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Edited by Howard McLean

Samuel Waite Johnson’s (1831-1912) locomotive

Railway Veteran’s Association

Following an enquiry we have received through the Midland Railway Study Centre from a gentleman in Ireland whose ancestors worked for the Midland Railway, a bit of new light has been shone on this small pin in the collection (RFB30637). It was proudly worn by members of the Derby Branch of the Railway Veterans Association.

The Derby branch of the RVA was founded in 1931 by a signalman in Derby named Walter Hemmings. Walter eventually gave 53 years of service to the Midland Railway before his retirement in 1939, by which time he had risen to the role of Relief Signalman across the entire Derby District.

The RVA was a very active organisation, although the quite extensive newspaper coverage of its meetings and events doesn’t actually ever tell us how many members it had. What we do see from the reports, however, is that as the years wore on, inevitably the membership of the Association began to dwindle. It appears to have been wound-up not long after Walter’s death in 1940.

One of the annual highlights of the Association’s activities was a ‘Walking Football Match’ held at Derby’s famous Baseball Ground with a celebrity Referee and officials. By 1939, however, it was again apparent that creeping age became a factor, even walking football was too much for some of the men and the games were discontinued.

(Submitted by Dave Harris)