THE train arriving at Glasgow Central on October 19, 1914, carried 900 Belgian refugees.
They were part of the 250,000 refugees who came to Britain to escape a brutal German invasion. Glasgow eventually hosted 20,000 in total.
Germany invaded Belgium in August 1914, with much violence. Many civilians were executed and survivors were forced to flee on foot. Thousands of families fled to France and Holland, eventually arriving at Folkstone and Dover, carrying only limited possessions. It was an unprecedented crisis and the Government decided to send groups to many different areas to relieve the pressure on London.
Glasgow Corporation was chosen to organise the Scottish arm of assistance.