WWI Remembrance
Of 15,979 staff who answered their country's call, 1,426 were to never return. This is how they are remembered
The Undying Remembrance
"They thought of those who, when their country was in peril, gave their help with so much courage, valour and love, did not hesitate to make sacrifices and were determined that so long as they had breath that they would face the right and do their utmost to overcome the wrong"
Leyton Garage was the first in the London General Omnibus Company to erect a memorial to its fallen comrades. Erected in April 1920, the memorial took the form of a tablet placed on the outer wall of the garage. 39 men from the garage died during the war, including 1 who was killed outside the garage itself during a Zeppellin raid. The man had just returned from service in France.
Unveiling the Cricklewood War Memorial (1921-06-21)TfL Corporate Archives
Unveiling Cricklewood Garage War Memorial
Out of a total staff of 515 at Cricklewood, 345 joined the Colours. 28 did not return. All present at the unveiling pledged not to forget the wives and children of their fallen comrades
Unveiling the Ilford War Memorial (1922-11-11)TfL Corporate Archives
Ilford Garage
On Armistice Day 1922, 7 Ilford bus garage staff attended the unveiling of the Ilford War Memorial to lay a wreath in memory of their fallen comrades
Unveiling of the Merton Garage War Memorial
Unveiled on May 8th 1925, the memorial is a simple tablet of marble and is inscribed "In Memory of the Men of Merton Garage who fell in the Great War - 1914-1919. Lest we forget."
Roll of Honour for the Metropolitan Railway pt1 (1919-01-01)TfL Corporate Archives
Roll of Honour for Metropolitan Railway staff
The first casualty came on 5th October 1914
Roll of Honour for the Metropolitan Railway pt2 (1919-01-01)TfL Corporate Archives
Roll of Honour continued
The list demonstrates the geographical spread of the war, with casualties occurring in Greece, Egypt, and France
Roll of Honour for the Metropolitan Railway pt3 (1919-01-01)TfL Corporate Archives
Roll of Honour continued
The final casualty is recorded as 8th December 1918 but in reality men were to continue succumbing to their war wounds long after fighting had ceased
The Metropolitan Railway memorial at Baker Street was jointly funded by the company and the staff. It was unveiled on 11 November 1920. Due to limited space not all staff or dependents were able to attend the unveiling, but the company wrote to all registered dependents of the fallen men and offered them the opportunity to visit the memorial in private, together with a free travel pass for the day.
Extract from minute discussing appropriate form of war memorial for Metropolitan Railway staff (1919-02-27)TfL Corporate Archives
Social Memorial
The Metropolitan also wanted to establish a lasting philanthropic or social memorial to the fallen. Ideas proposed included the provision of hospital beds, or public baths at Neasden. The decision was put to a vote and an Athletic Association at Wembley consequently established
The first remembrance parade past the Cenotaph in London took place in 1920. From this very first parade, representatives of the various London Transport organisations have participated in the march. It is a symbolic and heartfelt presence that continues to this day.
Armistice Day (1927-11-11)TfL Corporate Archives
Armistice Day 1927
A group of busmen, tramway men, and railway men stand in front of Ole Bill the 'Battle Bus' outside Petty France, ready to march to the Cenotaph
St James's Park poppy roundel (2018-11-01)TfL Corporate Archives
Poppy roundel at St James's Park Station
It did not take long until some staff wished to re-visit the battlefields - to remember fallen comrades, attempt to come to terms with what they had experiences, or to see how the recovery was going for those they had fought to liberate.
The Busmen Visit the Battlefields
"At the Menin Gate, a wreath which had been brought specially from England was laid on the memorial in memory of L.G.O.C. men who feel during the war."
Whilst individual bus garages, tram depots, stations, and railway lines unveiled their own war memorials, the main company war memorial was to become the permanent and all-encompassing act of remembrance by the organisation. It stood in the entrance hall of 55 Broadway and took the form of a bronze-gilt figure of St. George, standing on a pedestal projecting from carved oak panelling.
Memorial Service and Unveiling Ceremony held 10 June 1925
Alongside 150 ex-servicemen representing the various companies, the ceremony was attended by around 500 widows, mothers, and near relatives of the fallen
The Company War Memorial
On the wall each side of the statue were inscribed in gilt letters the names of the men who had fallen. They were in alphabetical order without rank or distinction of any sort, just the names of the 1,450 men who laid down their lives for their country
Story compiled by TfL using information in records at the Transport for London Corporate Archives. The Corporate Archives seeks to preserve and make accessible records, not to interpret them. A wider range of material is available for physical consultation.
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