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6
quintinshill rail disaster
THE ROYAL SCOTS
1/7RS, a Territorial Battalion recruited mostly from Leith,
then a
separate Burgh from Edinburgh, had been mobilised at the start of
World War I they were initially employed on Coastal Defence duties on
the Forth until April 1915 when they moved to Larbert, near Falkirk, to
concentrate with 52
(Lowland)
Division before deploying to France.
At the last moment orders were received changing the Division’s
deployment to Gallipoli. The Battalion was meant to leave Larbert on
21 May to board the troopshipAquitania in Liverpool but she ran aground
in the Mersey and the move was delayed twenty-four hours. At 3.45am on
Saturday 22 May the first train left Larbert Station carrying Battalion
Headquarters, A and D Companies. The train was delayed twice en route
and running some 20 minutes late when the crash happened at 6.49am.
The reaction to the accident was swift and spontaneous.
“The survivors at once got to work to help their stricken
comrades and soon the whole neighbourhood was alarmed,
and motor cars from near and far hastened to the spot
with medical and other help. The kindness shown on all
hands will never be forgotten, especially by the people
from the surrounding area and Carlisle who gave such
valuable assistance to the injured. Their hospitals were
soon overflowing, but all who needed attention were
quickly made as comfortable as possible. Their Majesties
The King and Queen early sent their sympathy and gifts
to the hospitals.”
Of the half-Battalion on the train only 62 survived unscathed. These
survivors, including the Commanding Officer, continued on to Liverpool
where six Officers embarked, and sailed on the Sunday on the troopship,
HMT Empress of Britain, with the second half of the Battalion, while one
Officer and the 55 NCO and soldier survivors were sent back to Edinburgh.
It was a devastating blow to the Battalion and to the whole population
of Leith – it was said that there was not a family in the town untouched
by the tragedy
(see Note 2)
,
probably made worse by the fact that, out of
the 216 who died in the disaster, or soon afterwards from their injuries, only
83 were ever identified.
The remaining 133 bodies could not be identified or
were, literally,cremated within the firestorm of the wreckage.