Private in the Auxiliary Territorial Service Service No: W/246571.
Daughter of HORACE EDWIN MARTIN , a handmade paper maker and his wife ANNE (nee ROBERTSON), of Shoreham. Died on active service, age 19.
Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser - Friday 25 August 1944
Behind the news of the death in a train accident in East Kent last week, when nine lives were lost, lies the story of two sisters, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. H. Martin, 1, Bowers-road, Shoreham, who were inseparable and who were travelling in the ill-fated train, when one was killed outright, but the other escaped with shock and bruises.
The sisters were Pte. Vera Barbara Martin, A.T.S., and L/Cpl. Gwen Martin, A.T.S. Gwen is 22 and Vera, known to her family and friends as "Babe," was 19. It was Vera who was killed instantaneously when the train hit an obstruction on the rails and crashed where the track crosses a single span bridge over a deep-sunken road. The train was travelling at 60 miles per hour.
The two sisters were at shoreham School together and entered the same employment in the curtain department of Messrs. S. Young and Son, Ltd., High-Street, Sevenoaks, where they became very popular with their employers and workmates alike. "She had a most loveable disposition," said a representative of the firm to a "Chronicle" representative, speaking of Vera, "and her death has come as a great shock to us all."
Two years ago Gwen Joined the A.T.S. as a plotter at a searchlight station and as soon as she was 17½ - the earliest age at which the A.T.S. will accept volunteers - Vera Joined up in the same capacity and was ultimately posted to the same station.
"Babe" was always happy at her work," said her sister to a "Chronicle" representative, "and really did enjoy life in the Services. We did everything together. We had two narrow escapes from flying bombs, but "Babe" was never frightened and was laughing to the end."
After a long spell of exacting duty the sisters were posted to a "rest battery" and were on their way there when the tragedy occurred. They were seated together when suddenly there was a jolt. L/Cpl. Martin cannot remember the next few minutes and the first thing she realised was that steam from the engine was blowing into her face and that all around her was chaos.
What L/Cpl. Martin was too modest to tell our representative was that, although suffering from shock and bruises, with both legs pinned beneath debris, as soon as she was released she set about helping a Queen Alexandra Nurse to tend the wounded.
Widespread sympathy is felt for the parents, for the two brothers (one serving with the Army in Normandy, the other still at school) and for Gwen in the loss of her sister, who had also been her inseparable chum.
Daughter of HORACE EDWIN MARTIN , a handmade paper maker and his wife ANNE (nee ROBERTSON), of Shoreham. Died on active service, age 19.
Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser - Friday 25 August 1944
Behind the news of the death in a train accident in East Kent last week, when nine lives were lost, lies the story of two sisters, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. H. Martin, 1, Bowers-road, Shoreham, who were inseparable and who were travelling in the ill-fated train, when one was killed outright, but the other escaped with shock and bruises.
The sisters were Pte. Vera Barbara Martin, A.T.S., and L/Cpl. Gwen Martin, A.T.S. Gwen is 22 and Vera, known to her family and friends as "Babe," was 19. It was Vera who was killed instantaneously when the train hit an obstruction on the rails and crashed where the track crosses a single span bridge over a deep-sunken road. The train was travelling at 60 miles per hour.
The two sisters were at shoreham School together and entered the same employment in the curtain department of Messrs. S. Young and Son, Ltd., High-Street, Sevenoaks, where they became very popular with their employers and workmates alike. "She had a most loveable disposition," said a representative of the firm to a "Chronicle" representative, speaking of Vera, "and her death has come as a great shock to us all."
Two years ago Gwen Joined the A.T.S. as a plotter at a searchlight station and as soon as she was 17½ - the earliest age at which the A.T.S. will accept volunteers - Vera Joined up in the same capacity and was ultimately posted to the same station.
"Babe" was always happy at her work," said her sister to a "Chronicle" representative, "and really did enjoy life in the Services. We did everything together. We had two narrow escapes from flying bombs, but "Babe" was never frightened and was laughing to the end."
After a long spell of exacting duty the sisters were posted to a "rest battery" and were on their way there when the tragedy occurred. They were seated together when suddenly there was a jolt. L/Cpl. Martin cannot remember the next few minutes and the first thing she realised was that steam from the engine was blowing into her face and that all around her was chaos.
What L/Cpl. Martin was too modest to tell our representative was that, although suffering from shock and bruises, with both legs pinned beneath debris, as soon as she was released she set about helping a Queen Alexandra Nurse to tend the wounded.
Widespread sympathy is felt for the parents, for the two brothers (one serving with the Army in Normandy, the other still at school) and for Gwen in the loss of her sister, who had also been her inseparable chum.
Private in the Auxiliary Territorial Service Service No: W/246571.
