NSW Fire Brigades Roll of Honour
NSW Fire Brigades - Contributor Ian Grimwood AFSMThe NSW Fire Brigades Roll of Honour, takes pride of place in an engine bay at Fire and Rescue NSW, City of Sydney Fire Station. This is where the ANZAC Day ceremony held each year. It is considered a sacred place for Brigade members.
The Minutes from the Board meeting of 2nd May 1923 describes the Roll of Honor as follows:
"The Honour Board is massive and is constructed to the design of the department. It consists of six inset copper panels, framed in Queensland Maple. Upon the panels in raised letters are the names of 315 members of the NSW Fire Brigade Service. The panels are constructed by the electrolyte process at the Governmant Printing Office and it is believed to be the first occasion in which the process has been employed for work of this nature. The woodwork was executed by Messrs Dorhauer & Sons. The Rising Sun was donated by Messrs T. Green & Coy., the cost of the Honour Roll was f194."
There are 315 names on the Board which lists the following:
1 Member of the Board Enlisted
1 Brigade Medical Officer enlisted
64 Permanent Firemen enlisted
237 Volunteer Firemen enlisted
6 Clerical Staff enlisted
6 Workshop Staff enlisted
26 Firemen killed in action
All told 15 Men were Decorated for Bravery or Meritorious Service.
1 CMG, 1 DSO, 2 MC, 5 DCM, 6 MM, 1 MSM, 5 MiD
RM Sadler received both a DSO and MC
BG Redding DCM is not listed on the Roll of Honor
SW Aldenton MC, WT Carr MSM, HA Coveny MM, did not have post nominals placed after their names.
The Roll of Honour was unveiled by the Honourable C W Oakes, Colonial Secretary, Minister for Public Health and Acting Premier on the Second of May 1923 before a large crowd, which included relatives of some of the fallen soldiers.
Research has discovered a number of Men from NSW Fire Brigades, who served and whose names are not listed.
These Men are:
3793 Pte Charles. Victor Leo 24th Inf Batt
3619 Pte Cook. Charles William 13th Inf Batt
1454 Pte Coulton. Robert Austin C Company, 34th Inf Batt
1602 Tpr Gee. Charles William 6th Sqdn, 2nd Remount Unit
165 Tpr Hamilton. William Samuel 12th Reinf, 7th LH
1441 Pte MacNeill. James 13th Inf Batt & 55th Inf Batt
2680 L/Cpl Wade. Frederick John 39th Inf Batt
3528 Pte Weir. William Hutchison 45th Inf Batt
474 Dvr Whitnall. William Henry 2nd M.G. Batt
4686 CSM Redding. Bert Garnet DCM 54th Inf Batt KIA
12070 CPL Sturch. Frederick Royal Navy
NSW Naval Contingent – China
AN&MEF
9th Field Ambulance AIF
35th Aust Inf Bn AIF
A video made in 2015 brings to life a number of names on the Roll of Honor.
This can be viewed at:
