WILMCOTE MEMORIAL UNVEILED

25 RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: may/june 2026 :: RMTnews Four years ago, RMT News marked the 100th anniversary of an accident at Wilmcote, which killed four trackworkers. The men involved – George Booker, William Bonehill, Lewis Washburn and Edward Sherwood – were all members of the National Union of Railwaymen, one of RMT’s predecessor unions. They now have permanent memorials at Wilmcote station, in Warwickshire, thanks to the hard work of the local station adopters. On March 24, 1922, the men were maintaining the lines between Stratford-upon- Avon and Wilmcote. They stepped clear of a passing train, but an approaching light engine was obscured and hit them. Each man was married; between them they left 13 children, including one born shortly after the accident. As the men were all local to Wilmcote, the village and the area were also deeply affected by the deaths. By 2022 the accident was all but forgotten, but research by the Railway Work, Life & Death project uncovered the incident and brought the men back to public attention. This is part of the project’s work to find out more about railway worker accidents before 1939, and to ensure people know about the staff involved in railway accidents. On the centenary of the accident, a small gathering was held at Wilmcote station to remember the men, including descendants and other family members of the men. Led by John Philps, the Wilmcote community were so taken with incident that they wanted a permanent memorial to the men and in 2026 it was made a reality, with help from the current industry. On March 24, 2026, people gathered again at Wilmcote, for the dedication of the memorials. Family members offered their thoughts and the memorials were dedicated by Andrew Hall, Railway Mission Chaplain for the West Midlands. The memorials took the form of replica Great Western Railway benches, each bearing a plaque to one of the men. A poster with details of the accident has also been put up, so that people can find out more. Also present at the dedication were representatives from the industry – including RMT regional organiser John Watson who said that it was important to remember the loss of the individuals who tragically died in the course of their work “This memorial shows that they are not forgotten to their families and serves as a stark reminder to the railway employees of today that the dangers of the railways are still the same as they were over 100 years ago,” he said. Dr Mike Esbester of the Railway Work, Life & Death project said that tragically, John’s comments were shown to be only too true in the weeks before the Wilmcote memorials were installed. “On March 7 a track worker was involved in a near-miss incident at Radlett in Hertfordshire. Then, on March 15, a worker was struck and killed by a train travelling at speed in the same area. “As those incidents are still being investigated, we don’t know yet the underlying causes, but no worker should be hurt doing their job. “The way in which the local community at Wilmcote was affected, at the time and then 100 years later, demonstrates the close connections between people and their railway – including to the people who keep the railway running. “The project would like to see more memorials of this kind across the rail network to remember those who have been killed and injured at work in the past is important, but it can also help the industry now. “The slogan of International Workers’ Memorial Day, marked on 28 April each year, is apt: Remember the dead, fight for the living,” he said. WILMCOTE MEMORIAL UNVEILED Permanent memorials erected to track workers killed at Wilmcote in 1922