The Nottinghamshire

 

 

Firefighters Memorial

 

 

 

appeal

 

 

 

 

 

 

The idea of a memorial to firefighters who have died in the county is one that has been considered a number of times over the last twenty years and the final impetus to achieve this was when the book ‘Battle of the Flames’  was published in November 2009. The book contains graphic accounts of the work of Nottinghamshire firefighters and civil defence personnel during the Second World War.

 

The group of retired firefighters who are leading the fundraising for the memorial have the support of Councillor Jeanie Packer who launched the appeal on 8^th April 2010 whilst in the

 

 office of Lord Mayor of Nottingham. Dr Nigel Chapman, H.M. Coroner for Nottinghamshire,

and Frank Swann, Chief Fire Officer of Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, are also supporting the appeal.

 

 Having a memorial in the county to those who have died in the civilian services, provides a focus for wreath laying on Remembrance Sunday and also on Firefighters’ Memorial Day which is the nearest Sunday to September 11^th each year. The names of those who have died on duty

 

 will be inscribed on a granite stone plinth and a bronze statue will be positioned on the plinth.

 

The plinth will also have the names of ‘Firewatchers’ and other personnel of the Air Raid Precautions Service who died on duty, inscribed upon it. Some of those who died were members of rescue parties – a role now undertaken by the Fire Service. Others were Air Raid Wardens who undertook light rescue work, first aid and tackling incendiary bombs. Their organisation no longer exists, but the Fire Service is their closest ‘relative’.

 

We hope that the people of Nottinghamshire and the business community will support a Firefighters’ Memorial on Victoria Embankment. The names of those who died should be recorded in a public place where people can reflect upon the sacrifice they made in protecting lives, homes and businesses in our communities.

 

Firefighters still face hazards on our behalf everyday and sadly, we are reminded from time to time that even in this modern era, they may lose their lives protecting us.

 

 

The Firefighters’ Memorial Appeal

 

Donations by cheque:

PO Box 62 Nottingham NG8 1DQ

 

Or handed in at any fire station in an envelope

 

Donations online at:

http://www.mycharitypage.com/NottinghamshireFirefightersMemorialAppeal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ruth Willis.   First Aid Party   Air Raid Precautions Service

Killed:   Laxton 28^th August 1940

At 22:25 hours, six high explosive bombs fell in Laxton along with two large calibre oil incendiary bombs and numerous one kilogram incendiaries. Ruth Willis, was on duty as a member of the Air Raid Precautions Service First Aid Party in Laxton. She was by her front door at The Old School House in the village when the first bomb fell into her front garden. The shrapnel killed Ruth, and seriously injured two other people from the first aid party who were standing near where their ambulance was parked. Damage was caused to several other houses, farm buildings and the village school

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fireman Clifford Fardon.  Auxiliary Fire Service

 

Fatally injured:   Coventry 14^th November 1940

 

An air raid on Coventry on 14^th November 1940 become infamous for the level of destruction caused to the city. Assistance was called for from other regions and fire pumps and crews from Nottingham were sent to help the hard pressed Coventry firemen.

 

One of the Nottingham crews was fire fighting when a high explosive bomb fell right next to them. The crew were stunned by the blast and when they came to; they found that Fireman Fardon was seriously injured. Fireman William Chadwick described the scene.

 

“Fireman Fardon was right next to me when the bomb fell and it was a terrible bang. You could have put a bus into the crater it left. Why the rest of us escaped serious injury I shall never know. We all got up after the explosion, but he couldn’t, poor devil. I think he was unconscious and his leg was all smashed up with the bone sticking out.”

 

Fireman Fardon was placed into the care of an ambulance crew and he was taken to RugbyHospital. The crew then turned their attention back to the task of firefighting. Their towing vehicle and equipment had been damaged by the explosion, but worst of all their trailer pump had been put out of action completely.

 

At this stage, they could perhaps have been forgiven for deciding there was nothing they could do to help and in fact they would have been justified in finding a first aid post and getting their injuries seen to. Instead, they searched around until they found another trailer pump that had been abandoned by its crew. The reason quickly became obvious because, just like their own, it would not work. They eventually got the engine to start, found a water supply from a fire hydrant and recommenced the job they had been sent to do; put fires out.

 

The following day, the crew learned that Fireman Fardon had died of his injuries at RugbyHospital. The crew received praise, from Herbert Morrison the Home Security Minister. He sent each of them a letter which said:

 

“Your devotion to duty was deserving of high praise. I have pleasure in informing you that his majesty has been graciously pleased to give orders for the publication of your name as having received an expression of commendation of your services”

 

As a result of this King’s Commendation, they were entitled to wear a Silver Oak Leaf on the ribbon of their Defence Medal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Firemen Raymond Burrows, Joe Wright, Alan Day, Albert Cooke.

