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6

FIREFIGHTER

FOCUS

COMPANY

SUPPORTS

QUEEN’S

DIAMOND

JUBILEE

CELEBRATIONS

Menin Gate

Fire & Rescue Services and Ypres

Ceremony

In 1928, prominent citizens in Ypres decided that

some way should be found to express the

gratitude of the Belgian nation towards those

who had died for its freedom and independence.

This became the daily sounding of the Last Post;

the privilege was given to buglers of the local

volunteer Fire Brigade. The first sounding of Last

Post took place on 1st July 1928

The Last Post Committee (now called the Last

Post Association) was established in 1929 and

four silver bugles were donated by the local

Branches of the Royal British Legion. Since then

with exceptions for the period of World War II it

has been played every night irrespective of

weather conditions. During the period of WWII

the Last Post was played at Brookwood Military

Cemetery where it continues today on the first

Sunday of every month.

The visit by the British Fire Brigades to Ypres

“Menin Gate” Memorial first began in about 1980

by a combined contingent from both Kent &

Surrey Fire Brigades to attend the Remembrance

Day Parade in YPRES. The reason for this initial

interest was due to the Chief Fire Officer of

Kent, Mr Reginald Doyle, mentioning to the Chief

Fire Officer of Surrey, Mr Alfred Butler, that he

was aware that the Firemen Buglers in YPRES

Fire Station had been playing the “Last Post”

every night of the week - almost since the end of

the 1st World War. It was therefore decided that

it would be a good idea for an honour guard and

combined contingent from Surrey & Kent to take

some buglers from the Grenadier Guards and

give the men of YPRES a night off.

Such has been the mutual respect and close ties

between the Belgian and British Fire-fighters,

that this annual homage has continued ever since

and indeed grown considerably. Not only do

Kent & Surrey still go over every year, but so do

many other UK Brigades including Wiltshire,

Devon & Somerset, West Yorkshire, Tyne &

Wear, West Midlands to name but a few. Some of

the British Brigades who now go take Bands as

well as their Standards.

Thanks to Gary Whitworth, former Kent CFO,

for assisting in the production of this article.

Past Master Sir Ken Knight is chairing a working

group of fire, industry and charity

representatives, who are organising a fire service

flotilla as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

River Pageant - one of the largest collection of

boats ever seen on the river Thames.

Led by London’s historic fire boat, the Massey

Shaw (pictured opposite), boats representing the

fire and rescue service during the Queen’s reign

will join up to 1000 other vessels in the pageant

on Saturday 3rd June 2012.

The Company is represented on the group by

Past Master Vivian Jones and Liveryman Kelly

Fairman. Sir Ken said; “the Pageant will be a

spectacular event. I am delighted that members

of the Worshipful Company of Firefighters have

been given the opportunity to play such a vital

part in showcasing the fire and rescue service in

this way.”

LONDON’S

LIVERY

COMPANIES

Their storied past and their living

present, as told in a splendid book by

Robert J Blackham of the Middle

Temple and Gray’s Inn, Barrister-at-

Law, Citizen and Liveryman of the

Needlemakers’ Company and the

Apothecaries’ Society, Clerk and

Liveryman of the Worshipful

Company of Glaziers. Published in

London by Sampson Low, Marston &

Co., Ltd. Printed by Furnell & Sons

Paulton (Somerset) and London.

Written between the two World

Wars it is now sadly out of print but

worth scouring the antiquarian

bookshops and libraries for a copy.

It’s a truly fascinating read and

contains many illustrations.