First Air Raid of WWII – 22

14:50 – a train crosses the Forth Bridge during the raid

The staff in the L.N.E.R. control office in Waverley Station were unaware of what was actually going on over the railway bridge until the controller responsible for the Edinburgh to Inverkeithing line received a telephone call from the signalman in the box at Forth Bridge North, situated on the northern approach viaduct to the bridge, who informed them that German bombers were all over the place.

A woman standing at Dalmeny Station escaped injury when a red-hot shell splinter dropped into the pocket of her apron, setting it on fire.

At that time no air raid sirens had sounded but initial doubts concerning the credibility of the signalman’s claims were quickly dismissed when he opened the window of his signal-box and held out the telephone handset. The high pitched sound of aircraft engines intermingled with the crescendo of exploding bombs and anti-aircraft fire confirmed that the signalman had not been drinking!

Alex Farish was one of the controllers on duty at Waverley that day. His son Brian recalled:

“At this time a far more important decision had to be taken, and that concerned the safety of passengers on board the 2.30 p.m., Edinburgh to Dunfermline train which had stopped at Dalmeny Station and was then ready to proceed over the Forth Bridge. After some hurried consultation it was agreed to let the train run- after all, the sirens had still not sounded and there was just the chance that this was only a major exercise! Lady Luck rode the train that sunny October afternoon.”

One passenger on the train was Mr Carter, an Edinburgh commercial traveller. His recollections of the event proved to be very accurate:

“Anti-aircraft fire opened up, and the bombs were dropped, but nowhere near the ships, except one, which fell right at the side of one of them. There was a terrific spray and we thought at first it had been hit. We were then allowed to proceed, but more planes came over. We were on the bridge when the last bomb was dropped. The train went slowly, and the planes were swooping overhead. The bombing was concentrated on the larger ship. The attackers had a very hot reception.”

The mother of 603 Squadron’s Flight Lieutenant Laurie Cunningham was on the train and witnessed events. She later recalled being anxious that her only son was about to become involved in combat in the sky above her.