The Man Who Bought Ben Gimbert’s George Cross Medals Has Given Them To The Town of March

Wartime railway hero’s medals return to his widow and to his home town.

This news story opens with a newspaper article and photographs featuring Benjamin Gimbert. He was the engine driver alongside fireman James Nightall on an ammunition train ablaze on 2 June 1944 at Soham in Cambridgeshire. Both were subsequently awarded the George Cross for their heroism. They backed the engine out of the station and saved the people in Soham town from a massive explosion. James Nightall lost his life, as did a railway signalman, and Ben Gimbert was injured but survived, and died in 1976. Scenes at March railway station as a train arrives pulled by an engine named after Benjamin Gimbert. Guests are gathered for a civic reception as the train is bringing Mr Gimbert’s George Cross and three other medals. Mrs Violet Gimbert had to sell the medals after Benjamin died, but they were purchased by Christopher Clayton from Essex who has donated them to the town of March. The Mayor gives a speech and Mrs Gimbert then thanks Mr Clayton and says this is what Mr Gimbert would have wanted. Mr Clayton says it was an easy decision for him, and the Mayor of March says it is an honour for the town to hold the medals. The reporter was John Kiddey for this video made to be shown in a news story on Anglia Television early evening news / magazine programme About Anglia.

Keywords

Medals; Heroism; World War II; Railways; George Cross; Generosity

Additional Description

March is the historic railway centre of North Cambridgeshire and has a town museum. The Mayor is named in the Anglia TV data as Don Dagless. Donald Dagless did serve as Mayor but the date does not correspond with this news story. https://www.marchtowncouncil.gov.uk/civic-office/former-mayors/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soham_rail_disaster https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Gimbert