Page 59 - Archived Back Issues

Remembering
UK FIREFIGHTERS ANNUAL SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE
On Sunday 13 September 2009, in St Bartholomew the Great Church in the City of London, over 400 people attended the Firefighters Memorial Trust Annual Service of Remembrance.
Organised by Pete Cowland, one of the Trust’s Executive Members, the event attracted firefighters and their families from all over the UK. Paramount amongst these were the immediate families of two UK firefighters who had lost their lives on duty in the past year. They were Brian Dean, West Mid- lands Fire Service and Ewan Williamson, Lothian and Borders Fire and Res- cue Service. We also thought of Paul Fletcher, of Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service who died on duty in August last.
Over the past year the Trust has also been able, through research, to identify the names of a further four firefighters who still needed to be commemorated. They were William Jupe, Southampton Fire Brigade (1936) Kenneth Taylor, West Riding Fire Service (1970), Raymond Edwards, London Fire Brigade (1976) and Alexander (Sandy) Drummond, Strathclyde Fire Brigade (1978).
After a very moving service in the church, conducted by the Rev Canon Peter Mortimer, a Freeman of our Company and Chaplain to the Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service, a parade was formed and processed to the National Memorial, near St Pauls Cathedral, for a wreath laying ceremony. At the head of the parade was the Avon Fire and Rescue Service Band supported by musicians from other fire and rescue bands, includ- ing pipers from the Tyne & Wear Fire and Rescue Service. Their rendition of the Lament and “Highland Cathedral” brought a tear to many an eye. The Principle Colours were paraded, together with 30 fire bri- gade standards, after which all received a blessing at the Memorial.
To add colour and reality to the event a number of vintage fire appliances were included in the parade. They included a rather special wartime Austin Heavy Pumping Unit restored to its former glory by Frank Sommerville of “Firemen Remembered”, this in remembrance of his father and his crew who served so gallantly during the London Blitz in 1941.
This annual service is a key event for the Trust and it is for the relatives, col- leagues and friends of fallen firefighters that we arrange the commemoration. It is a sombre but memorable occasion when we can remind those bereaved that
the fire service is a “family” and they still have a very valued place within it. This year we again had some very prominent guests in the persons of Sheriff Roger Gifford representing the City of London, Shahid Malik MP the Government Minister for Justice, Shona Dunn, Director of Fire and Resilience at the De- partment for Communities and Local Government and Councillor Brian Coleman, AM FRSA, who at- tended as Chairman of London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority.
If you would like to learn more about the Trust and it’s work, why not have a look at the website www.firefightersmemorial.co.uk where soon, there should be some more up to date photographs of the event. In the meantime, why not consider signing yourself up as a member of the Trust, it’s easy ... just follow the instructions on their website.
Pete Cowland (Renter Warden)