Wallace Arnold Oakes GC (23 April 1932 - 12 June 1965) was a train driver with British Railways from Wheelock Heath, Sandbach, Cheshire. April 23 is the 113th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (114th in leap years). ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... June 12 is the 163rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (164th in leap years), with 202 days remaining. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... A railroad engineer or train driver is a person who operates a railroad locomotive. ... British Railways (BR), later rebranded as British Rail, ran the British railway system, from the nationalisation of the Big Four British railway companies in 1948 until its privatisation in stages between 1994 and 1997. ... Sandbach a market town in Cheshire, North West England. ... The Cheshire Plain - photo taken adjacent to Beeston Castle The Cheshire Plain - photo taken towards Merseyside The Cheshire Plain panorama - photo taken from Mid-Cheshire Ridge Cattle farming in the county Black-and-white timbered buildings on Nantwich High Street Cheshire (or, archaically, the County of Chester) [1] is a...

On 5 June 1965 he was in charge of a relief train when at about seven miles from Crewe the fire suddenly blew back from the firebox, filling the cab with smoke and flames. Fireman Gwilym Roberts managed to climb out of the cab window and extinguish his clothing by rubbing against the plating, but Oakes stayed at his post to close the regulator, open the blower, and apply the brake. June 5 is the 156th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (157th in leap years), with 209 days remaining. ... Map sources for Crewe at grid reference SJ705557 Crewe is a town in south Cheshire, in the north west of England. ... Section of typical British boiler and firebox. ... The term Fireman can refer to: A firefighter. ... A brake is a device for slowing or stopping the motion of a machine or vehicle, and to keep it from starting to move again. ...

Roberts found his mate lying on the embankment next to the train, badly burned, but evidently having remained in the cab until the train stopped.

Oakes suffered burns to approximately 80% of his body. The pain was such that he had to be suspended above his hospital bed and given large doses of morphine. A week after the accident, he died from his injuries. In medicine, a burn is a type of injury to the skin caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, or radiation (an example of the latter is sunburn). ... Morphine (INN) (IPA: ) is an extremely powerful opiate analgesic drug and is the principal active agent in opium. ...

For his gallantry in ensuring the safety of his passengers, Oakes was posthumously awarded the George Cross. The George Cross (GC) is the highest Commonwealth decoration awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry not in the face of the enemy, while the Victoria Cross is awarded for valour in the face of the enemy. ...

On 19 February 1981, Class 86 electric locomotive no. 86260 was named Driver Wallace Oakes GC. February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Class 86/6, nos. ... Modern three-phase AC locomotive (DBAG Class 152) A GG1 An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electric motors which draws current from an overhead wire (overhead lines), a third rail, or an on-board storage device such as a battery or a flywheel energy storage system. ...

See also

• John Axon

John Axon GC (4 December 1900 – 9 February 1957) was an English train driver from Stockport (Edgeley Depot) who died while trying to stop runaway freight train on a 1 in 58 gradient near Buxton in Derbyshire after a brake failure. ...

External links

• GC awards to Railwaymen
• George Cross database entry
• This is Cheshire: Plea For Train Hero's Medal