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Fates of London transport staff who fought in First World War published online

Clapham South tube station in 1926: Getty Images
Clapham South tube station in 1926: Getty Images

The stories of London transport staff who went on to fight for Britain in the First World War have been published in an online archive.

More than 35,000 records from Transport for London's archives include those of a 19-year-old conductor who died on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, and a porter killed in action on the Western Front.

The records, published by history website Ancestry, begin with the introduction of the world's first underground railway, the Metropolitan Railway, in 1863, and run through to 1931.

More than 100 occupations are featured, including porters, platelayers, cleaners and signal box boys.

With many men away at war, the number of women working as London transport staff grew.

Maida Vale became the first station to be staffed entirely by women when it opened on June 6 1915.

Ancestry's senior content manager Miriam Silverman said: "These fascinating records help us remember the stories of the men and women who got Londoners from A to B every day, from the infancy of public transport in London in the 1800s to the early 20th century.

"But they're also a source of important historical information about the First World War, workplace diversity and the day-to-day lives of normal people."

Additional reporting by Press Association