Norman Tuuna was a Shunter with the Great Western Railway (GWR) company.
On 26 September 1940, when the German Air Force carried out a large bombing raid on Merseyside, in the Morpeth dock of Birkenhead, the scores of railway lines were crowded with trains. These air raids resulted in a number of serious fires involving railway and dock warehouse properties. A large number of incendiary bombs fell on and about the good station and sidings. Amongst the wagons in the yards was a train loaded with ammunition and various tracks containing canned petrol. Most of the enemy incendiaries had been extinguished by the prompt action of the staff on duty, but a serious fire developed from incendiaries falling in one section of the station.
During the course of these events, Norman Tuuna discovered two incendiary bombs burning in a sheeted open wagon, which contained 250lb bombs. With a disregard for his own safety, Tuuna removed the sheet and extinguished the incendiary bombs. He then removed the extinguished bombs from the wagon.
Norman Tuuna died on 4 December 1970.
On 15 November 1982, at Liverpool’s Lime Street Station a Class 47 main line diesel locomotive was named ‘Norman Tunna, GC’ by his widow.
NB: The Great Western Railway was originally one of four rail networks which covered the UK and connected London to the West of the UK. Liverpool was serviced by two of these four companies LMS and GWR – as GWR only went as far as Chester and Birkenhead and LMS went up towards Manchester and Scotland both lines covered Liverpool. Later, Merseyrail as it is known today, was formed from both GWR and LMS railway lines.
