VC Patriots

[GlenPudzeoch]

Hi,

The three LNWR staff awarded the Victoria Cross in WW1 who were honoured by having Claughton locomotives were Private W Woods, Lance corporal J Christie and Private E Sykes.  The first and last were honoured by having a Patriot named after them. 

 

My question is, why did Lance Corporal Christie not have a Patriot named after him? 

 

He did not die until 1967, and is very likely to still have been employed by the LMS, successor to the LNWR where he was a parcel clerk in 1914?

 

GlenP

 

 

[PenrithBeacon]

I understand he was no longer employed by the LMS by the time the Patriots were introduced.

[GlenPudzeoch]

That was the only reason I could think of, but could find nothing to back it up. 

 

Many thanks

[PenrithBeacon]

I think it's mentioned in the Wild Swan book

[t-b-g]

That is correct. He had left the LMS by the time the Patriots were being built.

 

It does seem a bit harsh to not keep his name on a loco though! He still won a VC while employed by the LNWR.

[kevinlms]

2 hours ago, t-b-g said:

That is correct. He had left the LMS by the time the Patriots were being built.

 

It does seem a bit harsh to not keep his name on a loco though! He still won a VC while employed by the LNWR.

It might depend on the reason for leaving the LMS.

 

Sometimes, people are asked to resign and if they go quietly, no further action will be taken or written down, so no one knows.

[t-b-g]

Just now, kevinlms said:

It might depend on the reason for leaving the LMS.

 

Sometimes, people are asked to resign and if they go quietly, no further action will be taken or written down, so no one knows.

 

Even worse, he may have gone to work for the LNER of his own free will!

[kevinlms]

13 minutes ago, t-b-g said:

 

Even worse, he may have gone to work for the LNER of his own free will!

Could be worse - the GW...

 

Surely not for a true LNWR man!

[PenrithBeacon]

58 minutes ago, kevinlms said:

It might depend on the reason for leaving the LMS.

 

Sometimes, people are asked to resign and if they go quietly, no further action will be taken or written down, so no one knows.

AIUI the bloke was a cleaner, there would be lots of jobs paying much the same and that is probably the reason he left. The idea of a cleaner being asked to resign is not to be taken seriously.

[A Murphy]

There is quite a long passage about this in The LMS & LNER in Manchester by R E Rose, Ian Allan 1987, but Rose cites none of his sources. However he does say "I have found no evidence to support the theory but it is generally believed that No 5967 (the Claughton, previously 1407) was not replaced by a 'Baby Scot' because 'Jock' Christie left the raiway service after WW1."

 

Christie had been employed in the accounts department at Euston before the war and won his VC in Palestine. As to whether he went back to Euston after the conflict, Rose doesn't say.

 

A North London lad, later in life he moved to Stockport (presumably not in railway service) "where he became a well known and respected member of the community". There were four VC holders at his funeral in Sept. 1967.

 

All this is taken from the book, pp32 - 34.

 

Cheers,

 

Alastair M

Edited May 18, 2020 by A Murphy
Clarification