Confidential Letter from Sir Gilmour Jenkins to Albert George Powell Marsh
- Made:
- 1956-04-27 in London and City of Westminster
Letter, from Sir Gilmour Jenkins, Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, Berkeley Square House, W1, to Mr Albert George Powell Marsh, informing him that The Right Honourable Harold Watkinson MP, has learned with great pleasure that the Queen has been graciously pleased to award him with the British Empire Medal (Civil Division). The award will appear in the London Gazette on the 1st May and until then it must remain private and confidential, dated 27th April 1956.
Fireman Albert George Powell Marsh was awarded the British Empire Medal in recognition for his services to the trapped and injured passengers of the train that derailed at Milton on November 20th 1955. The accident report shows that it was caused by driver error, as the train approached a crossover on an embankment at excessive speed. It was exacerbated by poor visibility of the signal caused by the Britannia being left-hand drive on a Western Region line, with the view further curtailed by the handrail and smoke deflector.