LAST PUBLIC FUNCTION

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 148, 19 December 1935, Page 11

LAST PUBLIC FUNCTION

LATE LORD JELUCOE

CHRISTENING OF ENGINE

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, November 16,

Admiral of the Fleet, Earl JeUicoe, vice-patron of the British Legion,, named a new express locomotive at Euston Station, "The British Legion." The locomotive is of the Royal, Scot type, and has a tapered boiler. It weighs 139 tons and is 65ft long.' After the ceremony miniature flags were presented to the driver and fireman, Arthur Henry Sparks and L. Harobin, both members of the Legion.

Lord Jellicoe, unveiling the name plate, which is in the design of tht British Legion^ badge, said: "Tht L.M.S. is as loyal to the Legion today as it was to the forces in 1914-iB. Seventy-five thousand of its employees served in the war, and the 50,000 of them who are still employed include 9000 disabled men. It is an example I would like to see followed by all large employers." ;,

He mentioned. that all who could be spared on leave •from Scapa Flow travelled by the Thurso-London service On three or four occasions he travelled by it when on • visits of consultation, and used the name of "Mr. Jessop" on the insistence of Lord Fisher,- who had an idea that there were some Germans about who desired' to get him. Life in the Grand Fleet was inevitably dull for the blockading ships, and occasional parties were sent by the Thurso-London route to France to see the more exciting. times of the sister service. The parties enjoyed those trips, and two members came back with the D.S.O. for gallantry while taking part in trench raids. t .

Lord Jellicoe added, amid laughter, that he had no doubt that the wonderful Russian Army that was supposed to have come to Britain en route for France early in the war must have travelled by the L.M.S. •

Sir Jbsiah ■ Stamp, who presided, recalled that 65 of the' company's ships were requisitioned for war services, 11 of which were lost! The company's services maintained a continuous transit northwards of supplies of every description required by the Grand Fleet at Scapa F.low, and ran a daily express train service from London to Thurso—7l7 miles—carrying in all about 500,000 passengers. About 75,000 of the company's men enlisted in the service.

In the ceremony of breaking a bottle of champagne against the locomotive's nameplate, Lord Jellicoe cut his hand with a splinter of glass and bespattered his coat with the contents. lodine -was brought by one of the station staff, who gave first aid. . ■