War breaks out on the railway

Memories of wartime Britain came flooding back this weekend with the staging on the Watercress Line of ‘Wartime II’. Those travelling from Alton Station found themselves transported back to the 1940s as they were issued with ID cards, invited to buy jam sandwiches and rock cakes from the WVS stall on the platform, and jostled for seats with military personnel sporting tin hats and carrying gas masks. Pictured outside Alton station, a group of German prisoners of war guarded by members of the 101st Military Police, courtesy of the Living History Group based at Portsmouth. The prisoners were later marched on to the platform before being herded aboard the 11-30 am train bound for Ropley. (Picture No 26/140/01) More pictures on page 14. of this week's edition.