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Marty - similar boards used to hang at all the principal former GWR stations - certainly I can recall during my time on the railway (1992 to the present) seeing them on display at Plymouth, Exeter, Taunton, Bristol, Swindon, London Paddington, and Cardiff - they may also be at other locations.  I was at Swindon a  few days ago and don't recall seeing the board on display there - I guess it is possible it was removed during the extensive rebuilding of Swindon station in the 1970s. 

As a general rule if thumb (but not always!!) the boards were displayed on, or very close, to platform 1 at the stations where they were displayed.  The only location where this may still hold true is Exeter St. Davids, although I have a suspicion that the board there now resides on platform 5.  That said, I don't get to Exeter St. Davids very often and I can't recall where it was the last time I was there.  At Paddington it may still be on Platform 1, but I have an idea it is now around the corner towards the taxi rank that leads up to Praed Street.

Cardiff Central is my local station - do you want me to try and get a photo of the board there for you? 

David, I'm not sure if you know, but the Angel Hotel is still open for business, opposite the Catsle and Arms Park, right in the middle of Cardiff.  I'd be happy to take a photo or two for you the next time i am passing (probably tomorrow) if you want?  let me know

I'm sure most of you already know this, but just in case you didn't, there are many documents relating to the privatised railway companies pre-1948 available at the National Archives.  Amongst them, and revealing by way of the fact that they list huge numbers of staff and the departments in which they worked, are the pay ledgers. 

British Rail used to have their own archive, somewhere in Ashford I think, but i have a feeling that those documents may have gone to the NA when BR was sold off.

Hi I am trying to find this family in the 1901 census these are the only details I have form the War Graves Com

Harold John Finch Grave Sec C 39
Corporal Royal Air Force (Auxiliary Air Force) 846320

Died 09/02/1943 Age 45

He was the Son of John and Edith Finch; husband of Ida May Finch, of Forest Gate, Essex. Harold also  served in the 1914-18 war.


ps  i found a birth    Finch    Harold John        Birmingham    6d   214    1898


looking at the index of the 1911 i can see a FINCH   HAROLD JOHN   M   1898   13   Aston   Warwickshire and also a FINCH   JOHN WILLIAM   M   1879   32   Aston   Warwickshire  but could not find an edith.

Hi - I've just found your post on a Google search.  I am currently looking at Harold Finch myself.  He was commissioned in the RAF and also served in WW2, as an Officer, with 101 Squadron, where he received the Distinguished Flying Cross.  I am currently trying to establish the reason for the award of the DFC.  I'm confident it is the same man as my Finch was also born in Aston in 1898.  Ordinarily this would have made him too old (at 45) to have been bomber aircrew in 1943, but with the special duties undertaken by 101 Squadron I'm wondering if he was one of their Special Operators.  Do you know if he had any background in German language at all, perhaps through school or perhaps he lived in Germany between the wars?

As an aside, and if it is of any use, he is buried just a few miles from me - I live in Cardiff and could take a photo of his headstone if you wished?