Tributes mark 80th anniversary of York Baedeker raid

York railway station suffered substantial damage in the raid

A new plaque commemorating two railway workers killed during a World War II bombing raid has been unveiled.

The plaque at York station honours station foreman William Milner, 42, and railway policeman Robert Smith, 64.

The two men were among 94 people who died during air raids in the early hours of 29 April 1942.

LNER, which operates the station, said it was "proud to remember and honour" the men who had sacrificed their lives to help others.

Wreaths were laid and tributes paid to the two men during a special service of commemoration at the station.

The bombing was one of the Baedeker raids targeting several historic cities in England, though York was also a strategic target as a major railway centre.

The city's station was badly damaged, as was the historic Guildhall, and hundreds of people were injured across York.

Wreaths were laid to commemorate the 1942 bombing raid

The 1942 raid also destroyed York's historic Guildhall

During the raid, passengers had boarded an express train travelling from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh when a bomb damaged a cast iron roof column.

Train coaches were set alight, platforms damaged and the parcel and booking offices were gutted.

Mr Milner, who was killed when he entered a blazing building to obtain medical supplies, was posthumously awarded the King's Commendation for Gallantry by King George VI.

A plaque honouring him was placed in the station in the 1980s, but LNER said recent research had revealed a second railway worker, Mr Smith, had also been killed.

The new plaque is close to the location where Mr Smith, a volunteer railway police officer, died.

David Horne, LNER managing director, said: "We are proud to honour two of our fellow railway workers, who sacrificed their lives to help save others."

He added it was appropriate to mark the 80th anniversary of the raid by recognising their bravery and the resilience of the station teams.

John Shaw, from the heritage project Raids Over York, added: "Newspaper releases some three months later named many railway staff who gave assistance above and beyond their duties and we pay tribute to them."

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