On 5th November 2025, the Cavell Van, normally based at Bodiam Station, took part in a poignant Remembrance service as part of Rail 200. In a collaboration between the Port of Dover, South Eastern Railway and the Kent & East Sussex Railway (K&ESR) the van was brought back to Dover 105 years after it bore the body of the Unknown Warrior to London.
Some 300 guests attended the service, which was held inside Cruise Terminal 1 - formerly the Dover Western Docks/Marine railway station and the location from where the Unknown Warrior’s final journey began.
A video is available to view on YouTube
The Cavell Van's return to Dover is a fitting reminder of not only the railway’s role in transforming Britain, but also in honouring those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
The van holds a unique place in British history as it was involved in the repatriation of three First World War heroes. Firstly, in May 1919 it carried the body of British nurse Edith Cavell from Dover to London, after she was executed by German firing squad for assisting in the escape of over 200 Allied soldiers. From that point onwards, railway workers referred to all vans of this type as "Cavell vans".
Two months later, in July 1919, the van transported the body of civilian merchant mariner Captain Charles Fryatt, who was executed by the Germans in 1916. But the van's most significant journey came just over a year later when, on 10th November, it carried the body of the Unknown Warrior from Dover to Victoria Station, standing vigil overnight before ceremonial interment at Westminster Abbey on 11 November 1920.
The Cavell Van is now a permanent museum space, containing a replica of the Unknown Warrior's oak wood coffin which has metalwork created by the grandson of the original craftsman who worked on the commission in 1920.
Following the service, the Cavell Van is remaining on display in Cruise Terminal 1 for a short stay to enable more people to see it and learn about its significant history from volunteers from the Col Stephens Railway Museum and the K&ESR.
Visits to see the van while at Dover are free but are only available by booking a timed ticket online at https://Cavellvan-Dover.eventbrite.co.uk Viewings are scheduled between 10am and 4pm on the following dates: Friday 7 November; Saturday 8 November; Sunday 9 November; Friday 14 November; Saturday 15 November and Sunday 16 November. The Cavell Van will then return to its permanent home at Bodiam Station.