THREE trains were involved in a crash near Woking station just before Christmas 1955 – but, thankfully, very few of the 1,000 passengers were injured.

The accident happened near the railway arch over the Maybury Hill road on 23 December.

The drama began at 8.30pm, when the 7.50pm London Waterloo to Portsmouth electric train halted at signals. It was then rammed in the rear by the 7.45pm London Waterloo to Basingstoke steam train, which was slowing down to stop at Woking station.

The back of the electric train and its guard’s compartment was crushed. The guard was not in it, otherwise he surely would have been killed.

The rear bogey wheels of the electric train were detached and ended up towards the adjacent up line.

Then, a steam train en route from Bournemouth to London Waterloo, having just pulled away from Woking station, scraped past the derailed bogey wheels and came to a halt.

The story was reported in the News & Mail in its 30 December edition, noting: “Only 13 out of at least 1,000 passengers were injured and those were only slightly hurt or received shock.”

Firemen from Woking and other fire stations were soon at the crash site and were joined by other part-time and auxiliary firemen. Personnel from Surrey Ambulance Service and Woking Red Cross also attended.

Those injured were taken to Woking’s Victoria Hospital and St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey. All were allowed home the next day.

Eight buses were laid on by the Aldershot & District Traction Company that ran shuttle services between Woking and Weybridge and Woking and Guildford. Workmen were busy through the night removing the three trains. By 7.30am on Christmas Eve, normal services were running again.

The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation report into the accident was published in June 1956. It said 21 people and a train guard were injured, and concluded that the signals were working correctly, with human error to blame.

Tthe driver of the steam train that rammed the electric train had missing seeing one signal – the Maybury distant signal – and overlooked a second signal at danger. The steam train’s guard was also found to be at fault, having admitted he did not also observe the signals, which he should have done as the train approached stations and at junctions.

However, the report noted that some of the signals lit at night on this part of the line should have been clearer to see.

St John’s Football Club – an update

MORE details have been supplied about St Johns Football Club following the three photos of its players featured in an earlier column.

Andrew Boarer called to say his late father, Ronald, is the player on the far left within the back row in the later picture shown. His dad played for the team for around 20 years in total.

Andrew put me in touch with Joe Dillon, another long-serving player with the club.

Joe said: “I recognised the players, although I am not in the photo. I know, therefore, it must have been taken in 1958-59 when I was away doing my National Service.”

He said the player holding the cup is Kenny Nellis, and his brother Harry Nellis ran the team. The club played their matches at St John Lye, and were successful competing in the Woking & District League.

In the 1960-61 season they won the Surrey Junior Cup and the following year made the final of the Surrey Invitation Cup. Although Joe can’t recall the name of their opponents from that final, he says that even after two sets of extra time both sides were still level. Everyone wanted to go to the pub, so the trophy was shared! This was, of course, before the days of penalty shoot-outs.

Joe played for the club from the age of 16 until he was 32, in 1972. He said the club folded a few years after.

If you have some memories or old pictures relating to the Woking area, call me, David Rose, on 01483 838960, or drop a line to the News & Mail.

David Rose is a local historian and writer who specialises in what he calls “the history within living memory” of people, places and events in the west Surrey area covering towns such as Woking and Guildford. He collects old photos and memorabilia relating to the area and the subject, and regularly gives illustrated local history talks to groups and societies. For enquiries and bookings please phone or email him at: [email protected]