Details of the Accident
Place | Hither Green, Kent, England |
Date | Sunday 5th November 1967, 9.16 p.m. |
Railway Company | British Railways (Southern Region) |
No. of Fatalities | 49 |
Cause of Accident | Derailment |
Description | 19.43 Hastings to Charing Cross was approaching Hither Green at speed when a wheel struck a small wedge shaped piece of steel that had broken away from the end of a running rail. This piece of broken rail caused a derailment. Poor track maintenance was blamed. In 2017 a memorial service was held to mark the 50th anniversary. I am proud to have helped by providing a list of the victims for use during the service. |
Sources/Further Reading
- Bexhill Observer, 1st December 2008
- The Times, 7th November 1967
List of Fatalities
The 49 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), 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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ASHLEE | Rose Margaret | 36 | Gladstone Road, Crowborough, SSX | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 312 | ||
ASHMORE | Elizabeth Tamara | 20 | Headley Down, Bordon, HAM | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 376 | ||
AUSTIN | Howard L. | 17 | Etchingham, SSX | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 376 | ||
BARTLETT | Janet E. | 18 | Old Bakery, The Ridge, Hastings, SSX | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 378 | ||
BOHANE | Jennifer Ann | 26 | Saxonbury, Mayfield Lane, Wadhurst, SSX | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 271 | ||
BRANCH | Jacqueline | 16 | London Road, Hurst Green, SRY | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 378 | ||
BREEDS | Gay E. | 17 | Student at Thomas Peacocke (now Rye) College | Cross Way, Addington, SRY | Bench erected Rye SSX in memory | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 312 |
BREEDS | Judith M. | 21 | Student at Thomas Peacocke (now Rye) College | Cross Way, Addington, SRY | Bench erected Rye SSX in memory. Daughter of Mary BREEDS | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 312 |
CANNON | Dorothy V. | 57 | Priory Road, Hampton, MDX | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 371 | ||
CHARLTON | Kathleen | 73 | Bollo Lane, Chiswick, London W., MDX | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 310 | ||
CHEVALLIER | Veronica B. | 34 | Eamont Street, St John's Wood, London N.W., LND | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 376 | ||
COVENEY | Eric G. | 64 | Eckington House, South Tottenham, London N., LND | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 340 | ||
CRONK | Terence D. | 19 | Bishops Close, Wateringbury, KEN | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 238 | ||
DUTCH | Edith Olive May | 65 | Walham Grove, Fulham, London S.W., LND | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 340 | ||
FLETTON | Eric H. O. | 64 | Loughton Way, Buckhurst Hill, ESS | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 272 | ||
FORSTER | Rev. Harold Theodore Gibson | 51 | Harrow, MDX | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 377 | ||
HARDWICK | Julia H. | 28 | Mayfield Road, Tunbridge Wells, KEN | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 273 | ||
HARDWICK | Marion Gay | 23 | Mayfield Road, Tunbridge Wells, KEN | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 273 | ||
HAYCRAFT | Charles | 23 | Rock Robin Farm, Wadhurst, SSX | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 237 | ||
HAZARD | Jacqueline A. | 20 | Acorn Drive, Nottingham, NTT | Married. "An expectant mother" | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 377 | |
HEPPENSTALL | Gillian Mary | 29 | Mark Cross, SSX | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 271 | ||
KEMP | Ella Gladys | 40 | The Stream, Cartsfield, SSX | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 238 | ||
LAVENDER | Bernard John | 44 | Kings Drive, Wembley, MDX | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 274 | ||
LAVENDER | Irene E. | 44 | Kings Drive, Wembley, MDX | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 273 | ||
LAVERS | Mark Clifton | 20 | Bowmans, Burwash, SSX | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 341 | ||
LEWIS | Betty | 26 | Serving in the Women's Royal Naval Service | Swan Terrace, Hastings, SSX | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 311 | |
LINGHAM | Ann E. | 19 | Ribblesdale Road, Streatham S.W., LND | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 238 | ||
MCPHERSON-HEARD | Juliet W. | 20 | Linden Cottage, Mill Hill, London N.W., LND | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 238 | ||
MEYERS | George Alfred | 26 | Tadworth Road, Neasdon, London N.W., LND | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 273 | ||
REED | Dianne Sandra | 22 | Teacher | Curzon Avenue, Enfield, MDX | Was married the previous week. | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 377 |
RITSON | Susan Anne | 21 | College Glen, Maidenhead, BRK | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 341 | ||
ROLLS | Ruby Hazel H. | 48 | Tottenham. London N., LND | Unmarried | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 377 | |
ROOTS | Hugh P. | 19 | Rolvenden, KEN | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 237 | ||
SELLINGS | Geoffrey | 19 | Naval cook | H.M.S Hardy, Royal Navy, | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 340 | |
SMITH | Michael | 2 | Whitehall Hotel, Bloomsbury Square, London W.C., LND | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 311 | ||
SMITH | Wendy | 38 | Whitehall Hotel, Bloomsbury Square, London W.C., LND | Married | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 311 | |
SPENCER | Richard | 21 | Student at Thomas Peacocke (now Rye) College | Woodhurst Road, Abbey Wood. London S.E., LND | Bench erected Rye SSX in memory | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 340 |
STEWART | Rosemary | 22 | Fairmead Road, Upper Holloway, London N, LND | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 312 | ||
THOMSON | William D. | 28 | Flight Lieutenant | Relatives lived at Luton Road, Hastings, SSX | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 311 | |
TREACHER | Alison Winifred | 23 | Lancaster, Steyning, SSX | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 377 | ||
TURNER | Christopher Ian | 31 | Cross-in-Hand, SSX | Son of Surgeon Rear-Admiral P. S. Turner | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 238 | |
TURNER | James Gordon Melville | 60 | Former Merchant Navy officer | Cripps' Corner, Staplecross, SSX | Won the George Cross in WWII | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 239 |
WARD | Lindsay Margaret | 19 | Gunters Lane, Bexhill-on-sea, SSX | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 239 | ||
WATSON | Joyce | 48 | Chartfield Avenue, Putney, London S.W., LND | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 342 | ||
WHITE | Harold Arthur | 75 | Bollo Lane, Chiswick, London W., LND | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 310 | ||
WHITTARD | Walter H. | 64 | Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London S.W., LND | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 239 | ||
WILLIAMS | Dianna | Student at Thomas Peacocke (now Rye) College | Rye, SSX | Bench erected Rye SSX in memory | ||
WILLIAMS | Mabel Lillian Daisy | 69 | Henderson Court, Fitzjohn's Avenue, Hampstead Ave, LND | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 341 | ||
YEO | Catherine | 20 | Parents lived at Wadhurst, SSX | 1967/Dec Lewisham 5D 271 |