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Second World War Collection

Choose a picture from our Second World War Collection for your Wall Art and Photo Gifts

138 items

We are proud to offer this selection in partnership with STEAM Museum of the GWR

Second World War Collection: Two little girls awaiting evacuation from Paddington Station, September 1939

Two little girls awaiting evacuation from Paddington Station, September 1939
Part of the evacuation of London during WW2

Second World War Collection: A man and woman carrying out work on a steam hammer during WW2, 1942

A man and woman carrying out work on a steam hammer during WW2, 1942
A man and woman carrying out work on a steam hammer during WW2 in the GWR Swindon Works, 1942. The man is wearing a blacksmiths apron

Second World War Collection: Swindon Works War Work, 22nd January 1942

Swindon Works War Work, 22nd January 1942
Female worker machining a 25 PDR shell on 22 January 1942. Munitions work issued by Ministry of Supply

Second World War Collection: US 2-8-0 tender locomotive No. 1604 at Paddington Station, 1942

US 2-8-0 tender locomotive No. 1604 at Paddington Station, 1942
On December 11th 1942, for the very first time, an American built locomotive steamed into Paddington Station. Acute shortages of locomotives on the GW network due to locomotives being sent overseas

Second World War Collection: Workers riveting a locomotive boiler in V Boiler Shop c. 1942

Workers riveting a locomotive boiler in V Boiler Shop c. 1942
In this image taken at Swindon Works sometime during the latter half of the war, three women are shown working on the riveting of a locomotive boiler in V Boiler Shop

Second World War Collection: Staff at Gloucester Station 1944

Staff at Gloucester Station 1944
A group of station staff are photographed in front of a locomotive at Gloucester Station in 1944. Women held roles at railway stations during the war that were, until then, male occupations

Second World War Collection: Goods Yard, Cardiff Docks, 1943

Goods Yard, Cardiff Docks, 1943
The Goods Yard at Cardiff Docks in September 1943 is the subject of this image. It features a group of three women unloading boxes from an open railway wagon

Second World War Collection: Female Dining Car Attendant, about 1940

Female Dining Car Attendant, about 1940
During the Second World War women took over roles normally assigned to men. This image shows a female GWR dining car attendant serving tea to three passengers

Second World War Collection: Female Stationmaster, June 1941

Female Stationmaster, June 1941
This image features a young lady called Freda Jones. During the Second World War she was made a GWR Stationmaster at Pontdolgoch, a station in mid Wales on the Welshpool to Aberystwyth line

Second World War Collection: Female wartime workers, 1943

Female wartime workers, 1943
This line up of women at Paddington Station shows the varied jobs female GWR employees undertook during the Second World War

Second World War Collection: Damaged railway lamps, 1942

Damaged railway lamps, 1942
These rather forlorn looking lamps appeared in an article from the April 1942 edition of the GWR Magazine. The article looks at the daily toll of damaged and lost locomotive equipment

Second World War Collection: Coach No. 5189 in the Carriage Body Shop, 1946

Coach No. 5189 in the Carriage Body Shop, 1946
Great Western coach No. 5189 is featured in this photograph undergoing refurbishment in the Carriage Body Shop at Swindon Works in the summer of 1946

Second World War Collection: Goods vehicle converted into an ambulance ward car, c. 1940

Goods vehicle converted into an ambulance ward car, c. 1940
This photograph shows an interior view of a goods vehicle that has been converted into an ambulance ward car. The basic slatted bunks held up by chains look to offer little in the way of comfort

Second World War Collection: LMS coach no. 6204 converted to an ambulance train car, 1939

LMS coach no. 6204 converted to an ambulance train car, 1939
This official photograph of an ambulance train car was taken on behalf of the Swindon Works Drawing Office in October 1939

Second World War Collection: Iron Mink Wagon converted into a salvage van, c. 1940

Iron Mink Wagon converted into a salvage van, c. 1940
This special salvage van was converted from an iron mink wagon. It was used to collect scrap from principal stations on the GWRs network

Second World War Collection: GWR station staff member in a gas mask, c. 1939

GWR station staff member in a gas mask, c. 1939
During an air raid the threat of poison gas bombs being dropped by the German Luftwaffe was extremely high. Mustard gas was the most deadly gas available and could take up to 12 hours to take effect

Second World War Collection: War memorial at Paddington Station in 1949

War memorial at Paddington Station in 1949
This full length image of the newly rededicated war memorial at Paddington appeared in the December 1949 edition of the, by this time, British Railways magazine

Second World War Collection: Australian officers and sailors on a visit to Swindon Works, 1945

