“Their name liveth for evermore.” These words, etched on a tablet here at Manchester Victoria station, offer a glimpse into a world irrevocably changed by the Great War. We are standing before the L&YR War Chief Goods Managers Office War Memorial 1914-1919.
This memorial commemorates the staff of the Chief Goods Manager’s Office. They belonged to the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway. These men gave their lives in World War One. The memorial lists 10 names.
The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company. It existed before the 1923 Grouping. It was a large system in Northern England.
From over 40,000 employees of the L&YR, 10,422 joined the Armed Forces. That is 27% of the workforce. Of these men, 1,465 died. They are commemorated on the main memorial in Victoria Railway Station.
The L&YR printed two Rolls of Honour. One from 1915 lists those who enlisted. It includes their regiments. The 1919 Roll of Honour lists those who died. It only gives names and initials.
The main L&YR war memorial is located under the tiled wall map. This map is inside one of the entrance arches. Just around the corner is the L&YR War Chief Goods Managers Office War Memorial 1914-1919. Across the concourse is the Fish Dock Gate memorial.
The L&YR War Chief Goods Managers Office War Memorial 1914-1919 serves as a poignant reminder. It honors those who worked for the railway. They made the ultimate sacrifice during the First World War. The memorial ensures their names and their sacrifice are never forgotten.