Did Anyone Travel From Sheffield Victoria Station ?

[Voldy 10]

In the summer of 1948 my mother and I travelled back to Sheffield Victoria from Trusthorpe/Mablethorpe by train via Louth, Donington on Bain and Wragby to Bardney where we connected with a Skegness to Lincoln & Sheffield train. Can you tell me please hillsbro when the branchlines (Mablethorpe to Bardney) were officially closed as I have long suspected they may have succumbed before the Beeching cuts?

[hillsbro 28]

Hi Voldy - yes, the the line from Mablethorpe to Louth closed in December 1960, a few years before the Beeching cuts. The line from Louth to Bardney had closed a few months earlier, in February 1960. Here is a link to an article about the "Mablethorpe Loop Line". The part of the loop between Mablethorpe and Willoughby via Sutton-on-Sea survived until 1970.

Edited July 14, 2016 by hillsbro

[Voldy 10]

Many thanks hillsbro for the prompt reply with the additional "Bonus Buy" link . It was a very interesting experience travelling at a nice leisurely pace in 1948 (Olympic Year) much like the preserved railways are providing these days. Our outward journey had been by car so the return was very much a one-off bonus and why it stays in my memory.

[hillsbro 28]

Hi Voldy - I actually envy you for having travelled along these lines (in 1948 - the year I was born!) By the time I was trainspotting my way around Lincolnshire they were closed, though I've walked along some of the trackbeds.. I well remember my first journey from Sheffield Victoria. I went with my mum and my grandma to London on 24 June 1957 on the "Master Cutler" pulled by 60102 Sir Frederick Banbury, one of the regular A3s on this service. Happy days!

Edited March 26, 2017 by hillsbro

[andrejuan 10]

Just in case you haven't seen it hillsbro.

 

http://www.yorkshirefilmarchive.com/film/my-farewell-sheffield-manchester-electrics-congreves

[hillsbro 28]

Thanks, andrejuan - a very interesting film which I hadn't seen before!

Edited March 20, 2017 by hillsbro

[glennpickard 10]

Zakes:

 

re the story of the German POW.

I have a book that describes a prison break of German POWs south of Carlisle in either 1942 or 3. A German prisoner was caught at Victoria station just by the Police Box that used to stand there on the pavement. He apparently made the mistake of asking a policeman who had just left the Police Box how could he get to Liverpool ?

He was arrested immediately and returned to the POW camp. I believe 4 or 5 prisoners got out in total and all were recaptured fairly quickly.

 

This may be confused with the Hillsborough to Snig Hill escapade.

 

I also believe there was another story about a German POW being apprehended by the conductor on a Doncaster-Sheffield bus !

[stpetre 12]

Zakes:

 

re the story of the German POW.

I have a book that describes a prison break of German POWs south of Carlisle in either 1942 or 3. A German prisoner was caught at Victoria station just by the Police Box that used to stand there on the pavement. He apparently made the mistake of asking a policeman who had just left the Police Box how could he get to Liverpool ?

He was arrested immediately and returned to the POW camp. I believe 4 or 5 prisoners got out in total and all were recaptured fairly quickly.

 

This may be confused with the Hillsborough to Snig Hill escapade.

 

I also believe there was another story about a German POW being apprehended by the conductor on a Doncaster-Sheffield bus !

 

Yes Mr.G, another 'story' I heard was tho' not a POW but a 'Secret Agent' who was on a tram from the Wicker to Tinsley and had difficulty working out the fare from the change he produced, The astute tram conductor thinking something was 'not right' summoned a policeman who was standing where the tram stopped at the Attercliffe Road/Staniforth Road junction who collared the bloke.

 

---------- Post added 21-03-2017 at 21:09 ----------

 

Zakes:

 

re the story of the German POW.

I have a book that describes a prison break of German POWs south of Carlisle in either 1942 or 3. A German prisoner was caught at Victoria station just by the Police Box that used to stand there on the pavement. He apparently made the mistake of asking a policeman who had just left the Police Box how could he get to Liverpool ?

He was arrested immediately and returned to the POW camp. I believe 4 or 5 prisoners got out in total and all were recaptured fairly quickly.

 

This may be confused with the Hillsborough to Snig Hill escapade.

 

I also believe there was another story about a German POW being apprehended by the conductor on a Doncaster-Sheffield bus !

 

Yes Mr.G. One of those escapees-perhaps the most famous- from the Carlisle area- was Franz von Werra .The 1957 film 'The One That got Away' starring Hardy Kruger as von Werra is good story.

Edited March 21, 2017 by stpetre
add

[TORONTONY 10]

Yes Mr.G, another 'story' I heard was tho' not a POW but a 'Secret Agent' who was on a tram from the Wicker to Tinsley and had difficulty working out the fare from the change he produced, The astute tram conductor thinking something was 'not right' summoned a policeman who was standing where the tram stopped at the Attercliffe Road/Staniforth Road junction who collared the bloke.

 

---------- Post added 21-03-2017 at 21:09 ----------

 

 

Yes Mr.G. One of those escapees-perhaps the most famous- from the Carlisle area- was Franz von Werra .The 1957 film 'The One That got Away' starring Hardy Kruger as von Werra is good story.

Remember that film as a kid, mainly because it showed the guy getting of a train at Clay Cross station, which was between Sheffield and Ilkeston on the LMS line from Midland Station. We used that route a lot, as we had relatives in Ilkeston. Funny enough he made it all the way to Canada. As you say it was a good film, a little different from the usual war films of the time.

[stpetre 12]

Remember that film as a kid, mainly because it showed the guy getting of a train at Clay Cross station, which was between Sheffield and Ilkeston on the LMS line from Midland Station. We used that route a lot, as we had relatives in Ilkeston. Funny enough he made it all the way to Canada. As you say it was a good film, a little different from the usual war films of the time.

 

Yes Mr.T. Franz von Werra was the only German POW to escape captivity while under Allied control, in his case via Canada and USA. After all that, I believe that on making his escape back to Germany and the Luftwaffe, he was later killed in action.

Edited March 21, 2017 by stpetre
Add

[glennpickard 10]

one of the books I have states that Von Werra was killed over Germany by an allied fighter. When Von W. escaped he was on a train from eastern Canada to the west for a POW camp.

He crossed the Detroit River on ice (November 1941 time) and got to the German consulate in NY. The US and Germany were not at war yet.

 

They managed to smuggle him into Mexico and then he made his own way to Brazil where he caught a Lufthansa flying boat across to Portugal and then on into Germany.

He was the only one to escape allied clutches I know of.

On the other hand I believe 2500+ allied POWs escaped from Germany between June 1940 and April 1945, but there may have been 1 or 2 German POWs escaped from the 8th army in North Africa

[thecliffe 10]

used to get the 6am train to saxilby at the weekend to go fishing but used to climb those stairs with fishing gear to save money rather than use the lift from the wicker entrance to the station.