Category: 1953 Tangiwai Rail Disaster, Tangiwai, Manawatū-Whanganui

Categories: This Day In History December 24 | New Zealand Rail Disasters | Tangiwai, Manawatū-Whanganui

The worst railway disaster in New Zealand's history occurred on Christmas Eve 1953 when the Wellington-Auckland night express plunged into the flooded Whangaehu River just west of Tangiwai, 8 km west of Waiouru. Of the 285 people on board, 151 were killed.

Photos

Tangiwai Memorial Wikipedia photos of crash

[hide person profiles]

Person Profiles (153)

A

Henry Adin abt 25 Jan 1890 Foxton, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Margaret Anderson 1916 Richmond, Nelson, New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Mae (Andrew) Cox abt 1906 - 24 Dec 1953

Johannes Petrus Angel 27 Feb 1930 Netherlands - 24 Dec 1953

Trevor Attree 04 Feb 1931 Masterton, New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

B

William Bacon 15 Sep 1929 - 24 Dec 1953

Hilda Baillie 1917 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Janna Manna (Beinema) Ter Huppen 06 Nov 1926 Haarlem, North Holland, Netherlands - 24 Dec 1953

Colleen Benge 1932 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Beverley Benton 1947 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Edward Benton 08 Oct 1912 Auckland City, Auckland, New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Glenys Benton abt 1944 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Roslyn Benton abt 1950 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Dorothy (Biles) Warrilow 1933 Gisborne, New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Murray Booker 1946 - 24 Dec 1953

John Boucher 17 Nov 1922 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Thomas Bradley 1931 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Bettina Brennan 1924 - 24 Dec 1953

Richard Brett 09 Mar 1935 New Zealand - 2008

Wilfred Brett abt 1900 - 24 Dec 1953

John Briggs 1931 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

John Byars 1924 Oamaru, New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

C

Desmond Capper 13 Oct 1931 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Patricia Caslon 1929 Windsor, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom - 24 Dec 1953

Charles Clark 1932 - 24 Dec 1953

Douglas Cockburn 1941 - 24 Dec 1953

John Cockburn 1936 - 24 Dec 1953

Edith Cook 1930 Scotland, United Kingdom - 24 Dec 1953

Irene (Corbett) Niddrie 1925 - 24 Dec 1953

David Cormack 1893 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

John Cox 1930 - 24 Dec 1953

Jean Cranch abt 1934 Auckland, North Island, New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Eric Croucher 1929 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Joan Crowley 18 Aug 1922 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

D

Gordon Davies abt 1925 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Janice Diggle Aug 1953 New zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Norman Diggle abt 1921 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Valerie Diggle abt 1951 - 24 Dec 1953

Elizabeth Doole abt 1927 - 24 Dec 1953

Alan Drown 03 Feb 1936 New Plymouth, New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

E

Patricia Edgecumbe abt 1931 - 24 Dec 1953

Ngaire Eilers abt 1926 - 24 Dec 1953

Dianne Elford abt 1944 - 24 Dec 1953

Robert Elford 1895 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Cecilie Elsley 1924 Kingston, Surrey, England, United Kingdom - 24 Dec 1953

Mabel Ensor abt 1930 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Roberta Eves abt 03 Sep 1930 Scarborough, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom - 24 Dec 1953

F

Christina (Ferguson) Hanley abt 10 Nov 1927 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Florence (Fitches) Benton 11 Jul 1915 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Geraldine Fitzgerald 1946 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Ian Fitzgerald abt 1930 - 24 Dec 1953

John Fitzgerald 1940 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

F cont.

Sydney Flavell abt 1894 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Harold Foote abt 1926 - 24 Dec 1953

Iain Foote 1946 - 24 Dec 1953

Violet (Foote) Cormack 1895 - 24 Dec 1953

Evelyn (Friend) Elford 1904 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

G

Eileen (Garry) Hale 30 Sep 1916 Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Gwendoline (Gerken) McFadgen 1919 Petone, Wellington, New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Heather Golding 1924 Farnham, Surrey, England, United Kingdom - 24 Dec 1953

Frederick Goodhue 21 Nov 1929 Russell, New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Te Wheturere Gray abt 1905 - 24 Dec 1953

Sheila Grigor 1935 Inverness-shire, Scotland, United Kingdom - 24 Dec 1953

H

Robert Hale 1939 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Kathleen Hallam abt 1929 England, United Kingdom - 24 Dec 1953

Ronald Hammond 1928 England, United Kingdom - 24 Dec 1953

Evelyn Hanley abt 1952 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Robert Hanley abt 1924 Shotts, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom - 24 Dec 1953

Kura Haru abt 1936 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

John Havler abt 1925 Yorkshire, England - 24 Dec 1953

Frederick Holloway abt 1927 - 24 Dec 1953

Arthur Hylands 04 Feb 1899 Moygannon, Donaghcloney, County Down, Ireland - 24 Dec 1953

J

Stanley Josephs 1935 - 24 Dec 1953

Veronica (Judd) Fitzgerald 1912 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

