New Groups Honoured and Remembered

The Trust is pleased to announce that, after a considerable period of research, they can now record in this Book of Remembrance, two additional groups of people who have died in the course of their duties.

Military Service

During periods of war, a number of those serving in the fire service of the period were either called back as serving reservists, volunteered for or were compulsorily conscripted into military service and, who then died as a result of those military duties. Although perhaps recorded individually in military records and on local memorials in some form or another, they have never before been recorded as a group.

The Trust hopes that, by the means of the pages of this Book of Remembrance, the loss of lives from this perhaps forgotten group of fire service members can be recognised and remembered. 

Fire Watchers and Fire Guards

The second group recorded, consists of those members of the Air Raid Precaution Services (later ‘Civil Defence’) of World War Two, who served either as ‘Fire Watchers’, or ‘Fire Guards’ (originally ‘Supplementary Fire Parties’ and also referred to as ‘Street Fire Parties’). 

These men and women either volunteered, or were compulsorily required to carry out their duties, to look out for the many fires caused by incendiary and high-explosive bombs dropped during air raids and, to attempt to extinguish them in support of the over-stretched resources of the fire service. Many died in these roles.

Although recorded individually as part of the numbers of civilians who died during World War Two, they have never before been recorded as a group, in respect of the role they performed in the Defence of the United Kingdom.

The Trust is pleased and proud to recognise and remember them.

Tracing these names, from many individual information sources, has been both complex and challenging and it is likely that there are still names to be found. 

The Trust will be pleased to receive additions or corrections, so that their service is not forgotten and is accurately recorded.