Lancing Village Memories: Part 2: Lancing At War: The Silent Partners of the Carriage Works

Friday, 16 January 2026

Part 2: Lancing At War: The Silent Partners of the Carriage Works

Lancing at War: The Silent Partners of the Carriage Works (1941–1945)

“While the veterans of the Great War, like Charles Meads, stood guard on the Fire Brigade and gun crews, a new and unexpected army was moving through the level crossing gates every morning. By 1941, the ‘Sheds’ were no longer just a man’s world. To keep the Southern Railway running, the Works turned to the village’s wives, daughters, and even its 14-year-old school-leavers.”

The Family Engine
The paybooks from 1941–1943 reveal that the Works was a true family affair. It wasn't uncommon for a single household in the Avenues or the Grover Estate to have three generations on the payroll:

The Youth: 14-year-old Messenger Lads like Briggs and Bond earned just 9 shillings a week scurrying between the 66 acres of workshops.
The Women: Skilled operators like Mrs Hawkins (Machinist Grade 2) and F. Prodger, who braved the heat of the foundry as a White Metal Worker.
The Apprentices: Young girls like Parker, who started as a 'Shop Girl' and earned a promotion to Carpenter’s Mate.

A short video clip shows how women took on all the work that was needed for the war effort:

Equal Grit, Unequal Pay
The ledgers tell a sobering story. While these women and youths were essential, their pay remained on a separate scale. A Woman Probationer might earn 25 shillings for a week’s work that would have paid a man nearly double. Yet, the sense of community was the real glue.

Name	Role / Trade	Weekly Wage	The "Story"
Briggs (No. 2609)	Messenger Lad	9/- (plus 1/6 bonus)	Born July 1929; just 14 years old.
Bond (No. 3750)	Messenger Lad	9/-	Following in the footsteps of the adult Bond (Engine Driver).
Parker (No. 1045)	Carpenter's Mate	18/3	A rare promotion for a "Shop Girl" into a technical trade.

Evelyn and Her Contemporaries

My Mum, Evelyn Steadman, is recorded as a Woman Carriage Cleaner. Working alongside her were several other local women sharing a break or a chat at the Railwaymen's Association in South Street.

Evelyn Steadman & Work Mate Friend Ada

W. Stringer – A "Woman Acetylene Cutter", working on heavier metalwork.
The Painting Crew – Including M. Holt, G. Goodale, and V. Green.
H. Gravett – Listed as a "Holder Up" in the riveting teams.

The girls from the "Hush Hush" shop. Evelyn Steadman front centre left.

See Part 2b for more on the Hush Hush Shop

The Guardians of the Ledger
Administration was the quiet engine of the 'Steel Ring.' These heavy ledgers recorded every hour worked and every penny of the 'Railway Pound.' If you recognise a face in these office shots, please help us 'stitch' their name back into history.

The Southern Railway 'Bible' - The official Rule Book.

The Ford Family: A Life on the Lines
Evelyn Steadman married Horace Alfred (Henry) Ford in 1945. Horace was a railwayman through and through. Their 1951 membership card for the REPTA (Railway Employees' Privilege Ticket Association) shows that for many, the Works was where lives were built and legacies created.