The 119th Platoon (SRC platoon)

**The 119th Platoon of the Steam Reserve Corps** is a group of eight locomotives that served in World War Two. They are commanded by Will, a GWR 2301 "Dean Goods" class 0-6-0 goods locomotive that served in the First World War under the Railway Operation Division (ROD). It was one of 93 platoons of the Steam Reserve Corps (SRC).

## Zeebrugge

### Class

GCR Robinson 11F (LNER D11/1) "Improved Director"

### Designer

John Robinson

**Zeebrugge** is a GCR 11F "Improved Director" (LNER D11/1) 4-4-0 that served in WWII in the 119th Platoon. He is the platoon's gunner and handles most/ all of the platoon's railway artillery (railway guns, including HMG Gladiator).

#### Bio

Zeebrugge was built at Gorton Works in 1922 and was one of the last locomotives built for the Great Central Railway (GCR). He spent a quite a quiet life working for the LNER until 1940, when the Steam Reserve Corps (SRC) was formed to help in the fight against Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and the Empire of Japan. The Zeebrugge joined the SRC that year and was joined by seven other locomotives, forming the 119th Platoon. Zeebrugge thought that joining a military force is in his name, since he was named after the Zeebrugge Raid from WWI. Instead of being the commander, Zeebrugge let WWI veteran Will be the Platoon's commanding officer, and they were shipped to Asia to fight against Japan.

Zeebrugge, being the platoon's gunner, used a series of railway artillery to cover the allied forces and repel the Japanese from pushing inland, but the platoon was needed over in Africa, to fight against Rommel and the Afrika Corps of the German Army. Zeebrugge did multiple attempts to stop the enemy and even helped crews plant mines in the track bed (permeant way), resulting multiple victories. Zeebrugge was damaged by a stray allied shell in the 2nd Battle of El Alamein in 1942, when he was hit in the tender (lucky it wasn't his boiler and the shell was an armour-piercing shell), leaving out of service for around a month, since his tender was destroyed beyond repair. With him back in service with a spare Robinson/ROD tender, Zeebrugge and the rest of the platoon managed to help win back the dockyard town of Tobrok, and pushed Erwin "Desert Fox" Rommel's forces out of Africa in 1943.

When the whole platoon, now formed of six locomotives (two were lost in action), left for Italy and push Hitler's forces out of Italy and back into Germany. By then, the 100th Platoon was disbanded from combat duty and recalled for service on the Home Front. Zeebrugge saw that they missed out on shotting some shells at Mussolini's army, but still got to "blast some more fire down on Hitler, the world's madman." The platoon was later moved to Germany in late 1944 and Zeebrugge had his second near-death experience when a Nazi shell missed him when he moved out of the way. Only a week later, he would help the 91st Platoon with capturing a concentration camp from the Germans. The horrors he saw that day made him create a stronger hatred to Hitler and had the plan to destroy the enemy once and for all. His actions lead to the 119th Platoon being decommissioned and he was returned to the LNER.

Zeebrugge spent a quiet life and forgot about his wartime service to his country, even to the day he was scrapped at Doncaster in 1960. Will remembers Zeebrugge as "one of the best members of the 119th Platoon, whose hatred after the events of December 1944 caused our platoon to be disbanded from active duty.

#### Livery

Zeebrugge is painted in LNER Lined Black.

#### Basis or real locomotive

   Zeebrugge is based on a real GCR 11F "Improved Director" class 4-4-0 steam locomotive. 35 locomotives were built by GCR Gorton, Armstrong Whitworth and Kitson & Company from 1919 to 1924, with many being named after important figures, but mainly after WWI battles e.g. Battle of the Somme, the Zeebrugge Raid, Battle of Jutland and Battle of Marne. One is preserved: No. 506 'Butler Henderson' was preserved officially and is going to be displayed at the long-awaited National Railway Museum's Leicester outpost at the former Leicester North railway station.

No. 502 was built by Gorton in 1922 and named 'Zeebrugge' following completion. It never had a military service and it was scrapped at Doncaster Works in 1960.

#### Trivia

Zeebrugge is named after the Zeebrugge Raid of 1918, a naval battle to and capture the Belgium port of Zeebrugge and end WWI.

Zeebrugge's model is renumbered and renamed Bachmann OO gauge D11.

Zeebrugge's codename is "Black 5502".

## Arthur

### Designer

Sir William Arthur Stanier FRS

Arthur is a Stanier 8F 2-8-0 that served in WWII in the 119th Platoon. He is the platoon's weapons officer and makes sure he knows his Axis weaponry.

#### Bio

Arthur was built by the North British Locomotive Company (NBL) at Glasgow, Scotland, under the order of the War Department in 1940. That year, the 119th Platoon of the Steam Reserve Corps was formed and Arthur agreed to become the group's weapons officer.

Arthur was shipped to Africa to help in the fight against Erwin "Desert Fox" Rommel and the Afrika Corps. Arthur learnt more about German weaponry from captured weapons when towns were reclaimed. Arthur helped in the 1st Battle of El Alemain, when the allies were flanked by Rommel's forces. Arthur didn't play a role in the recapture of Tobruk since he was undergoing repairs following a stray bullet jamming his motion.

#### Livery

Arthur is painted War Department black. In the early years of the war, he was painted in War Department Khaki.

