Historic ambulance train transformation on track for National Railway Museum commemoration of Battle of Somme

This article originally appeared on Culture24.

Conversion of 108-year-old railway carriage steams ahead with the help of a donation from the Heritage Lottery Fund

The painting of the Red Cross emblem by heritage painter Adrian Ashby has signalled the completion of the exterior conversion of a 1907 railway carriage, planned to commemorate the busiest day of ambulance train traffic during the Battle of the Somme.

War poet Robert Graves vividly recorded his “nightmare” five-day journey by ambulance train in Goodbye to All That - but the crucial role of the trains in the mass evacuation of casualties has been little known until now.

The transformed carriage, once owned by the Ministry of Defence, will be the centrepiece in a forthcoming exhibition by York’s National Railway Museum.

The exhibition, which has received a £100,000 donation from the Heritage Lottery Fund, will tell the forgotten story of First World War ambulance trains, which transported the sick and injured to hospitals across Europe, the UK and beyond.

Upon arrival at one of the UK’s 196 receiving stations, which included York, patients would be transferred to their destination hospital by road.

“The impact of the First World War touched every corner of the UK,” said Fiona Spiers, the Head of the fund in Yorkshire and the Humber.

“The museum’s exhibition will help to investigate and share the history and stories of the railways within the First World War, enabling communities to gain a deeper understanding of the far-reaching impacts of the conflict.”

Millions of men were brought back from the Front on the trains, which could be up to a third of a mile long and acted as wheeled hospitals with fully-equipped wards, pharmacies and kitchens and, in some cases, operating theatres.

“The exhibition will tell the story of the railway workers who built the trains at an incredible speed, the injured passengers who carried their memories as well as their wounds, and the staff who worked long hours to provide treatment and care,” said Jane Sparkes, the museum’s Interpretation Developer.

The carriage aims to reconstruct the atmosphere of the ambulance trains using sound, film and recreated fixtures and fittings.

Drawing on a rich collection of archive material, including photographs, technical drawings, letters and diaries, the exhibition aims to explore the experiences of the millions of sick and injured men who travelled on board during the conflict.

• The exhibition is due to open on July 7 2016, for more information visit nrm.org.uk/worldwarone

Source: http://www.culture24.org.uk/history-and-heritage/military-history/first-world-war/art528451-historic-ambulance-train-transformation-on-track-for-national-railway-museum-commemoration-of-battle-of-somme