93 wounded arrive for Oldway Friday 30 July 1915

Abridged from the Paignton Western Guardian 5 August 1915

It was not until after one o’clock that the Red Cross train drew up by the Sands Road crossing, and shunted onto the up rails. The number of cases coming on to Paignton were 73 cot and about 20 walking cases. The task of removing such a large number of stretcher cases is a very far from light one, but it was accomplished with the celerity and care which always distinguishes the arrival of wounded at Paignton Station, and the very valuable assistance rendered by Mr. Mogford, the stationmaster, and his staff are deserving of full recognition. Members of the Fire Brigade and others performed the duties of stretcher bearers, with every satisfaction, and the vehicles placed at the disposal of the authorities were most expeditiously handled. The whole task of removing the large number of cases to Oldway was, under the circumstances, performed in a marvelously quick time, though it was well after 2 o’clock before the train, relieved of its precious burden, steamed out of the station. In the still hours of the early morning the onlooker could not be but struck with the kindly devotion of all concerned – Fire Brigade, railway employees, voluntary workers, police and certainly not forgetting a small but loyal band of Boys Scouts. Many of the poor wounded looked haggard and ill, and most were naturally very tired after the long journey from the base hospital across the Channel and railway journey from Southampton.