Harrow and Wealdstone Rail Crash 1952 Photograph by George Phillips

Harrow and Wealdstone Rail Crash, 8th October 1952. The Reverend John Richards stands in the mangled wreckage of the overnight express from Perth, a local passenger train, and an Express train heading from Euston to Liverpool. Around 1000 people were aboard the three trains 112 people died in the crash and 340 were injured. It is the worst peacetime rail crash in the UK It was 0820 as the overnight express from Perth crashed at speed into the rear of the 0731 Tring-Euston commuter train standing at the Harrow and Wealdstone station platform. At that moment an Express train from Euston was heading north to Liverpool and was derailed by the wreckage caused by the collision of the other two trains on the track.’It all happened in a second there was a terrible crash and glass and debris showered on me’ said John Bannister a commuter talking to The Times newspaper. He added: "I blacked out for a moment and when I came around, I found I was lying on the line with debris on top of me. I managed to free myself and drag myself onto the platform."Reverend John Richards, vicar of St John the Baptist church, Harrow arrived on the scene to offer comfort to those affected and was greeted by this nightmare vision. The picture was taken by George Phillips who was working for Planet News, then owned by UPI. He heard about the crash on the radio and from an American reporter based in London who offered George a lift in his car. He had one 9x12cm glass plate on a Palmas camera, it was George's last plate and he wasn't sure if it was one he had already exposed! Georges's father Cecil Phillips, a London-based staff photographer for the New York Times had said to George" Don’t follow the crowd, find the crux of the crash and go from there" he did and got the scoop.The picture won "Britannica" news Picture of the Year.