The forgotten East Yorkshire wartime railway worker whose courage …

The incredible bravery of an unsung East Yorkshire hero could finally be recognised after more than 80 years.

Anyone passing through Bridlington ^[1] train station may notice a poster that has recently gone up charting the life-saving actions of humble ticket collector Ernest Barker during the Second World War ^[2].

The conflict had been going on for less than a year when the air raids started over Bridlington. Preparations had been made across the country for air bombardments and soon residents of the seaside town had suffered the loss of family, homes, businesses and infrastructure.

On July 11, 1941, an unexpected raid by a German bomber caused devastation on Hilderthorpe Road which claimed the lives of five people waiting at a bus stop. But just a few hundred yards away, another bomb struck Bridlington railway station yard.

Even more worrying, a fire broke out on a train carrying large amounts of ammunition. At this point most people would think of evacuating the station and getting everybody as far away as possible.

But LNER ticket collector Ernest Barker ran towards the danger and fought the blaze while his colleagues worked on the other fires nearby. Thanks to the bravery of Ernest, the train did not explode and the fire was extinguished, saving many lives of the people in the vicinity.

Ernest became one of the first people to receive the new George Medal on January 24, 1941. He was married and lived in Bridlington, passing away on August 26, 1967 at the age of 76. But his grave in Bridlington Cemetery makes no mention of the medal or his heroic act during the war.

The grave of forgotten Bridlington war hero Ernest Barker

His act of bravery is now largely forgotten and overshadowed by the more celebrated Bridlington resident Thomas Alderson, an air raid warden who, on three occasions, led rescue teams and entered dangerous buildings to save trapped civilians. He was the first person to receive the George Cross.

But Ernest was also one of the first people to receive the George Medal and few people know about his amazing feat of bravery. Local historian Richard Jones now hopes to change all that.

He is responsible for the poster which now sits at Bridlington Railway Station and has been supported by Northern Rail.

He said: “That train could have blown up and killed Ernest and many others at any second, yet his selfless act of courage prevented a huge disaster. He was awarded the George Medal and died in 1967 with no mention of what he did on his gravestone.

“There was very little mention in the papers compared to that of Thomas Alderson who was the first to be awarded the George Cross for actions taken a month later. Yet he has plenty of coverage and has a street named after him.

“I don’t know why there is so little recognition for Ernest. Perhaps he was just humble and never wanted to make a fuss.

“There is still shrapnel from the blast in the walls of The Coachman pub on Hildethorpe Road. There was gun powder and TNT in the train so who knows how many people Ernest saved.

“We have put this poster up in the hope Ernest’s relatives come forward to tell the story of what he did and allow me to write about his life in a book on wartime Bridlington.”

Richard hopes to unveil a blue plaque in Ernest’s honour in July. He is also hopeful relatives of Ernest will come along if they get in touch. If not, school children from Quay Academy, who are carrying out a project about Bridlington in the Second World War, and possibly the local mayor will attend the ceremony although this has yet to be confirmed.

Richard said: “Very soon a plaque will be placed at Bridlington railway station to honour this forgotten hero and finally give him his place in history he so rightly deserves.”

References

^{^} Bridlington (www.hulldailymail.co.uk)
^{^} Second World War (www.hulldailymail.co.uk)
^{^} Emotional ceremony to honour East Yorkshire men who battled starvation and sharks in 50-day ordeal (www.hulldailymail.co.uk)