road, Tonbridge, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 98
HUXTABLEGeorge D.50Brookside Way, Shirley, Croydon, SRY1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 99
JAMESColin M.26Crimson Gardens, Folkestone, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 99
JARRETTBrian J.28Garden Cottage, Colebrook Road, Tonbridge , KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 99
KENNETTThomas Sidney24Elms Vale Road, Dover, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 99
LAWRENCESidney John41Totteridge Road, High Wycombe, or Clarendon Road, High Wycombe, BKM1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 100
LEARYEthel M.51137, Wickham Chase, West Wickham , KENAddress from property found in possessions 1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 100
LIDDLEEdwin J.57Bromley Farm-house, Pembury, near Tonbridge, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 100
MACGREGORAlexander R.45Stone Cottage, Camden Park, Tonbridge, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 101
MARSHThomas W.58Dryhill Park Road, Tonbridge, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 100
MASKENSEileen Mary17Roundtable Road, Downham, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 101
MORLEYRobert N.59Bordyke, Tonbridge, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 101
McGREGORRonald D.40Great Road, Hildenborough, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 101
NEWBERYRodney A.22Tonbridge, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 101
NEWLANDVernon H. William58Beckenham, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 102
NEWLANDVernon Henry William58Eden Park Avenue, Beckenham, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 102
NIGHTINGALEThomas F.51Oakemeads, Trenchwood, Tonbridge , KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 102
NOAKESGillian A.20Burrs Hill, Brenchley, Tonbridge, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 102
NORRISFrancis J. R.33Delva Avenue, Tunbridge Wells, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 102
NORTHHenry W. W.63Yester Road, Chislehurst, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 102
POPEEdwin J.40The Brickyards, Softwood, Hythe, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 103
PRIESTLEYHarold49Lewisham Park, Lewisham, KENDr.1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 89
REEVESArthur E.65Romborough Way, Lewisham, SE13, LND1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 92
RELFERonald22The Priory, Bordyke, Tonbridge, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 103
REYNOLDSRobert W.32Crutchley Road, Downham, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 103
ROSEDerek33Ardgowan Road, Catford, SE6, LND1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 104
ROWSONCharles E.55Stanhope Grove, Beckenham, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 104
ROYLEThomas50Silvermere Road, Catford, SE6, LND1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 104
SEDGWICKRaymond E.31Dover, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 104
SHERROTTJohn Stanley53Silver Lane, West Wickham, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 105
SHOTTONJohn F.42Fordmill Road, Catford, SE6, LND1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 105
SLIPPERPeter E.29Peon Way, Higham Lane, Tonbridge, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 105
SNOOKEdward T.56Folkestone, KEN1958/Mar Greenwich 5c 640
SOPHOCLESAndreas22Moor Street, WC, or Pomfret Road, SE, LND"a Cypriot"1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 105
STEEPLESFrank39Prospect Road, Tunbridge Wells, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 105
STONECharles George44Speldburst Road, Southborough, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 106
TAYLORR. W., LNDMale.
TAYLORRoy H.31Care of Sydney Simon and Co., Graham Street, EC, LND1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 106
TAYLORSheila M.23Brondfield Road (no town), Married1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 106
TIDMANWilliam51Eden Way, Beckenham, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 106
WELLSRainald51Camden, LNDHusband of Dorothy H MARTIN (of the Martins Bank family)1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 107
WILLIAMSRonald E.24Downderry Road, Bromley, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 107
WOODErnest John28Tonbridge, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 108
WYARDWilmer T.75Beacon Hill, Cliff Road, Hythe, KEN1958/Mar Lewisham 5d 108