Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Private L. R. V. Presslee, Hampshire Regiment, who was later Railway Signalman and principal witness of the Lewisham Railway Disaster, 4 December 1957, which resulted in 90 fatalities and 173 further passengers injured, the third-worst railway accident in Britain; at the subsequent Inquiry Presslee was acquitted of all blame

British War and Victory Medals (3752 Pte. L. R. V. Pressley [sic]. Hamps. R.) nearly very fine (2) £80-£100

Laban Presslee (1899-1961) was born in Petersfield, Hampshire, on 23 August 1899, and served with the 4th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment during he Great War on the Western Front. Following the cessation of hostilities he was employed as a Railway Signalman with the Southern Railway Company, and is recorded in the 1939 Register residing at 20 Beauval Road, Camberwell, where his occupation is given as ‘Railway Signalman.’

The Lewisham Railway Disaster
Presslee was on-shift at the St John’s signal box on the evening of 4 December 1957, as signalman in charge of the ‘Down Side’, at the time of the Lewisham Train Disaster, which killed ninety passengers and injured a further one hundred and seventy-three; being to this day, the third worst railway accident in the United Kingdom. On this evening, during dense fog, the Cannon Street to Ramsgate ‘Battle of Britain’ Class No. 34066 ‘Spitfire’ steam engine, hauling eleven coaches with 700 passengers and travelling at about 30 miles per hour, passed through a Red signal and crashed into the rear of the stationary 5:18 p.m. Charing Cross to Hayes electric passenger train of ten carriages with nearly 1,500 passengers which was being held at a red signal at Parks Street Junction; the force of impact dislodging a steel column supporting two of four heavy girders of an overhead bridge causing their collapse onto the coaches below. The Court accepted Presslee’s detailed witness statement which was supported by a fellow signalman and two booking lads that having signalled the ‘Hayes’ train to proceed with caution, he had signalled the following ‘Ramsgate’ train to proceed as far as Signal L.18 which was showing a clear Red. The Ministry of Transport Inquiry concluded that the driver of the ‘Ramsgate’ train had failed to reduce speed after passing L.16 and L.17 signals which were showing the correct Double Yellow and Yellow warnings at distances of 892 yards and 469 yards respectively from signal L.18, and as a consequence was unable to effectively apply the brakes when travelling at speed towards the Red signal. Charged with manslaughter, the driver was acquitted after two trials.

Presslee died in Paddington on 26 October 1961.

Sold with copied research including a copy of the recipient’s Witness Statement for the ministry of Transport Inquiry into the Lewisham Railway Disaster.