Firemen (Firefighters)

[11magpies]

Hi Wilkybob,
Thankyou for your reply.
I will carry on trying to find a bit more info on Albert, if i find anything of interest i will let you know.
Denise.

[Mudlark]

Hi,
There is a book about Beckenham during WW2  --
"Beckenham The Home Front 1939-45" by Pat Manning & Cliff Watkins. It contains a chapter on the AFS including a photograph of the serving firemen marching beside their fire engines in the funeral procession for the 19 Beckenham AFS killed on the night of 19-20 April 1941 at the Old Palace School Poplar.

My uncle Dave Chalmers had been killed 3 nights earlier, on 17 April 1941, two other AFS firefighters were also killed at the same time and another was morally wounded when a bomb hit the house where they were fighting a blaze in Wickham Road, Beckenham.
 

[wilkybob]

Hi Mudlark
Thanks for the info, looks like I'm buying another book now lol.
The ones I have for that night in that location are...

Your uncle
AFS Leading Fireman David James Chalmer – AFS Beckenham
Died 17th April 1941 aged 31. Of 10 Maberley Road.
Died at corner of Wickham Road and Court Downs Road

and

AFS Fireman Richard Beacon – AFS Beckenham
Died 17th April 1941 aged 27. Of Rayleigh, Maidstone Road, Borough Green.
Died at corner of Wickham Road and Court Downs Road.

and

AFS Fireman Stanley Richard Hudders – AFS Beckenham
Died 17th April 1941 aged 30. Of 14 Pelham Road, Bexleyheath.
Died at corner of Wickham Road and Court Downs Road, Beckenham.

Now I hope you have a little more info on the night your Uncle died, especially the 2 colleagues who sadly died alongside him.

Bob W

[Mudlark]

Hi Bob,

John Henry Maynard had been dreadfully wounded by shrapnel, he survived for another seven months, dying on 9 Nov 1941.
Richard Beacon, Stanley Richard Hudders and my uncle David (Dave) Chalmers were killed outright. Stanley Hudders is buried with Dave in the same grave in Beckenham Cemetery - plot no. H3 row 1. Dave & Stanley's grave is next to John (Jack) Maynard's.  Richard Beacon is buried in Sittingbourne (ref: Pat Manning).

There are also housing blocks named after the fireman casualties. Chalmers House is in Border Crescent, SE 26 and Hudders House is in Churchfield Road (ref. Beckenham's 30 Glorious Years 1935-65 by Pat Manning). The signs are circular, with a black background, gold lettering, an oak tree in the centre also picked out in gold - Pat Manning kindly emailed me a photograph of Dave's.

Chris

[wilkybob]

Hi
I have Maynard as well,

AFS Fireman John Henry Maynard – AFS Beckenham
Died 9th November 1941 aged 37. Of 21 Gowland Place, Beckenham, Kent.
Injured 17th April 1941, at Courts Down Road, Beckenham. Died at Horton Emergency Hospital, Epsom.


I'm in the process of starting a website remembering every UK firefighter that died due to doing the job, with as many details as possible. I hope to have it go live around xmas.
Any Pictures ect that you might have would be nice if OK with you to help bring the names to life.
Thanks
Bob Wilkinson

[Mudlark]

Hi Bob,

I can probably help you with a photo of Dave although I'm afraid he is not in uniform. I do have a Beckenham AFS Christmas card for 1939 - this was sent by Dave to my parents.

The books by Pat Manning are available on her website
http://pickpatspage.com/jenna-publishing  - I was originally in contact with Pat via email when I found her article in the NW Kent FHS magazine (Dec 2005).

Will be in touch direct via a PM

Chris

[poohbear7]

hi wilkybob,

do you remember i contacted you sometime ago about a fireman in my family tree, i still havn't phoned the number you gave me.

i just wanted to let you know my son  got sponsership from the lancashire fire service while he's at uni up there and starts his fire  training in april. he's at uni for 3 yrs and then straight in fire service.

also don't know if you can help on this one. my husband was adopted and always new his birth  fathers name. after many yrs of searching we found he died in 2001 - he was a fireman in the raf but went awol in 1965  so we don't know if he ever went back to the raf. we have no raf number or where he was stationed although on some paperwork we have it says he did go to singapore.
any thoughts?

[wilkybob]

First good luck to your son, I hope he has a happy and safe career in what is still in my opinion one of the best and most rewarding jobs today.

The RAF records are held at RAF Cranwell.
The link is http://www.raf.mod.uk/links/contacts.cfm
They charge £30.00 and are strict on who they give information to. (Close family only usually next of kin to person on the records)
Hope this helps
Bob Wilkinson

[IAN WALKER]

Hi Margaret
Sorry I took so long to reply, been of skiing amongst other things, now catching up with things.

My list shows

NFS Fireman George Christian Cert – NFS London
Died 24th August 1944 aged 32. Of 84 Chesterton Terrace, Plaistow.
At the  N.F.S. Station, Abbey Road, London, when station was hit by a German V1 Rocket.
----------------------------
NFS Fireman Edward Arthur Rosebridge – NFS London
Died 24th August 1944 aged 32. Of 31 Collard Road, Walthamstow.
Injured at Abbey Road AFS Station, when it was hit by a German V1 Rocket. Died same day at Queen Mary's Hospital.
-------------------------------

The names are also listed in a roll of honor in the back of a book called The London Blitz, a Firemans Tale, by Cyril Demarne

Best wishes Bob W

Hello ,Iam George Christian Cert Grandson, My name is Ian Walker,  We are trying to locate where my grandad is buried, I was wondering if you know where he might be, as my gran is not well and cant remember. Her name is Violet Cert and my mum was Pauline Cert. please reply , it would be nice.

thank you Ian Walker