Name Wally Oakes | ||
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Wallace Arnold Oakes GC (23 April 1932 – 12 June 1965), known as Wally Oakes, was a train driver with British Railways who was born in Barbridge, Cheshire and lived at Wheelock Heath, Sandbach, Cheshire.
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1965 train accident
On 5 June 1965 he was the driver in charge of a relief train when at about seven miles from Crewe the fire suddenly blew back from the firebox of a BR Standard Class 7 steam locomotive No. 70051 Firth Of Forth, filling the cab with smoke and flames. Fireman Gwilym Roberts managed to climb out of the cab window and extinguish his clothing by rubbing against the plating, but Oakes stayed at his post to close the regulator, open the blower, and apply the brake.
Roberts found his mate lying on the embankment next to the train, badly burned, but evidently having remained in the cab until the train stopped. Oakes suffered burns to approximately 80% of his body. The pain was such that he had to be suspended above his hospital bed and given large doses of morphine. A week after the accident, he died from his injuries.
Awards
For his gallantry in ensuring the safety of his passengers, Oakes was posthumously awarded the George Cross on 19 October 1965. On 19 February 1981, Class 86 electric locomotive no. 86260 was named Driver Wallace Oakes GC. A memorial plaque in the offices above Crewe station reads:
In September 2017, the National Railway Museum purchased Oakes's George Cross at auction for £60,000. It will be displayed at the museum.