Daughter of HORACE EDWIN MARTIN , a handmade paper maker and his wife ANNE (nee ROBERTSON), of Shoreham. Died on active service, age 19.
Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser - Friday 25 August 1944
Behind the news of the death in a train accident in East Kent last week, when nine lives were lost, lies the story of two sisters, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. H. Martin, 1, Bowers-road, Shoreham, who were inseparable and who were travelling in the ill-fated train, when one was killed outright, but the other escaped with shock and bruises.
The sisters were Pte. Vera Barbara Martin, A.T.S., and L/Cpl. Gwen Martin, A.T.S. Gwen is 22 and Vera, known to her family and friends as "Babe," was 19. It was Vera who was killed instantaneously when the train hit an obstruction on the rails and crashed where the track crosses a single span bridge over a deep-sunken road. The train was travelling at 60 miles per hour.
The two sisters were at shoreham School together and entered the same employment in the curtain department of Messrs. S. Young and Son, Ltd., High-Street, Sevenoaks, where they became very popular with their employers and workmates alike. "She had a most loveable disposition," said a representative of the firm to a "Chronicle" representative, speaking of Vera, "and her death has come as a great shock to us all."
Two years ago Gwen Joined the A.T.S. as a plotter at a searchlight station and as soon as she was 17½ - the earliest age at which the A.T.S. will accept volunteers - Vera Joined up in the same capacity and was ultimately posted to the same station.
"Babe" was always happy at her work," said her sister to a "Chronicle" representative, "and really did enjoy life in the Services. We did everything together. We had two narrow escapes from flying bombs, but "Babe" was never frightened and was laughing to the end."
After a long spell of exacting duty the sisters were posted to a "rest battery" and were on their way there when the tragedy occurred. They were seated together when suddenly there was a jolt. L/Cpl. Martin cannot remember the next few minutes and the first thing she realised was that steam from the engine was blowing into her face and that all around her was chaos.
What L/Cpl. Martin was too modest to tell our representative was that, although suffering from shock and bruises, with both legs pinned beneath debris, as soon as she was released she set about helping a Queen Alexandra Nurse to tend the wounded.
Widespread sympathy is felt for the parents, for the two brothers (one serving with the Army in Normandy, the other still at school) and for Gwen in the loss of her sister, who had also been her inseparable chum.
Daughter of HORACE EDWIN MARTIN , a handmade paper maker and his wife ANNE (nee ROBERTSON), of Shoreham. Died on active service, age 19.
Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser - Friday 25 August 1944
Behind the news of the death in a train accident in East Kent last week, when nine lives were lost, lies the story of two sisters, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. H. Martin, 1, Bowers-road, Shoreham, who were inseparable and who were travelling in the ill-fated train, when one was killed outright, but the other escaped with shock and bruises.
The sisters were Pte. Vera Barbara Martin, A.T.S., and L/Cpl. Gwen Martin, A.T.S. Gwen is 22 and Vera, known to her family and friends as "Babe," was 19. It was Vera who was killed instantaneously when the train hit an obstruction on the rails and crashed where the track crosses a single span bridge over a deep-sunken road. The train was travelling at 60 miles per hour.
The two sisters were at shoreham School together and entered the same employment in the curtain department of Messrs. S. Young and Son, Ltd., High-Street, Sevenoaks, where they became very popular with their employers and workmates alike. "She had a most loveable disposition," said a representative of the firm to a "Chronicle" representative, speaking of Vera, "and her death has come as a great shock to us all."
Two years ago Gwen Joined the A.T.S. as a plotter at a searchlight station and as soon as she was 17½ - the earliest age at which the A.T.S. will accept volunteers - Vera Joined up in the same capacity and was ultimately posted to the same station.
"Babe" was always happy at her work," said her sister to a "Chronicle" representative, "and really did enjoy life in the Services. We did everything together. We had two narrow escapes from flying bombs, but "Babe" was never frightened and was laughing to the end."
After a long spell of exacting duty the sisters were posted to a "rest battery" and were on their way there when the tragedy occurred. They were seated together when suddenly there was a jolt. L/Cpl. Martin cannot remember the next few minutes and the first thing she realised was that steam from the engine was blowing into her face and that all around her was chaos.
What L/Cpl. Martin was too modest to tell our representative was that, although suffering from shock and bruises, with both legs pinned beneath debris, as soon as she was released she set about helping a Queen Alexandra Nurse to tend the wounded.
Widespread sympathy is felt for the parents, for the two brothers (one serving with the Army in Normandy, the other still at school) and for Gwen in the loss of her sister, who had also been her inseparable chum.
Inscription
TO
THE BEAUTIFUL MEMORY OF
PTE. VERA BARBARA MARTIN,
KILLED WHILST ON ACTIVE SERVICE
16TH AUGUST 1944
AGED 19 YEARS
Sponsored by Ancestry
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