Firemen (Firefighters)

[wilkybob]

I concentrate on UK including Northern Ireland, so nothing on Southern Ireland. I will see what I can collect via friends. Lots of RTC losses from UK

[Dave Ind]

Hi Wilkybob,
That's fine UK based incidents are what I am looking for, as we base all procedures on UK best practice.
The purpose of report is to highlight the dangers, as we use the same procedures the information is relevant here in the republic.

[wilkybob]

Police Fireman Isaac Percival – Leeds Police Fire Brigade (Police Roll of Honour)
Died 18th January 1924, aged 31 Of Charlotte Street, Leeds
Fatally injured when his fire engine crashed on a snow-covered road while attending a fire call.
En-route to a fire at Woodlesford Corn Mill. Crashed into the wall of the Wellington Hotel, bottom of Church Street after a fall of snow caused slippery road conditions. Died in Leeds General Infirmary.

Supt Howard Beckwith KPFSM - Stockport Police Fire Brigade (Police Roll of Honour)
Died 29 December 1926, aged 64
Killed when his fire engine crashed while responding to a fire call.

Fireman Dennis Herbert John Watts – Bournemouth Fire brigade
Died 26th January 1929. Aged 19. Of 5 Stourville Road, Bournemouth.
Killed when the fire engine he was travelling crashed.

Fireman Arthur Jesse Giles – Bournmouth Fire Brigade
Died 30th January 1929. Aged 47. of Seabourne Road, Bournemouth.
Died in hospital as a result of injuries received when the appliance he was travelling crashed.

Inspector John George Crossman – Bristol Police fire Brigade (Police Roll of Honour)
Died 11th June 1934 aged 37
Fatally injured when his fire engine crashed when answering a call.

Fireman Bernard Ward – West Riding of Yorkshire F.B.
Died 15th May 1965. Aged 32
Died of injuries received when the appliance he was in crashed.
He died 3 days after the accident, never regaining consciousness.
Cause of death shown as bilateral cerebral contusion due to compound fracture of the vault and base of scull.
He was married with 1 son.

Fireman Malcolm Farrow – Kent Fire Brigade – Maidstone Fire Brigade
Died 6th September 1970 of 16 Holtye Crescent Maidstone
Injured when his appliance skidded, hit a tree and burst into flames on 2nd September.
He died four days later from his injuries in the Medway Hospital.
Listed on the Kent Fire Brigade Roll of Honour as giving his life in the execution of duty.
This incident was made more tragic due to Fireman farrows father, also a fireman being killed on duty at the
Oakwood Hospital Disaster in 1957

Sub. Officer Ian Cameron – Humberside Fire Brigade
Died 3rd May 1980. Of 9 Arkley Close, Brough, North Humberside
Killed on responding to an emergency call as officer in charge of appliance that crashed.
Left a wife and 2 children

Fireman John Middleton – Devon & Somerset Fire Brigade
Died 17th January 1985
Died from injuries received when his vehicle crashed while carrying out fire prevention duties.

Fireman Stewart Lough– Hertfordshire Fire Brigade
Died 31st October 1987. Aged 34. of 90 Lemsford Road, Hatfield, Herts.
Killed in a fire appliance accident.
His Dodge Emergency Rescue tender crashed on the way to a road traffic accident. He was killed instantly
Left a widow and 3 children.

Retained Fireman Ian Bruce
Died 14th January 1993 Aged 37. of 97 Queens Croft, Kelso, Roxboroughshire
He died answering a fire call when the vehicle he was in skidded on a bridge and went into the River Tweed ater falling down a 50ft embankment.
Married with no children.

Fireman Paul Keenor – East Sussex Fire Brigade – Forest Row Fire Station
Died 1st August 2015 Aged 23
Died when his car crashed near East Grinstead while he was responding to a call out.
The call turned out to be a false alarm.

I have more details of all these along with cuttings images etc. Hope info is of use.
Bob W

[wilkybob]

Lots more during WW2
Especially due to blackout regulations.

