Beatrice Nellie Meadmore

Beatrice Nellie Meadmore was killed on a red Metropolitan line train after coming back from the cinema in the West End.

She was found in a carriage compartment with severe head injuries at Wembley Park Station on the night of Wednesday 25 February 1942 and died later in hospital.

It was thought that she had been attacked whilst the train was between Baker Street and Wembley Park.

She had lived at Barn Rise in Wembley, Middlesex.

It was heard that when the train stopped at Wembley Park Station a man was seen to rush from the compartment and fall onto the platform and then run off into the black-out, disappearing. It was said that he had tried to get out of the train and shut the compartment door as the train was still coming to a stop at the station.

It was thought that the motive had been robbery as although her handbag was found on the floor of the train compartment, her purse was missing.

Beatrice Meadmore was found in the compartment on the floor with her head covered in blood. When she was first seen she was able to talk a little and said, 'That man, oh my head'.

The man that was seen to run away was described as being about 30-years-old and wearing a light overcoat and a trilby hat.

Beatrice Meadmore's husband said that as he had been working late in the city Beatrice Meadmore had decided to go to a West End cinema. He said, 'I returned home rather earlier than I expected, and waited for her to return. About 9pm the police called and told me what had happened'.

At her inquest, a London Passenger Transport Board railway superintendent who had been on the train said, 'As the train passed through West Hampstead station, I heard someone scream as if with laughter and a man yelling out. That was accompanied by thuds as if someone was hitting the partition of the next compartment. I thought it was some youngsters fooling about and did not attach much importance to it. When the train stopped at Wembley Park someone shouted for the guard'.

The London Passenger Transport Board railway superintendent said that when he then looked in the compartment, he saw Beatrice Meadmore lying on a seat with a newspaper over her head, noting that she was badly injured.

The pathologist that carried out her post-mortem said that she died as a result of severe blows to her head with a heavy instrument such as a jemmy.

The coroner’s inquest returned a verdict of murder by some person or persons unknown.