Australian officers and sailors on a visit to Swindon Works, 1945
Officers and sailors from H.M.A.S Australia on a visit to Swindon Works on July 13th 1945 whilst their ship was docked at Plymouth awaiting repairs

Second World War Collection: Australian Navy on locomotive No. 6021 King Richard II, 1945

Australian Navy on locomotive No. 6021 King Richard II, 1945
A group of visitors from the Australian Navy pose for this photograph on top of locomotive No.6021 King Richard II. The officers

Second World War Collection: Australian Navy visiting A Erecting Shop at Swindon Works, 1945

Australian Navy visiting A Erecting Shop at Swindon Works, 1945
An image of the visit from the Australian Navy inside A Erecting Shop at Swindon Works, examining locomotive No. 3827. The officers

Second World War Collection: Unveiling of the World War 2 memorial at Paddington Station, 1949

Unveiling of the World War 2 memorial at Paddington Station, 1949
On the 11th November 1949 the war memorial at Paddington which was erected following the First World War, was again the focus of a moving ceremony when a new plaque was unveiled by former GWR General

Second World War Collection: World War 2 booklet It Can Now Be Revealed, published 1945

World War 2 booklet It Can Now Be Revealed, published 1945
Throughout the war the British Railways Press Office issued a series of booklets that outlined the official story of the railways at war

Second World War Collection: The Goods Yard at Cardiff Docks in 1943

The Goods Yard at Cardiff Docks in 1943
The Goods Yard at Cardiff Docks in September 1943 is the subject of this image featuring a group of ladies stacking boxes that have probably just been off-loaded from a goods train

Second World War Collection: Women workers in the Permanent Way Dept at Reading, 1943

Women workers in the Permanent Way Dept at Reading, 1943
Three ladies from the Permanent Way Department are pictured here at Reading in April 1943 off-loading wooden blocks from a wagon

Second World War Collection: Women employee in the Road Motor Department at Slough, 1944

Women employee in the Road Motor Department at Slough, 1944
The Road Motor Department at Slough was another area that saw the employment of women in traditionally male roles. This photograph was taken on April 18th 1944

Second World War Collection: SS St Julien at the Banana Dock in Dieppe c. 1939

SS St Julien at the Banana Dock in Dieppe c. 1939
SS St Julien is pictured here at the Banana Dock in Dieppe during her service as a hospital ship. St Julien was built in 1925 as a vessel to serve the GWRs Weymouth route

Second World War Collection: U.s locomotive No. 1604 at Swindon Works in December 1942

U.s locomotive No. 1604 at Swindon Works in December 1942
U.S locomotive, No. 1604 is photographed here at Swindon Works in December 1942. Many of the American engines that were shipped to Britain were actually on their way to service on the continent

Second World War Collection: Swindon Works employees welding superheaters for locomotive boilers, 1942

Swindon Works employees welding superheaters for locomotive boilers, 1942
A group of female employees are welding the superheaters for locomotive boilers in P1 Shop. As rail operation was essential to the war effort

Second World War Collection: Swindon Works employees manouvering a wheel set by crane, c. 1940

Swindon Works employees manouvering a wheel set by crane, c. 1940
In this photograph a female crane operator is working alongside two male colleagues, manoeuvring a locomotive wheel set into place

Second World War Collection: Female employees at Swindon Works making lamps, c. 1940

Female employees at Swindon Works making lamps, c. 1940
A larger group of female employees have been photographed here engaged in the making of lamps at Swindon Works. The tin lamp bodies

Second World War Collection: SS St Julien as a hospital ship, at Newport Docks, c. 1940

SS St Julien as a hospital ship, at Newport Docks, c. 1940
This image shows SS St Julien at Newport Docks following her conversion into a hospital ship, as denoted by the red cross painted on the side of her hull

Second World War Collection: U. S. 0-6-0T shunting tank engine No. 1940 in its black War Department livery, 1942

U. S. 0-6-0T shunting tank engine No. 1940 in its black War Department livery, 1942
This is an unusual inclusion in the photographic collection at STEAM, being an image of a U.S. 0-6-0T shunting tank engine which never actually worked the Great Western network

Second World War Collection: USA S160 2-8-0 locomotive No. 1606 coupled to an ambulance train, 1942

USA S160 2-8-0 locomotive No. 1606 coupled to an ambulance train, 1942
Once the USA joined the war following the bombing of Pearl Harbour in December 1941 the GWR became involved in the provision of rolling stock for use by the American Army

Second World War Collection: American S160 Class 2-8-0 locomotive No. 1609 upon arrival at Newport Docks, 1942

