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105 years on: Historic Cavell Van returns to Dover for
Remembrance event

Yesterday (Wednesday 5 November) a historic railway van that is a poignant symbol of the sacrifices of war, formed the centrepiece of a special Remembrance service at Dover.

The Cavell van was the centrepiece of the service 

Photo by Elliott Waters (Left to Right): Colin Duncan, K&ESR volunteer who was involved when the van arrived on the railway and is now an on-train guide; Norman Brice, former K&ESR Chairman and original Project Manager of the Cavell Van restoration; Derrick Bilsby current K&ESR Chairman; Elliott Waters, K&ESR  volunteer and Project Manager who got the van to Dover

In a collaboration between the Port of Dover, South Eastern Railway and the Kent & East Sussex Railway (K&ESR) the Cavell Van, normally based at Bodiam Station, was brought back to Dover 105 years after it bore the body of the Unknown Warrior to London.

 

Some 300 guests attended the service, which was held inside Cruise Terminal 1 - formerly the Dover Western Docks/Marine railway station and the location from where the Unknown Warrior’s final journey began.
 

The service took place in Cruise Terminal 1 

Photo: Andy Jones Photography / South Eastern Railway

As part of the Rail 200 commemorations, the return of the Cavell Van to Dover provides a poignant reminder not only of the role of the railways in transforming Britain, but also of the individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country.

The van occupies a unique place in British history, having been used in the repatriation of three notable figures from the First World War. In May 1919, it carried the body of British nurse Edith Cavell from Dover to London, following her execution by a German firing squad for assisting more than 200 Allied soldiers to escape. From that moment, railway workers widely referred to all vans of this type as “Cavell vans” in her honour.

In July 1919, the same van transported the body of Captain Charles Fryatt, a civilian merchant seaman executed by the Germans in 1916. However, its most significant role came on 10 November 1920, when it carried the remains of the Unknown Warrior from Dover to Victoria Station. There, the body lay in vigil overnight before the ceremonial burial at Westminster Abbey on 11 November 1920.

Today, the Cavell Van serves as a permanent museum exhibit, housing a replica of the Unknown Warrior’s oak coffin. The metal fittings on the replica have been crafted by the grandson of the original metalsmith who worked on the 1920 commission.

Following the recent Remembrance service, the Cavell Van will remain on display at Cruise Terminal 1, Port of Dover, for the next two weekends before returning to its long-term home at Bodiam Station. This extended stay provides a further opportunity for visitors to learn about its remarkable history, supported by volunteers from the Colonel Stephens Railway Museum and the Kent & East Sussex Railway.

Admission is free, but visits must be booked in advance via timed tickets at:


https://Cavellvan-Dover.eventbrite.co.uk

Viewings take place between 10am and 4pm on the following dates:

  • Friday 7 November

  • Saturday 8 November

  • Sunday 9 November

  • Friday 14 November

  • Saturday 15 November

  • Sunday 16 November

​

Chris Jackson, Curator of the Colonel Stephens Railway Museum at the Kent & East Sussex Railway, said:
"We are privileged to look after this historic vehicle under the auspices of the Colonel Stephens Railway Museum at the Kent & East Sussex Railway, and to make it available to visitors as a place for quite reflection. 
 
"We are extremely grateful to Southeastern and the Port of Dover for the opportunity to take the van back to the port for the Remembrance season in this anniversary year when we are also marking Railway 200." 

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