Four years ago, in 2022, the Railway Work, Life & Death project researched the Wilmcote accident, which killed four Great Western Railway (GWR) track workers in 1922. At the accident’s centenary, on 24 March 2022, we worked collaboratively to bring together an event to ensure the accident and the men who died were remembered (discussed here). Family members, the local community and the rail industry gathered at the station to mark the men.
That gathering was important in its own right, of course, and one of the achievements of which our project is most proud. It gave visibility to those affected by past accidents – those involved and their families, the community and the industry – and provided an opportunity to reflect. The personal connections were always going to be the most moving aspect of this, but being able to talk with some of the grandchildren and other relatives of the men really brought home the impact.
But that was only a single moment in time. What would people in the area and using the station know of the men and the incident after the centenary. How might they be remembered in a more lasting way? Without prompting, this was something that the Wilmcote station adopters, spearheaded by John Philps, took up. We’re delighted to say that it led to permanent memorials unveiled four years’ later, on 24 March 2026.
The 1922 incident
Whilst the incident and the men involved are detailed more fully in our series of blog posts from 2022, it’s worth mentioning briefly here. On the morning of 24 March 1922, track workers George Booker, Lewis Washburn, William Bonehill and Edward Sherwood were working on the railway line between Wilmcote and Stratford-upon-Avon. As a goods train approached on one line, then stepped out of the way. Unfortunately they didn’t see or hear a steam engine approaching on the line they were on. They were hit by the engine and killed.
All the men were living in Wilmcote; three were from Wilmcote originally. All were members of their union, the National Union of Railwaymen (NUR; now RMT Union). Their deaths affected work colleagues and their community greatly, and hundreds attended their funeral. They were laid to rest beside each other in St Andrew’s Churchyard in Wilmcote. Each of the men was married; between them they had 12 children, with another born shortly after the accident.
A community effort
Before the 2022 centenary, the local community wasn’t really aware of the accident or the men. The station had only been ‘adopted’ in 2021, so the timing and existence of the station adopters was fortuitous, as they were integral to the centenary gathering. Not only so, but they led the initiative to have permanent memorials installed.
Led by John Philps, the Wilmcote station adopters worked behind the scenes to gather support, find funding, and liaise with the relevant authorities to have the memorials installed. Some time after the 2022 gather, John mentioned to us that he hoped it might be possible to install a memorial. Due to the complexity of the task, it took time – but it has happened. It’s all the more meaningful that this was community-led, just as the Wilmcote community came together to support the families of the men in 1922.
The memorials
The current station at Wilmcote was opened in 1907 by the GWR. Unlike many stations, it has retained its GWR buildings, though these are closed to the public, and footbridge. As a result it has a ‘period’ feel – and this shaped the nature of the memorial. The adopters decided on four replica GWR benches, each bearing a plaque to one of the men. The benches for William Bonehill and Edward Sherwood are on the ‘down’ side of the station (for trains to Stratford). Those for George Booker and Lewis Washburn are on the ‘up’ side (for trains to Birmingham).
The memorials were made possible thanks to the energy and enthusiasm of the Wilmcote station adopters: John and Jill Philps, Diana Dobson, Paul Yates, Sue and Allan Stewart, Carolyn Boakes, Pam Hughes, Lindsey Brooks, Martyn Hunt and Alan and Patricia Kingsland. Significant wider support came from a number of sources. Henley-in-Arden station (further up the line), Anabel Murphy and Wilmcote PCC gave generous financial support. West Midlands Railway (WMR) installed the benches, and the whole project was supported by Shantel Carty, WMR Community Engagement Manager. Everyone at the dedication was grateful to all who have made the memorials possible.
Dedicating the memorials
On the morning of 24 March 2026, the memorials were dedicated. Representatives of three of the families were present, alongside the station adopters, representatives of the rail industry from the Railway Mission, the RMT Union, Network Rail and WMR, and Railway Work, Life & Death project co-lead Mike. Sadly although we’d made contact with the granddaughter of Edward Sherwood, no-one from the family was able to attend. (We have, of course, shared photographs and details of the memorial with the family.)
Mike spoke to introduce the dedication and about the 1922 accident and its aftermath. He then handed over to families of the men – Julian Parker and Judy Green spoke as representatives of Lewis Washburn’s family; Lynda Ashby spoke representing George Booker’s family; and Denise Collis’ words were read out, representing William Bonehill’s family. Their words are shared below. Andrew Hall, Railway Mission Chaplain covering the area, then spoke to dedicate the benches, and a pause was held to remember the men.
A particularly poignant moment
The dedication was always going to be poignant, but two things made it more laden with meaning. Firstly the idea of the ‘railway family’ was mentioned a number of times as people spoke – that sense of connection across role, space and indeed time, linking railway workers with colleagues elsewhere, now and in the past. It was also demonstrated: a number of trains stopped at Wilmcote whilst we were there, and the crews on board were told about the memorials. One noted that it was lovely to meet those gathered and they saluted the men as they left the station. A driver scheduled to be stopping at Wilmcote said they would think of the men when at the station later.
Secondly, and much more sadly, we were reminded that safety in the industry is still an ongoing issue. Just over three weeks earlier a ‘near miss’ incident saw a track worker narrowly avoid being hit by a train in Hertfordshire. Not long after later, and in the same area, tragically a track worker was struck by a train and killed. This was only nine days before the dedication at Wilmcote. It would have been good to have been able to say that incidents like that which killed the Wilmcote men were a thing of the past; instead we had to carry with us the knowledge that another worker had died.