K

Joan (Karam) Cooper 16 May 1927 New Zealand - 05 Oct 2002

Madeleine Karam 24 Oct 1925 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Reongaro Kemp 1918 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Suzanne Kennedy 11 Nov 1927 Waipawa, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Frederick Kent 1888 Loughborough, Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom - 24 Dec 1953

Balazs Kukuruzsnyak abt 1929 Hungary - 24 Dec 1953

L

Una Lightfoot 10 Dec 1935 - 24 Dec 1953

Barbara Lloyd abt 08 Feb 1938 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Nerissa Love abt 22 Jan 1934 Carlton, Victoria, Australia - 24 Dec 1953

Lottie (Lunn) Nicholls 1907 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

M

Georgina (Maitland) Cochrane 1891 - 24 Dec 1953

Ann (Matthews) Bagley 22 Jun 1897 Hawkes Bay, New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Rae McGinley 10 Dec 1927 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Gordon McLeod abt 1933 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Royal McMann 1936 - 24 Dec 1953

Edwina Miller abt 1926 Bournemouth, Dorset, England, United Kingdom - 24 Dec 1953

Jeanette Miller aft Oct 1922 Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom - 24 Dec 1953

June Miller abt 1924 Bournemouth, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom - 24 Dec 1953

Thomas Moir 03 Sep 1934 Levin, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Phillip Molen abt 1935 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Michael Monteith abt 1929 - 24 Dec 1953

Melanie Moody abt 1948 Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom - 24 Dec 1953

Jessie (Moor) Kent abt 1891 Rotherham, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom - 24 Dec 1953

Carol Moore abt 1936 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Horace Morgan abt 1927 Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales, United Kingdom - 24 Dec 1953

John Morgan abt 29 Jun 1891 Nelson, New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Amelia (Murray) Wood abt 1901 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Walter Murray 1899 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

N

Herbert Nicholls abt 1941 - 24 Dec 1953

N cont.

Jack Nicholls abt 1943 - 24 Dec 1953

Paul Nicholls abt 1945 - 24 Dec 1953

Raymond Nicholls 1903 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

O

Betty Oliver abt 1928 - 24 Dec 1953

Lilian (Oliver) Wellington 11 Jan 1883 Bedford St, Wellington, New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Olaf Olson abt 1920 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Margaret Osborn abt 1935 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

P

Linda Papariki 1937 - 24 Dec 1953

Charles Parker abt 1902 Wheatenhurst, Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom - 24 Dec 1953

Herbert Parry abt 1884 - 24 Dec 1953

Margaret Perry abt 1935 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

John Polgar abt 1929 Hungary - 24 Dec 1953

Elizabeth Porter abt 1929 Watford, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom - 24 Dec 1953

Josephine Powick 1933 - 24 Dec 1953

R

Pamela Reardon abt 1934 - 24 Dec 1953

Lancelot Redman abt 1920 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Joseph Rhodes 28 Apr 1933 Whitianga, Auckland, New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Shirley Roberts abt 1936 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Jim Russell abt 1935 - 24 Dec 1953

Leonard Ryan abt 1930 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

S

Margaret Sanders abt 1933 England, United Kingdom - 24 Dec 1953

Alexander Scotland abt 30 Oct 1896 Abernethy, Perthshire, Scotland, United Kingdom - 24 Dec 1953

Robert Scott 1930 - 24 Dec 1953

Richard Shandley abt 1931 - 24 Dec 1953

Donald Sharp abt 1928 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Pearl Squire 1911 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Daphne Stead abt 08 Aug 1921 New South Wales, Australia - 24 Dec 1953

John Stevens 04 Jul 1933 Waihi, Waikato, New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Audrey Stokes 18 Oct 1928 Pahiatua, New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Joseph Stokes 31 Mar 1887 Pahiatua, New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Frederica (Stone) Adin 1902 Exeter, Devon, England - 24 Dec 1953

T

Gerrit Ter Huppen 19 Jul 1927 Batavia, Dutch East Indies - 24 Dec 1953

Neil Thomass abt 1935 - 24 Dec 1953

Paul Thomass abt 1940 - 24 Dec 1953

Adrianus Hubertus Thonissen 18 Dec 1925 Tilburg, Noord-Brabant, Nederland - 24 Dec 1953

Elizabeth (Torrens) Hylands 07 Sep 1899 Clones, County Monaghan, Ireland - 24 Dec 1953

Joyce Torrey abt 1928 - 24 Dec 1953

Janet Trevelyan abt 1933 - 24 Dec 1953

V

Aisea Vakalala abt 1934 Fiji - 24 Dec 1953

W

Arthur Wale abt 1921 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Evelyn Walker abt 1935 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Mereana Walker abt 1932 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Douglas Warrilow abt 01 Jul 1922 Mangaweka, Rangitikei, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand - abt 24 Dec 1953

Gordon Wellington 01 Apr 1918 New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

Margaret White abt 1932 - 24 Dec 1953

Betty Wilson abt 1930 Cumberland, England, United Kingdom - 24 Dec 1953

Melva Wilton 1937 Masterton, Wairarapa, Wellington, New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

James Wood 1888 - 24 Dec 1953

James Wood 1938 - 24 Dec 1953

Doris Workman 25 Apr 1912 Greytown, New Zealand - 24 Dec 1953

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