100th Anniversary of the railway accident at Bere Ferrers, in the neighbouring county of Devonshire, which caused the death of 10 soldiers from New Zealand.

100 years ago this month, on September 24th, 10 soldiers from New Zealand were killed in a tragic accident at the railway station in the village of Bere Ferrers in Devonshire.

I came across the memorial to these New Zealanders when my wife and I drove to Devonshire to spend a day with our good friends Linda and Charles who were staying in a holiday cottage on the banks of the River Tamar near the village of Bere Alston.

Charles drove us over to Bere Ferrers where we all enjoyed a fine lunch at The Old Plough Inn.  Afterward we had stroll along the bank of the River Tavy, then a walk around the centre of the village where the war memorial stands in a position of prominence. 

The memorial to the 10 New Zealand soldiers who were killed in the accident at Bere Ferrers station on 24th September 1917. 

The men killed were among reinforcements for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and were travelling to Sling Camp on Salisbury Plain.  The reinforcements had arrived in Plymouth on board the troopships ULIMAROA and NORMAN and were heading east by train.  On leaving Plymouth they were told the next stop would be at Exeter for food, but unfortunately the train made an unscheduled stop at Bere Ferrers.  Many of the New Zealanders assumed they had stopped at Exeter and consequently jumped off the train keen to find food. 

Tragically they were hit by the oncoming London to Plymouth express.  The driver of the express came around a bend in the track on the approach to Bere Ferrers station and saw the troops on the track.  Although he applied the brakes immediately it was too late to avoid disaster.  Ten New Zealanders died and are at rest in Efford Cemetery in Plymouth.

For more information about this tragedy here is a link:  

https://nzhistory.govt.nz/page/bere-ferrers-rail-accident