Voices from the dedication: the rail industry
With their permission, we share as many as possible of the comments made at the dedication. From Andrew Hall, Railway Mission Chaplain covering the West Midlands:
‘It’s a matter of life and death.’ How often we hear that phrase in this fast-paced world where we glance at today whilst pressing on towards tomorrow. Often, the past and the events that produced today are just collateral damage. The four men we are commemorating at Wilmcote are more than that, they are a part of their family’s lives and the continuing story of our railway, embedded in the DNA of their posthumous future. We will remember them.
‘A bitter cup, a shock severe
To part with ones we loved so dear
Our loss is great, we’ll not complain
But trust in Christ to meet again’
The latter words came from the men’s shared headstone in St Andrew’s Churchyard.
Reflecting on incident and the memorial, John Watson (RMT Midlands Regional Organiser), discussed the significance of remembering:
It is important to remember the loss of the individuals who tragically died in the course of their work, a memorial shows they are not forgotten to their families and serves as a stark reminder to the railway employees of today that the dangers of the railways are still the same as they were over 100 years ago.
Representing Network Rail, Fraser Pithie also noted the importance of remembering. He also requested images of the memorials and details of the 1922 accident, to share across Network Rail’s Central Route, to help ensure people know about it.
Voices from the dedication: representing Lewis Washburn
Though Judy Green (Lewis’s cousin, twice removed) spoke at dedication, she did so without a pre-written script. Afterwards she noted:
I didn’t write down what I said but obviously we wanted to record our heartfelt thanks for the Memorial and the fact that Lewis will not be forgotten. One can only imagine how devastated all the families were at losing their young men on the railway.
We were fortunate in being able to have two branches of Lewis’s family at the dedication. From the second branch, Julian Parker (a second cousin, three times’ removed) spoke:
Lewis Thomas Washburn and I were distantly related, 2nd Cousins 3x removed. This however was not the only link between us, we were both railwaymen. There have always been incidents and accidents on the railway, unfortunately injury and fatalities occurred. After these unhappy occurrences investigations and inquires are held, and the cause determined. After the conclusion of such investigations, methods of work may have been updated, safeguards would be put into place or modernised, rules and regulations adjusted appropriately all to mitigate the chances of reoccurrence. Better staff training, education, and monitoring may have also been implemented.
These have all evolved over the years prior to, and after the events like that at Wilmcote on 24th March 1922, that claimed the lives of Edward Sherwood, George Booker, William Bonehill, and Lewis Washburn.
The Railway fraternity has always considered itself a family. This was irrespective of company, area, job or grade. Like any family it feels the loss of one of its members immensely. I am pleased and privileged to attend this morning not only as a descendant of the Washburn family, but also of the wider Railway family.
Voices from the dedication: representing William Bonehill
From William Bonehill’s family, Denise Collis attended. As she was suffering from a sort throat, these words were read on her behalf:
William Thomas Bonehill was my Grandad’s older brother. William was 16 when my grandad Eric was born. He was born in 1894 in Wilmcote and apart from his military service from 1914 in the Royal Garrison Artillery and gaining the British War Medal and the Victory Medal in the First World War, he remained a local lad. His life was tragically cut short in 1922 when this accident occurred. I am honoured to be able to attend again today for this Memorial Service so that his name is being remembered again.
What was particularly lovely was that Denise said afterwards that she was going to bring her grandchildren to the station to see the memorial bench and to tell them about William. It seems very fitting that the memorial should inspire discussion about William and the other men and help the families and others remember and find out more.
Voices from the dedication: representing George Booker
Representing George Booker, Lynda Ashby – George’s granddaughter – spoke:
On behalf of the family, I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has made today possible and for arranging for these benches as a memorial to Grandad and his colleagues. Although we never meet Grandad I feel we knew him by the 4 sons he left behind. The three eldest – Alfred, Norman and my father Edward – all spent their working lives on the railway. My father worked here on Wilmcote station until his retirement in 1976. So it just remains for me to say thank you again, and we hope the benches remain here for many years as a reminder to the men who lost their lives that day. Thank you.
After the dedication
One of the particularly fitting aspects of the dedication was the sense of people having been brought together. That was both within families, and between them and others connected to the dedication. The conversations that happened on the station platform were an important, if informal, part of the morning.
There were new connections made, too. Judy and her siblings Elisabeth and Edward, met a cousin that they didn’t know about, Julian. Later in the day Julian got in touch to say ‘Once again, it was a wonderful morning, a very fitting tribute to the four men. I think all of us family members should thank you greatly for a job well done. After the dedication I went with Judy and her family to the church, and saw the Headstone there. Judy laid some flowers (there were already some on the headstone and footstones). A very fitting end to the morning. It was great to meet up with them. It is precisely the reason I research my family history, to learn about the ordinary folks and their lives. Thanks for playing a part in making that happen.’
Before the dedication, we had been to the men’s graves, taking some daffodils. This reflected a report of the men’s funerals which noted they were laid to rest in graves ‘lined with daffodils.’
Thanks to the hard work of the Wilmcote community, there is now a permanent memorial to the men at Wilmcote station. Alongside there is an information poster, to enable people to find out more about the men. All of this will help to ensure that we do not forget George Booker, Lewis Washburn, William Bonehill and Edward Sherwood.