This unassuming railway van, photographed at Rolvenden station on the Kent & East Sussex Railway in 2009 actually holds a unique place in history.
Built at the South Eastern & Chatham Railway's Ashford Works in 1919 No.132 was the prototype Parcels and Miscellaneous Van, the design of which continued to be built by the SE&CR's successor the Southern Railway and also by British Railways as late as 1951 and as a result most, if not all heritage railways are home to at least one preserved example.
But this particular specimen is unique… It carried three bodies from Dover to London after the end of World War One.
The first was Edith Cavell in May 1919. Trained as a nurse, during 1914-15 she helped more than 200 allied Prisoners of War to escape from German-occupied Belgium before she was arrested and subsequently executed. Her body was repatriated and a state funeral was held at Westminster Abbey before her burial at Norwich Cathedral.
The second was Charles Algernon Fryatt, captain of the SS Brussels. In March 1915 his ship was ordered to stop by the German submarine U-33 but Fryatt attempted to ram the U-boat which crash-dived and escaped. In June 1916 Fryatt's ship was captured by the Germans and he was Court Martialled and later executed. His body was repatriated in July 1919.
The third body was that of The Unknown Warrior, his body was carried to London on 10 November 1920, prior to the funeral service at Westminster Abbey the following day.
Since the above photograph was taken the van has been fully restored following an appeal to raise £35,000 and was unveiled on the 90th anniversary of the carriage of the body of The Unknown Warrior.