[Dave Ind]

Thanks for that info, it will defiantly help.
Is there any chance you could highlight any that have been injured/killed whilst actually dealing with an RTA? I would be particularly interested to hear about ones that have been struck be moving vehicles whilst dealing with a road based incident. i.e. RTA or car fire? in the last 35 years or from 1980 onward.
Any info on this would be greatly appreciated.
I would also like to thank you for collating this information in the first place.
research of this nature all be it sombre, can mean that we all have an opportunity to learn from the past. It can have a great bearing on, and add weight to a report when you can put names to otherwise  clinical numbers and statistics.
So thanks again.
Dave.

[wilkybob]

Fireman Stewart Lough– Hertfordshire Fire Brigade
Died 31st October 1987. Aged 34. of 90 Lemsford Road, Hatfield, Herts.
Killed in a fire appliance accident.
His Dodge Emergency Rescue tender crashed on the way to a road traffic accident. He was killed instantly
Left a widow and 3 children.

Sub Officer Paul Mallaghan – Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue – Stevenage Fire Station – Blue Watch
Died 17th June 2007 aged 46. From Great Ashby, Stevenage.
He died in hospital following being hit by a car as he tackled a fire in another vehicle on a motorway.
He  was putting out the fire in a Saab car on the A1 (M), in Hertfordshire, when the crash happened between J7 and J8 near Stevenage. Paul was married to Nikki and was the father of 5 children.
His funeral was held at the church of St Andrew and St George, Stevenage. Colleagues carried the sub officer's coffin on a fire service aerial ladder platform. Members of Blue Watch, Stevenage, wore ceremonial uniform and act as pallbearers. Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service staff provided a guard of honour. The service was followed by a private burial.

Very few actually dealing or on way to RTC

[wilkybob]

Fireman Richard W. Maher – Devon and Somerset
Died 5th July 1979. of 59 Withyburn Gardens, Estover, Plymouth
Killed when his appliance was involved en route to an RTA in Cornwall.

[Dave Ind]

Bob,
thanks for that, it's a great help. I have managed to gather enough evidence now with your info to present a case. We here in Ireland had a double fatality a number of years back when a firefighter and Gardai (policeman) were both struck and killed by a drunk driver whilst attending an RTC. Since then a change of policy and training have gone along way to preventing a similar thing happening again. But this report will go someway to secure funding for more emergency Traffic equipment to go on line, thus potentially saving lives in the future.
Thanks for all your help in this matter.
All the Best
Dave Ind.

[chiddicks]

My Great Aunt, Winifred Alexandra Peters (nee Wootton) died in this sad incident and only two weeks after the event my mother was born, and christened Winifred Alexandra Wootton in her memory.
Paul Chiddicks

Old Palace L.C.C. School Poplar Bombed
During the war many schools were left empty due to children being evacuated to the country. The Old Palace LCC School in St. Leonards Street, Poplar, was one of these, and was commandeered  war for use as  Sub Fire Station 24U for firefighters of the Auxiliary Fire Service. On the night of Sunday April 20th 1941, Fire Service crews were standing by in anticipation of a heavy raid on the Capital. At precisely 1.53am, a land mine, dropped from a Luftwaffe bomber, scored a direct hit on the school. Thirty two firemen and two fire women were killed.

This was the largest loss of Fire Brigade personnel ever suffered in the history of the service in Britain.


AFS Firewoman (Telephonist) Hilda Dupree – AFS London
Died 20th April 1941 aged 21. Of 33 Warwick Road, Walthamstow, Essex.

Firewoman Winifred Alexandra Peters – London Fire Brigade
Died 20th April 1941 aged 39. Of 122 Canton Street

AFS Fireman Percy Charles Aitchison – AFS Beckenham
Died 20th April 1941 aged 27. Of 20 Copse Avenue, West Wickham, Kent.

AFS Fireman Ronald Mark Bailey – AFS Beckenham
Died 20th April 1941 aged 25. of 81 Links Road, Tooting.

AFS Fireman Alan Charles Barber – AFS Beckenham
Died 20th April 1941 aged 26. Of 6 Fairford Close, Shirley, Croydon, Surrey.

AFS Fireman Earnest Reginald Beadle – AFS Beckenham
Died 20th April 1941 aged 32. Of 211 Birkbeck Road, Beckenham.

AFS Fireman Kenneth John Bowles – AFS Beckenham
Died 20th April 1941 aged 30. Of 27 Beckenham Road, West Wickham, Kent.

AFS Fireman John Coleman Burrell – AFS London
Died 20th April 1941 aged 35. Of 39 North Street, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.

