Frederick Nash- decorated for bravery

Emily Smith

On 13 October 1928 the night mail train from Leeds to Bristol travelling at high speed through Charfield station ran into a goods train. In the horrific crash three carriages of the mail train were thrown against a road bridge and the train itself caught fire; 15 passengers were killed and many people were badly injured. The picture here from the Cheltenham Chronicle and Gloucester Graphic of 20 October shows how serious the accident was. (Gloucestershire Police Archives URN 2546)
Local police officers were quickly on the scene and led the efforts to rescue the trapped passengers. Foremost amongst these was Frederick John Nash – he joined the police in 1910 and the Register of Rural Constabulary tells us about his background and early career. He was a witness at the Inquest following the accident and his evidence was reported in detail in the Gloucester Journal. In recognition of his bravery he was awarded the Silver Braid Gallantry Award together with £5 in January 1929 and the Register of Awards shows that he also received a medal and £2 2s 0d from the Society of Protection of Life from Fire.
This page was added on 16/11/2015.

Comments about this page

  • Having researched various police houses and stations , I came accross various items and letters regarding PC Nash . His wife also helped with the injured and used her own sheets to tend to the wounded. The local Gazette presented him with a photo album of the disaster, this is in the Gloucestershire Heritage Hub

    Also in the photos were Deputy Chief Constable Goulder

    Well worth looking at.

    By Geoff Bridgman (02/05/2022)

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