American S160 Class 2-8-0 locomotive No. 1609 upon arrival at Newport Docks, 1942
From late 1942 American locomotives began to arrive at the Great Westerns South Wales Docks, having been shipped over from America to assist allied forces both in Britain and on the Continent

Second World War Collection: Carriage No. 4329 from US General Dwight D. Eisenhowers Alive train in 1942

Carriage No. 4329 from US General Dwight D. Eisenhowers Alive train in 1942
One of the most important areas in which the GWR was asked to support both the war effort and the US army was in the provision of what was codenamed the Alive train which was to be used by the US

Second World War Collection: Presentation of a War Savings League Cup to members at Swindon Works, 1944

Presentation of a War Savings League Cup to members at Swindon Works, 1944
This photograph was taken on 20th April 1944 and shows Chief Mechanical Engineer, F.W. Hawksworth, presenting a War Savings League Cup to members at Swindon Works

Second World War Collection: US soldiers embarking a ship in a GWR South Wales Dock, 1942

US soldiers embarking a ship in a GWR South Wales Dock, 1942
The GWR docks in South Wales became busy points for the arrival and departure of US troops from mid 1942 when the first American ship to arrive at the Companys docks berthed at Swansea on the 18th

Second World War Collection: American Flag flying from Paddington Station hotel on July 4th 1941

American Flag flying from Paddington Station hotel on July 4th 1941
This image shows the American Flag flying from the front of the hotel at Paddington Station on July 4th, American Independence Day, 1941

Second World War Collection: A 16 inch gun barrel loaded onto an eighteen wheel gun wagon in 1942

A 16 inch gun barrel loaded onto an eighteen wheel gun wagon in 1942
This photograph, taken at Old Oak Common on the 10th April 1942, shows a 16 inch gun barrel that has been loaded onto an eighteen wheel gun wagon ready for delivery

Second World War Collection: Brake Third coach No. 3307 converted into a mobile cleansing unit, 1941

Brake Third coach No. 3307 converted into a mobile cleansing unit, 1941
The fear of gas attack was of paramount concern during World War II, as demonstrated by the mass issuing of gas masks prior to the outbreak of war in 1939

Second World War Collection: GWR lorry delivering paintings from the National Gallery to a slate mine in Wales in 1940

GWR lorry delivering paintings from the National Gallery to a slate mine in Wales in 1940
This photograph of a GWR lorry was taken around 1940. It shows the in delivery of historic and valuable paintings from the National Gallery in London to the disused Manod slate mine at Blaenau

Second World War Collection: 16 inch naval gun loaded on a set of four POLLEN E wagons, 1944

16 inch naval gun loaded on a set of four POLLEN E wagons, 1944
This image shows a 16 inch naval gun being carried on a set of four POLLEN E wagons in March 1944. Built in the early 1900s

Second World War Collection: Military tanks loaded onto Crocodile G wagons, c. 1939

Military tanks loaded onto Crocodile G wagons, c. 1939
A train load of military tanks, loaded onto Crocodile G wagons, make their way through Acton, en-route to the Channel Ports, for shipment over seas

Second World War Collection: Chevrolet Thornton military trucks lined up at Caerphilly Works, 1941

Chevrolet Thornton military trucks lined up at Caerphilly Works, 1941
This image taken in April 1941 shows five Chevrolet Thornton military trucks lined up outside the GWRs works at Caerphilly. These trucks were imported from the USA and arrived unassembled in crates

Second World War Collection: A Sea Hurricane being loaded onto an armed merchant ship at Cardiff docks, c. 1941

A Sea Hurricane being loaded onto an armed merchant ship at Cardiff docks, c. 1941
As well as assisting in the transportation of military goods by rail the GWR also facilitated the war effort at their docks

Second World War Collection: Tanks being loaded onto Rectank flat wagons, c. 1940

Tanks being loaded onto Rectank flat wagons, c. 1940
Three tanks are being loaded onto Rectank flat wagons which were designed and built specifically for the movement of military vehicles by rail

Second World War Collection: 0-6-0 Dean Goods locomotives No s. 2479, 2576, 2425 and 2399 in the process of being scrapped, c

0-6-0 Dean Goods locomotives No s. 2479, 2576, 2425 and 2399 in the process of being scrapped, c. 1949
The sorry sight of four The sorry sight of four 0-6-0 Dean Goods locomotives, photographed in the late 1940 s, in the process of being scrapped. Identified as engine No s

Second World War Collection: Railway carriage converted to an ambulance ward car, c1939

Railway carriage converted to an ambulance ward car, c1939
This internal view of an ambulance ward car gives a clear image of both the ingenuity used in converting rolling stock for medical use, but also the cramped conditions endured within these vehicles

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