An intoduction to the Ordinary Heroes

This is about an extraordinary group of men from World War II. They were railway engineers and miners from around Doncaster who built such famous steam engines as 'The Flying Scotsman'.

Their special skill put them into some extraordinary situations throughout the war. They were the very first unit to be sent overseas with the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) in September 1939. They would be among the lsat home in Europe in 1945.

I have spent 6 years uncovering their remarkable story. It has led me to reassess the story that we have been told. By going back to the army records on the trail of stories told me by some veterans, I discovered a different story.

My guess is that there are millions of stories out there that need telling. Sadly, the story tellers are fading fast and we need to get a move on! The stories are not about hollywood heroics. Heroism comes in many format, most of which have yet to be recognised.

The stories I heard have allowed me:

1. To suggest that the dates given for 'The Fall of France' were a convenient, political fiction
2. The Germans had a well placed spy in Cairo in 1941/42
3. The construction of the El Alamein defences was a bit of an accident
4. Reconstruct the original foundation of the SAS
5. Discover that the 'officer-oriented' view of prisoners of war was far from the truth for ordinary soldiers.

I hope this might inspire others to make a record of the unsung heroes.

I plan to tell some of the stories about the research and would be happy to share any research or info I have uncovered.

I put it all together in a book www.ordinaryheroes.info