James William Nightall
(1922-1944)
Recipient of the George Cross
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Railwayman James William Nightall GC (20May 1922 – 2June 1944) was posthumously awarded the George Cross and the Order of Industrial Heroism for the gallantry he showed during the Soham rail disaster. Nightall was a LNER Fireman on a fifty-one wagon ammunition train driven by Benjamin Gimbert. When a wagon caught fire, Nightall helped Gimbert uncouple it from the rest of the train. The wagon exploded, killing Nightall instantly. The explosion blew a twenty-foot crater in the track, destroyed Soham railway station, and damaged 600 buildings in the village. Gimbert, who miraculously survived the conflagration, was also awarded the George Cross and Order of Industrial Heroism.
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| Born |
20 May 1922 Littleport, Cambridgeshire
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| Died |
2 June 1944 (aged 22) Soham, England
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| Zodiac | Taurus |
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