This page is one of a series introducing railway staff who worked on the south coast of England before 1939. They’ve been researched as part of the ‘Portsmouth Area Railway Pasts’ project – which you can read more about here, including accessing details of the other railway workers featured.
Research was undertaken from November 2024-July 2025, by a small group of volunteers from the Havant Local History Group, working with the University of Portsmouth’s History team. The work was funded by the University of Portsmouth’s Centre of Excellence for Heritage Innovation.
The workers featured were selected from staff who appear in the Railway Work, Life & Death project database of accidents to pre-1939 British and Irish railway workers.
As far as William Howard was concerned, Monday 21 February 1927 was just another working day. It was an early start for William, 47 years of age. He left his home at Rottercome Cottage, North Lane, Stroud, to start his shift and be on the 05.30 ballast train that left from Petersfield sidings. He was employed by Southern Railway (SR) as an underman. The job of an underman was a general hand, who laid ballast, helped with the fitting of rails, cleaning, fencing and general labouring duties.
The train left Petersfield on time and travelled the short distance south to Buriton siding, where they unloaded a small quantity of ballast by the signal box. In 1927 the siding was used by the local limeworks. The signal box eventually became redundant and was demolished in 1980.
The train then moved into Buriton Tunnel. The job was to unload ballast onto the track. The train consisted of nine wagons, two undermen on each and a head ganger by the name of George Willshire, 36, of Rushdean Road, Petersfield. William Howard was on the third wagon from the engine. Before entering the tunnel the flaps of the wagons were dropped. The train moved slowly into the tunnel, ballast was manually unloaded along the length of the tunnel. At the end of the tunnel the train reversed back towards Petersfield.
The procedure of stopping and starting the train was the responsibility of George Willshire. He blew his whistle for his men to stop shovelling and move to the centre of each wagon. The train would only move when he gave a green light to the engine driver or a red for stop. In response to the green signal the driver would sound the locomotive’s whistle before moving the train slowly at walking pace.
The engine driver that day was Alfred Thomas Greenyer of Littlehampton. His shift had started at Littlehampton at 03.00. He immediately stopped the train when he heard the shout that someone was injured. He found the injured man on the floor of the tunnel next to the train. This was the last time the injured man, William Howard, spoke. The other worker on the third truck was William Ralph Grant of 3 Bell Hill, Petersfield. He did not realise that Howard had fallen from the train until he heard the shout. It was found that the train had run over William’s right arm.
Working on the train that day were two volunteer St John Ambulance men. They attended to William’s wounds and had him stretchered out of the tunnel and back to Petersfield station in a brake van of a goods train. He was transferred to the Cottage Hospital, Petersfield.
At 07.45 Dr DF Turner attended the patient and found he was suffering from severe haemorrhage and a considerable degree of shock. He found the right arm much mutilated. The upper arm was broken and the hand crushed. No other injuries were found. At 10.30 Dr Turner and Dr Pankridge amputated William’s right arm. The procedure went well and he was returned to the ward, where he made a slight improvement by the evening.
The following day he had his wounds re-dressed by Dr Turner between 10.30 and 11.00. Early afternoon Dr Turner received a telephone call from the Matron to say William Howard had died at 12.50. Dr Turner attributed death to haemorrhage and severe shock.
The body was identified by Royal Navy pensioner Reece William Porter of East Meon, as his cousin William Howard. The link that William had with East Meon was although he was born in Langrish, his father and mother, Charles and Louise Howard, lived in East Meon, at Fish Pond Cottage and where he lived as a child.
An inquest was held at the Cottage Hospital, conducted by Mr GH Warner, Deputy Coroner, on Friday 25 February 1927. Also present were Mr WA Wilcox (Assistant Engineer, Southern Railway), Mr W Carter (National Union Of Railwaymen), Mr B Wild (Associated Society Of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen), Inspector Hoskinson (Southern Railway police).
A verdict of Accidental Death was given. All procedures had been adhered to and it was stated by Mr Wilcox that the Southern Railway wished to say how sorry they were to lose a good and valuable servant and how deeply they sympathised with his bereaved relatives.
The afternoon of Saturday 26 February the funeral of William Howard took place at Saint John the Evangelist at Langrish. The service was officiated by The Rev Cecil H Martin. A large number of friends and family members gathered to pay tribute. Up to 40 SR employees attended as well as staff and regulars from The Seven Stars at Stroud. The bearers were Messrs Mayson, Leggatt, Glaysher and Stubbington. William Howard was a single man. Chief mourners were Mr F Howard and Mrs E Coleman (brother and sister). In his will William left all his effects and the sum of £49.5.7 to his sister.
Finally, ten days after the accident a report was filed by Accident Inspector Mr JPS Main. He found that all safety procedures on behalf of the SR had been adhered to and no other person was of blame. Although no person witnessed the accident, it was his opinion that Howard had not moved to the centre of the wagon when the whistle was blown. It appears that he had slipped and fell from the wagon when the train had started to move. If the correct procedure had been taken this accident might not have happened.
A very sad ending to what started out as just another working day.
Alan Roblin.
Vintage 1951. Schooled at Portchester. In 1968 trained as an electrical fitter apprentice for four years. Worked in the marine industry for 53 years until retirement. Have a huge interest in local history, ships, railways, motor sport and music. Heavily involved with the Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historic Trust as researcher and librarian.