MEMORIES: Sixty years since two Southend trains collided in fog killing 10

The tragedy occurred at around 7:34pm on January 30, 1958 near Dagenham East station and involved two late-running trains - a LMS 2-6-4 tank engine hauled 18:20 Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness and the BR standard 2-6-4 tank hauled 18:35 Fenchurch Street to Thorpe Bay. Each train was carrying 500 passengers.

Most of the dead and injured passengers were from the south Essex area and the crash ripped through the heart of local communities.

However, it also saw people rallying together to help and brought out the best in emergency services who were applauded for their bravery and skill - including one top surgeon who had to perform a leg amputation at the scene on the severely injured train guard, while other doctors and nurses carried out blood transfusions on the dying beside the tracks,

The accident occurred when in a blanket of fog, the 6.35 p.m. 11-coach steam passenger train from Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness,ploughed into the back of the 6.20 pm. 11-coach steam passenger train from Fenchurch Street to Thorpe Ray which was moving slowly forward towards the Dagenham East Down Home signal.

The noise of the collision was heard by the local residents who sent out 999 calls which reached the Ambulance Control Centre at Ilford and the Information Room at Scotland Yard almost immediately.

Pre-arranged emergency plans were put into action at once and the first ambulance arrived on the scene within eight minutes while three local hospitals sent mobile medical teams headed by surgeons. Fire brigades with special rescue appliances and lighting equipment as well as a large body of police were soon also at the scene.

They arrived to find some of the coaches has derailed and many passengers were left trapped inside, with grave injuries.

The story made the front page of the Southend & County Pictorial. The January 31 edition had the headline ‘Ten die as Southend trains crash in dense fog”. The article read: “Nurses and doctors, firemen and rescue workers were rushed through the fog to the scene of the crash to extricate the dead and the living from the crowded compartments.”

The reporter describes the scene as one of “horror and courage”. “Knowing there was a live electric rail on one side on one side of the crashed trains two men ran along the track warning passengers not to get out that side.,” described the article.

“None did but it was a near thing as many had opened doors, ready to jump.

“Rescuers hacked, sawed and tore their way in to the wrecked last coach of the 6.20pm train in which people were packed up to the roof.”

One of the first on the scene, a local Dagenham man named George Milson, who told the Pictorial: “There was at least one miracle. I found a woman still sitting down on a seat which had been forced up to the roof., She was hurt but she escaped with her life.”

The Pictorial also described “firemen with ‘blackened faces’ sawing off the top of the roof of one of the coaches in an attempt to get to the injured passengers while hundreds of residents from a nearby council estates descended on the scene to offer brandy ,whiskey and cups of tea to the walking wounded and emergency crews.

Local priests cycled to the scene to comfort the injured and dying and clergymen helped carry stretchers amongst the carnage.

Witness Dennis Walbey of Berkeley Gardens, Leigh told the Pictorial: “There was a horrible crash. Like a cannon going off. All the lights went out and everybody was thrown around the compartment.

“We couldn’t see a thing, it was absolute chaos. I was thrown on the floor and a woman fell on top of me and there were others pinning me down. A man at the side of me was complaining about his leg but there was nothing we could do. We were all trapped, showered in with glass.”

Stockbroker Harold Williamson , 44, of Keith Way, Southend was also among the victims. He said: “I was trapped by the legs for over three hours. A doctor came and gave me morphia and he stayed with me, supporting the coach work , which was bearing down on my legs”.

In following weeks the Pictorial carried more stories on the tragedy. Miss Grace Newman of Victoria Drive Leigh was photographed from her bed at King George Hospital in Ilford where she was being treated for a variety of injuries. Miss Newman told reporters how she was engrossed in reading a library book on the train when the crash occurred.

One of the 10 casualties was 47 year old Alexander Lucas, of Albert Road, South Benfleet who was the father of 12 year old twin boys and who took the same train to work everyday.

Among the other victims who sadly died on that night were James A Taylor of Marguerite Drive, Pitsea, JJ White of Worthington Road, Laindon, Mrs Patricia Seeds of Langford Crescent, Thundersley, and Mrs Fruin of Danbury Drive, Basildon.

In the aftermath of the crash, many people were hailed for their bravery, courage and skill. One of them was polish born Dr. Leslie Leszczynski from Oldchurch Hospital, who preformed an emergency amputation on the train guard Mr. W, Archer in the shattered rear carriage of the Southend train.. Mr. Archer , who was from Southend, lost his other leg in the crash itself. He spent months in hospital and it thought he tragically died just three years after the incident without receiving any compensation for his injuries.,

A formal investigation was conducted by the authorities into the train crash which determined it was caused due to a signal being passed ‘at danger’ due to driver error. However, in recent years it has been claimed this verdict was too harsh on the driver whose vision would have been severely hampered due to the sheer extent of the fog.