Benjamin Gimbert (6 February 1903 – 6 May 1976), an engine driver with the

London and North Eastern Railway The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) was the second largest (after LMS) of the " Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain. It operated from 1 January 1923 until nationalisation on 1 January 1948. At th ...

(LNER), was awarded the

George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has been ...

and the

Order of Industrial Heroism The Order of Industrial Heroism was a private civil award given in the United Kingdom by the '' Daily Herald'' newspaper to honour examples of heroism carried out by ordinary workers. Many of the 440 awards were posthumous. Only two were made to ...

, as was his fireman

James Nightall Railwayman James William Nightall (20May 19222June 1944) was posthumously awarded the George Cross and the Order of Industrial Heroism for the gallantry he showed during the Soham rail disaster. Nightall was an LNER Fireman on a fifty-one w ...

, whose award was posthumous, for saving an ammunition train from a fire on 2 June 1944 during the

Soham rail disaster The Soham rail disaster occurred on 2 June 1944, during the Second World War, when a fire developed on the leading wagon of a heavy ammunition train. The wagon contained a quantity of high explosive bombs. The train crew had detached the w ...

Early life

Gimbert was born on 6 February 1903 in

Ely Ely or ELY may refer to: Places Ireland * Éile, a medieval kingdom commonly anglicised Ely * Ely Place, Dublin, a street United Kingdom * Ely, Cambridgeshire, a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England ** Ely Cathedral Ely Cathedral, formal ...

(now in Cambridgeshire), the son of farm labourer George William Gimbert and his wife Florence. He married in 1926 and by 1939 was living in

March March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Marc ...

George Cross

Memorial tablet in St Andrews Church to James Nightall and Benjamin Gimbert (geograph 3367979)

The citation for the awards read:

Other awards

Gimbert was also awarded the

, a private civil award given by the ''

Daily Herald Daily or The Daily may refer to: Journalism * Daily newspaper, newspaper issued on five to seven day of most weeks * ''The Daily'' (podcast), a podcast by ''The New York Times'' * ''The Daily'' (News Corporation), a defunct US-based iPad new ...

'' newspaper, and the LNER's silver medal for Courage and Resource. In 1953 he received the

Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (french: link=no, Médaille du couronnement de la Reine Élizabeth II) is a commemorative medal instituted to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953. Award This medal was awarded a ...

Memorials

Gimbert died on 6 May 1976 and was buried in Eastwood Cemetery in March. In 1984, his medals were bought by March Town Council and are on permanent loan to March Museum alongside some shrapnel removed from his body. On 28 September 1981 two Class 47 locomotives were named in honour of the two railwaymen: No. 47577 was named "Benjamin Gimbert, GC" and No. 47579 "James Nightall, GC". The nameplate "Benjamin Gimbert GC" was transferred to 47 574 in July 1987 at Stratford depot. It remained on this locomotive for 10 years. On 2 June 2004 new "Benjamin Gimbert GC" nameplates were applied to Class 66 077 at Whitemoor yard (March). Also the Norfolk Green bus company have named

Optare Solo The Optare Solo is a low-floor minibus/midibus with one or two doors manufactured by Optare in the United Kingdom since 1998. The Solo name is a play on its low-floor status, the manufacturer marketing its vehicle as having an entrance that is ...

617 (MX55WCV) after Gimbert.

References

External links