Page 4 - Salamander News Letter August 2023

THE SALAMANDER Newsletter No 1
Gerry Clarkson CBE, QFSM Father of the Company.
What an absolute delight it was to mark our 35th Anniversary of the formation of the Worshipful Company of Firefighters, with such a splendid luncheon at the wonderful Trinity House on the 13th June. The event was well-attended and it was good to see so many Past Masters present. It is therefore perhaps quite fitting that I write to reflect and recall some of the earlier times leading to and since the inception of the Company in 1988.
My fondness of the City of London began with my first operational appointment, at the beginning of my career in the London Fire Brigade in late 1961, to the London County Council Whitefriars Fire Station at Carmelite Road in the City of London. Whitefriars is an area in the Ward of Farrington Without, which until 1540 had
been the site of the Carmelite monastery. The area has had a very chequered history going way back to 1350.
Studying the topography and the rich historical fabric of our Capital City was very engrossing and it was almost a courtship that was destined to continue with the City as my career progressed. My first appointment as an operational Station Officer was to take chargeofCannonFireStation in the City of London and by the time I had reached principal rank I was wedded to the City. It was clear to me that the UK Fire Service and the much wider Fire Industry had not been as well represented as it could and indeedshouldhavebeen,given the historical contribution given by so many.
When I became CFO, I was determined to embark upon the drivetoestablishtheWorshipful Company of Firefighters, but in doing so I needed to fully understand the requirements andtheprocesstobefollowed. It is fair to say that not all elected members of the Fire Authority welcomed me embarking on such a journey. It was at this time in the mid 1980’s that the UK Government approached me and invited me to consider just how we might honour the 997 Firefighters who had sadly lost their lives defending the
Nation in the last world war. This included two Canadian Firefighters who were part of the 422 volunteers from the Corps of Canadian Fire Fighters who came to Britain during WW2. It may be interesting to note that before the Corps’ departure to Canada in late 1944, thousands of grateful citizens lined the streets of London as the Corps of Canadian Fire Fighters paraded to Trafalgar Square to take the saluteinfrontofCanadaHouse. This request for recognition of these 997 Firefighters coincided with my determined endeavours to embark on the fairly long journey of forming the Worshipful Company of Firefighters.
It was always going to be difficult enough to embark upon this journey to form the Company, but to now at the same time create a dignified and meaningful Memorial to honour those who so valiantly gave their lives defending our Nation was quite daunting.
I was seized with having a fitting Memorial adjacent to St Paul’s Cathedral, which stood out as a beacon in those dark times. However, this presented many hurdles to be overcome, such as securing the site, commissioning an appropriate memorial, gaining the necessary Planning approvals
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