Auxiliary Fire Service

Killed:   Manchester,   23^rd December 1940

An eleven hour air raid attack was carried out on Manchester by 270 aircraft. The aircraft dropped 272 tonnes of high explosive bombs and 37,152 incendiaries on Manchester alone. The firemen had an insurmountable task to control over 400 fires that were consuming entire blocks of buildings.    

 

Three Nottinghamshire firemen from Kirkby, Raymond Burrows, Joe Wright, and Alan Day, were killed on 23^rd December during the. Manchester was attacked again that night and the Luftwaffe crews could see the glow that was Manchester from as far away as London.

 

171 enemy aircraft bombed the city for five hours, unleashing 195 tonnes of high explosive bombs and another 7,000 incendiaries. During the raid, another of Nottinghamshire’s firemen, Albert Cooke, was seriously injured and after being treated in hospital at Manchester, he was returned home. He subsequently died of his injuries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cyril Theaker. First Aid Party  Air Raid Precautions Service

Charles Gooding.  Air Raid Warden  Air Raid Precautions Service

Killed:  Nottingham 8^th May 1941

107 aircraft were assigned to raid Nottingham. During the raid, one ‘stick’ of bombs fell in a line from Kentwood Road to Lichfield Road in Sneinton. A shop was wrecked on the corner of

Port Arthur Roadand the gas main in the street was blazing fiercely.

 

In Baden Powell Road, four men were out in the street when a bomb fell. Charles Gooding, the ARP warden, Cyril Theaker a member of the first aid party as well as a fire watcher, Cyril Parkes and a nineteen year old soldier, Joseph Murquis. The blast killed Gooding, Murquis and Theaker. Cyril Parkes was seriously injured and suffered from ill health for over forty years due to his injuries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Divisional Officer Frank Bennett.  NottinghamCity Fire Brigade

 

Fatally injured:  Nottingham 5^th November 1948

 

On 5^th November 1949, the city brigade were kept busy attending bonfires that had got out of control and other fires that had been caused by sparks from bonfires or fireworks. A call was received at the brigade control room stating that Wall’s Ice Cream Factory on Castle Boulevard

was on fire. Upon arrival fire crews could see no obvious signs of fire. A ladder was pitched to the flat roof of the factory so that a check could be made on the rear of the premises.

 

Firemen Chris Raybould accompanied Frank Bennett onto the roof and they established it was a false alarm. They could not be sure however, whether it was a malicious call made by some one who knew there was no fire, or whether the call was made with good intent by someone mistakenly thinking the building was on fire. They went back towards the ladder, but Frank Bennett made a fatal mistake. He accidentally stepped off the edge of the roof and crashed to the ground landing on the base of his spine; this caused him to fracture his skull. He was rendered unconscious immediately.

 

The fire crew were able to get down to him as he lay in the rear yard of the factory and sent a message back to their control room requesting an ambulance. Frank was taken to the NottinghamGeneralHospital where he died three days later having never regained consciousness.

 

Chris Raybould believed that Frank mistakenly thought that the roof stretched further than it did. This illusion was created by the very high wall at the rear of the factory which cast a shadow over the entire roof area. In the darkness, this shadow looked solid as if it was part of the roof.

 

Frank Bennett had survived fire fighting in the blitz and had escaped with minor injuries when a bomb fell directly opposite his house in

Charlbury Road

, but fate played a cruel trick when his luck ran out at a false alarm. Anyone who knew Frank described him as a gentleman and the firemen respected him as a very capable and fair officer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Station Officer Albert Smith's funeral cortege passing Central Fire Station in January 1969

 

 

 

 

Station Officer Albert Smith. NottinghamCity Fire Brigade

 

Killed:   Nottingham 16^th January 1969

 

The brigade were called to Dakin’s warehouse on Talbot Streetat 02:35 and Station Officer Albert Smith was in charge of the first crews to arrive. Fifteen pumping appliances, two turntable ladders an emergency tender and the control unit attended the fire.

 

During the four hour struggle to control the fire, Albert Smith was found collapsed in the street. He was taken to the NottinghamGeneralHospital, but was confirmed dead. Bob Nurcombe, a leading Fireman with the City Brigade, saw Albert at around 02:50 whilst he was still directing the firefighting operation.

 

“He had been in the building, but when I saw him he had come out. I got the impression that he was suffering from the effects of the smoke. He had just about had it.”

 

The news of Station Officer Smith’s death had a profound effect on the men still tackling the blaze. Divisional Officer Ted Cowling said:

“…this fire was one of the most hazardous that we have had for some considerable time. In the incipient stages when Station officer Smith was in charge, it must have been quite strenuous for him, but it was due to his efforts that the fire was brought under control quickly and with no further loss of life.”

 

If anyone can help us with information or picture please contact The Firefighters' Memorial Appeal, PO Box 62, Nottingham, NG8 1DQ, or can hand them in at any fire station in an envelope

The Fire & Rescue service memorial at the

National  Arboretum