MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Beverley East, who lost 14 relatives in the 1957 Kendal train crash in Manchester, says she is pleased that the close to 200 people who died in the tragedy were commemorated last Thursday with the unveiling of a monument bearing the names of 177 of them.

“They are finally resting in peace; everybody is, not just my family, the entire victims,” she told the Jamaica Observer at the monument site in Kendal, just north of Mandeville, last Thursday.

“I have been waiting for over 30 years to see my family’s name on this monument; it means so much to me, all the hard work [by] everybody. My name keeps coming up, but it is not just me, it is everybody who has worked so hard, tirelessly, over the last five years — trying to get the land secured, trying to get the monument, and even when I started the research, just being at the archives and the National Library [of Jamaica] to get the details to do so — I am really happy today for this. In my heart, [I’m] sad, but [I’m] happy on the outside,” East, who authored the book
Reapers of the Soul based on the Kendal crash, said moments after seeing her relatives’ names on the huge monument next to a train line.

Cynthia Desulme, who was 18 when she survived the crash along with five of her relatives, said she has tried to wipe from her memory the horror she experienced on the night of September 1, 1957.

“We were all on that train. We were the first to get to the [hospital]. I often think of that day; I was 18 years of age at the time. It really left a lasting impression on my mind. The horror of that night, thank God we survived, and bless those who didn’t make it…I chose to forget a lot of the things [from the crash],” she said.

She commended Culture Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange for recognising the importance of the monument.

“I came here in 2019 when we had a meeting and I had met them [other survivors], and I know from that time that this thing was in the making or we had ambitions for this, so I am so happy and thank the minister for the wonderful job she did in executing this project,” said Desulme.

During the 68th anniversary commemorative and monument unveiling ceremony, Grange announced that the site will be recommended by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT) for declaration as a national monument on the basis of its historic and archaeological significance.

“The idea is that people will visit the location and pay homage to those who suffered and died in the Kendal crash…this process actually started with the JNHT receiving from the Manchester Municipal Corporation a sketch plan of part of Kendal, representing the Kendal train crash burial site. The total area of the site is 2.29 acres,” said Grange.

She is optimistic that the declaration will be completed in time for the next anniversary of the crash.

“I am hoping [that] by next year when we celebrate, it [will be] completed and we can declare the site officially designated as a heritage site,” she said.

The monument, which also acknowledged the unknown victims and those who survived, was built at a cost of $7.9 million through a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport and the Manchester Municipal Corporation.

Grange said more structures are to be built at the crash site.

“The memorial park, I expect them to make it happen. The museum, I will give support, so I will continue to assist in achieving these goals…we unveil this monument erected in memory of those who perished in the Kendal crash on September 1, 1957 and in acknowledgement of the bravery of the responders who rushed to the scene.

“[The] unveiling, originally scheduled for September 1 — the anniversary day — marks the 68th anniversary of the rail mishap, which was the worst in the history of Jamaica and amongst the worst in the world,” she added.

The minister told the audience how she missed the deadly trip.

“The train operated by the Jamaica Railway Corporation was on its way from Montego Bay to Kingston, when it separated from the tracks as it approached Kendal. One hundred and eighty-seven [people] died and more than 700 of the 1,600 passengers maimed or disfigured.

“I lost relatives in this crash, and I must tell you I get goosebumps every time I think of it, because I was scheduled to be on that trip — my mother and I. In fact, my mother was the village dressmaker and she was busy sewing for everybody, and so…we did not make the train,” added Grange.

According to the accounts of survivors and people in the parish who heard about or witnessed the event, hundreds of members of St Anne’s Catholic Church in Kingston boarded a train in Kingston and went to Montego Bay for an all-day excursion. On their way back to Kingston, the overcrowded train crashed at Kendal.

WATCH:

(Video: Kasey Williams)

Beverley East (right), who lost 14 relatives in the train crash and authored the book “Reapers of the Soul”, touches the names of her family members among those of the 177 victims on the monument in commemoration of the Kendal crash. Looking on is entertainer Sister Carol (left) and boy scout Ajahami Majurie. (Photos: Kasey Williams)