#### Basis or real locomotive

Arthur is based on a LMS Stanier 8F heavy goods locomotive. 852 were built from 1935 to 1946 as the standard goods locomotive of the LMS and were based on the GWR 2800 class 2-8-0 from 1903. They were built at LMS Crewe and Horwich, North British Locomotive Company (NBL) in Glasgow, LNER Doncaster and Darlington, GWR Swindon, Vulcan Foundry, SR Eastleigh, Brighton and Ashford and Beyer, Peacock & Co. for the LMS and the War Department (WD) during WWII. The LNER-built examples (1944-1946) were known as O6s and were sold to the LMS before Nationalisation in 1948. Withdrawals for the class in the UK began in 1960 and the last one was retired by BR, No. 48773, on August 11th 1968. Internationally sold 8Fs lasting as late as the 1980s in Turkey as the TCDD 45151 class. 18 have been preserved with 12 of them being in the UK.

#### Trivia

Arthur is made from old Wrenn Railways models that have been repainted to WD Khaki and WD Black

Arthur is the largest locomotive in the whole platoon.

Arthur's codename changes from "Khahi 301" to "Black 301" when his livery was changed from Khaki to Black.

Arthur's name comes from the middle name of his designer, Sir William *Arthur* Stanier FRS.

## Norton

### Designer

Sir Herbert Nigel Gresley

**Norton** is a LNER J50/4 tank engine that served for the 119th Platoon during the Second World War. He is one of the platoon's gunners and one of the strangest tank locomotives in the whole platoon.

#### Bio

Norton was built just before the outbreak of WWII in 1939 as part of the fourth subclass of the LNER Gresley J50 tank engines. Like the rest of the class, Norton was known as a "submarine" and was told it was because of their looks, but he knew they didn't look like submarines because they're tank locomotives. When the Blitz occurred in 1940, Norton joined the Steam Reserve Corps and trained on firing the old 12in howitzers that date back to World War One. He was latter assigned to the 119th Platoon and assigned the post of gunner.

Norton first saw battle in Asia fighting the Japanese and became aware of the guerrilla warfare of the Imperial Japanese military. His platoon's commander (An old Dean Goods who served in the Great War) pulled them out of Asia since their training in the UK didn't stand a chance against the Japanese military, and relocated to Northern Africa, which Norton did not approve of. During the 1st Battle of El Alemain, Norton assisted the British army by shelling the small railway halt that the battle (and the second one) took its name. Norton's role in the recapture of Tobruk was small but important since his 12in howitzers shelled Tobruk with other artillery with the 19th Platoon.

#### Trivia

Norton's model is an unmodified Hornby model.

Norton's codename is "Black 585".

### Martello (gunner)

*Main article: Preserved visitors: Martello*

## Herald

### Designer

Henry Arthur Ivatt

**Herald** is a Great Northern Railway Ivatt Atlantic that served in the 119th Platoon during the Second World War. He is one of the platoon's tactical officers and is normally fierce in his tone to others.

#### Bio

Herald was built at Doncaster in 1905 for express duties for the Great Northern Railway (GNR) until replaced by much large Pacifics by the LNER in the 1920s. In 1940, Herald joined the Steam Reserve Corps and trained as a tactical officer for the force. Shortly after finishing his training, he was assigned as a tactical officer of the 119th Platoon.

#### Livery

Herald is painted in LNER Lined Apple Green.

#### Trivia

Herald is named after the Biblical king that lived in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus' birth.

Herald's model is a Bachmann model that has been renumbered.

Historically, Herald was the last GNR Ivatt Atlantic in service (withdrawn: 1951).

Herald's codename is "Green 3294".

## John

### Designer

Sir John Audley Frederick Aspinall

**John** is an old suburban tank engine that served in the 119th Platoon during the Second World War. He is one of the platoon's tactical officers and was killed in action during the closing stages of WWII outside the catpured death camp.

#### Bio

John was built at Horwich Works in 1896 for suburban work on the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway. Not much is known about him before 1940 but by the beginning of World War Two in September 1939, he was the only member of his class still in crimson lake. In 1940, following a missed opportunity in World War One, John joined the Steam Reserve Corps and trained as a tactical officer before being assigned to the 119th Platoon. His "baptism of fire" came when his platoon engaged the Japanese in Burma.

#### Trivia

John is mentioned to have "faked his death" in A Tragic Victory before his real death in the same episode.

At the time he was killed in December 1944, John was 48 years old.

John's codename is "Red 10730".

In terms of episode timing, John is the first locomotive character to die in Stories from the Wars.

## Anderson

### Designer

Peckett & Sons. Bristol

**Anderson** is a small industrial saddle tank built in Bristol that served for the 119th Platoon during the Second World War. He is one of the platoon's gunners and was killed in action during the platoon's first operation while in Asia against the Japanese.

#### Bio

Anderson was built at Bristol in the late 1899 for industrial work near a factory in Wales. Little is known about his past since he just worked at that factory until 1940 when he joined the Steam Reserve Corps and trained as a gunner before being assigned to the 119th Platoon.

#### Livery

Anderson is painted dark blue with yellow lining and red running boards.

#### Basis or real locomotive

Anderson is based off a Peckett W4 saddle tank. 140 were built by Peckett & Sons. from 1885 to 1906 for industrial work around the UK.

#### Trivia

Anderson's model is an unmodified Hornby model.

At the time of his death in 1940, Anderson was 41 years old.

Anderson's codename, despite never being mentioned over the radio, is "Blue W4"

## Trivia

The 119th Platoon was inspired by IronLawl's 110th Platoon. The Steam Reserve Corps is also another creation of IronLawl's.

The 119th Platoon's emblem is gold and features a Dean Goods paired with a Churchward 3,500 gallon tender between two bullets and two crossed WWI rifles underneath the locomotive.

* The rifles are a reference to Will's career in the Railway Operating Division (ROD) during WWI.