A memorial honors victims of the 1944 Catterick Bridge explosion. It remembers twelve people who died 81 years ago.
The blast was a wartime accident when trucks with grenades exploded while munitions were unloading at the station. The explosion hit North Yorkshire hard, and this event is part of its wartime history.
The explosion destroyed much: The Railway Hotel, station offices, and homes vanished; a café also disappeared in the blast. One hundred and two people were hurt, and the shockwave reached ten miles away.
The memorial’s site is near the old station on Gatherley Road in Brompton-on-Swale. Rishi Sunak MP unveiled the memorial, honoring those who died on February 4, 1944.
Afterward, Pauline Godfrey spoke about her dad, John Weller, who saved many lives. His heroism earned him an award, and King George VI gave him the Edward Medal.
Pauline had a photo of John and called the unveiling a proud, poignant day. She noted that it helped everyone remember the victims and also remembered those who died.
She said the moment felt special because the memorial remembered those killed and reminded people of heroic deeds. Her dad’s award showed his bravery, earned after the terrible disaster.
Pauline lives in Lincolnshire now but often visits North Yorkshire to see her relatives’ graves. Memorials like this one are very important because they keep memories alive and remember those killed in tragedies.
Pauline spoke with Mr. Sunak at the event, where he made a speech at the unveiling. Mr. Sunak said lives are not forgotten and that the tragic event stays in memory; furthermore, he feels proud to help the project.
After speaking, Mr. Sunak laid a wreath to honor six civilians and six soldiers who all perished in the wartime blast. The Last Post played a solemn tune as everyone reflected on the loss, thus signifying the music paid respect to the fallen too.
Stephen Irvine, a local veteran of the British Army, led the memorial project. He wanted the victims properly remembered since he felt the disaster was fading; thus he wanted to ensure they were properly remembered moving forward.