In 1939, Britain possessed the most concentrated and intricate railway
system in the world. With the outbreak of war, this network was of vital
importance in keeping the country running. Many people today are aware
of the impact of the Blitz in 1940-41, when Germany's Luftwaffe sought
to terrorise the British people into submission through bombing of
civilian targets. Few however are aware of a key element of this - the
Battle of the Railways. The determined efforts by the Luftwaffe to
cripple the nation's rail network were met by the herculean efforts of
the railway personnel to keep the system running, in spite of the
difficulties. Adolf Hitler was assured that air assault would bring
Britain to her knees, but the Luftwaffe was not successful in this
endeavour, partly because their attacks were sporadic and not
strategically targeted, but mainly due to the often unseen bravery of
the railway staff in keeping the network going. This is the story of
those critical, but now often overlooked months on the Home Front in the
Second World War, and of the men and women who endured so much in order
to keep this vital industry running.