AFS Fireman Patrick Joseph Campbell – AFS London
Died 20th April 1941 aged 24. Of 39 Bannister House, Homerton

AFS Fireman Harry John Carden – AFS Beckenham
Died 20th April 1941 aged 29. Of 7 Mounthurst Road, Hayes, Bromley, Kent.

AFS Fireman Robert John Deans – AFS Beckenham
Died 20th April 1941 aged 28. Of 144 The Grove, West Wickham, Kent.
Killed at Old Palace L.C.C. School, St. Leonards Street, Poplar.

AFS Fireman Frank James Endean – AFS Beckenham
Died 20th April 1941 aged 36. Of  34 Aviemore Way, Beckenham, Kent.

AFS Fireman Cecil Farley – AFS Beckenham
Died 20th April 1941 aged 43. Of 5 Linden Leas, West Wickham, Kent.

AFS Fireman George John Joseph Hall – AFS Beckenham
Died 20th April 1941 aged 43. Of 44 Warwick Road, Anerley, Kent.

AFS Messenger Bertie James Frederick Harris – AFS London
Died 20th April 1941 aged 17. Of 31 Brabazon Street,

AFS Fireman Leslie Thomas Healey– AFS Beckenham
Died 20th April 1941 aged 32. Of 15 Greenview Avenue, Shirley, Surrey.

AFS Despatch Rider Ernest Herbert Henly _ AFS London
Died 20th April 1941 aged 19. Of 2 Grange Cottage, Silver Street, Kinton Langley, Chippenham, Wiltshire.

AFS Fireman Sydney Bartholomew Jones – AFS London
Died 20th April 1941 aged 31. Of 54 Harrogate Road, Hackney.

AFS Fireman Albert Victor Kite – AFS Beckenham
Died 20th April 1941 aged 36. Of 166 Village Way, Beckenham, Kent.

AFS Fireman John Francis Mead– AFS
Died 20th April 1941 aged 29. Of 39 Christie Road, Hackney.

AFS Fireman Vernon Joseph Middleditch – AFS
Died 20th April 1941 aged 31. Of 220 Hunders Lane, Darlington, Co. Durham.

AFS Fireman Alfred Edward Minter – AFS Beckenham
Died 20th April 1941 aged 46. Of 48 Aylesford Avenue, Beckenham, Kent.

AFS Fireman Norman Richard Charles Mountjoy – AFS Beckenham
Died 20th April 1941 aged 30. Of 11 Ash Grove, West Wickham, Kent

AFS Fireman Frederick George Parcell – AFS Beckenham
Died 20th April 1941 aged 32. Of 28 Love Lane, South Norwood, Surrey.

AFS Fireman Martin Charles Parfett – AFS Beckenham
Died 20th April 1941 aged 31. Of 296 Pickhurst Rise, West Wickham, Kent.

AFS Fireman William Charles Plant – AFS Beckenham
Died 20th April 1941 aged 26. Of 22 Sultan Street, Beckenham, Kent.

AFS Fireman Cyril Bertram Porter – AFS London
Died 20th April 1941 aged 31. Of 31 Clinton Road, Forest Gate, Essex.

AFS Fireman William Thomas Rashbrook – AFS London
Died 20th April 1941 aged 31. Of 133 Chatsworth Road, Clapton.

AFS Leading Fireman Leonard Roots – AFS Beckenham
Died 20th April 1941 aged 31. Of 10 Avenue Court, Avenue Road, Anerley, Kent.

AFS Fireman Albert Alfred Saville – AFS London
Died 20th April 1941 aged 35. Of 54 Harrowgate Road, Hackney.

Station Officer Richard William Sinstadt – London Fire Brigade
Died 20th April 1941 aged 46. Of 74 Beccles Drive, Barking, Essex.

AFS Fireman Edgar William Vick – AFS London
Died 20th April 1941 aged 38. Of 234 Eden Way, Beckenham, Kent.

AFS Leading Fireman Walter John Woodland – AFS Beckenham
Died 20th April 1941 aged 41. Of 68 Links Way, Eden Park, Beckenham, Kent.

AFS Leading Fireman Herbert Charles Wotton – AFS Beckenham
Died 20th April 1941 aged 30. Of 78 Upper Elmers End Road, Beckenham, Kent.