File:Littleport Cambs. Network SouthEast 1944 Soham railway explosion commemoration.jpg

English: George Cross commemoration to LNER fireman James Nightall from Littleport This memorial was re-dedicated by inter alia Railway Unions on 10 Nov 2007, having been unveiled in June on the 63rd anniversary by the Duke of Gloucester. Possibly the reason was the demise of Network South East.

Read the story on p7 here This source says the explosives train from March to White Colne in Essex was carrying 400tons of bombs. At Soham, the first wagon caught fire, and the fireman uncoupled this wagon and towed it away to safety at Soham station where it exploded, destroying the station completely and the signalman there. The engine's fireman,James Nightall , was killed instantly in the explosion and the driver badly injured. For this act of selfless bravery in saving Soham village from a massive explosion which would have killed many more two George Crosses were issued, one posthumously to Nightall and the other to Benjamin Gimbert the driver. This plaque was unveiled to commemorated the unrelated electrification of the Cambridge- Kings Lynn railway line in 1992, although it passes through Littleport. White Colne is no longer reachable by rail. Unrelated fact no 2. James Nightall was born on exactly the same day as my mother.

The names of the two LNER GCs are carried on two modern EWS diesel locomotives of class 66, nos 079 and 077, having previously been on earlier Brush - Sulzer class 47 locos 579 and 577.

 According to @hammond381, this was done by  Clement Freud,on 28th September 1981 at March North......the loco 589, Nightall  was formerly 47183....D1788 

Benjamin Gimbert GC died in 1976 aged 73