INSIDE THIS 24 PAGE ISSUE PROPOSED MUSEUM AND VEHICLES PURCHASE NY FIRE DEPARTMENT VISIT RAF WADDINGTON/TATTERSHALL WEEKEND RAF CHANGI ASSOCIATION BASRAH TANKER CONVOY FIRE IRAQ FIREFIGHTER’S WEDDING REMEMBRANCE PARADE REVIEW PROPOSED GOLF SOCIETY STOKE AGM/REUNION REPORT ASSOCIATION SHOP December 2004 www.fireservicesassociation.net £1.00 (Free to members) Who To Contact Member’s Second Honour President Dave Kenyon member 239 Keith Penfold member 9 47 Grange Avenue Special RepoRt on tReMenDoUS 80 Pitts Field Thornbury HonoUR FoR RetiReD ‘HUnnY’ BoBBY!’ Cricklade Bradford BD3 7BE Wiltshire tel/fax 01274 666 043 26 aUGUSt 2004 SN6 6AW e-mail: [email protected] retired Hunstanton bobby could be the first Norfolk person tel 01793 751 536 to pick up a special civic award usually reserved for people AREA CO-ORDINATORS A Vice-President living in an East London Borough. Dennis McCann member 7 Devon & Cornwall Lulworth, John Savage (member 180) served as a policeman in Newham, Wilf Longmire member 83 London, for 21 years – for which he has already been awarded Clacton Road 28 Cormorant Drive Weeley Heath St Austell the MBE – but retired in February on his 60th birthday. He Clacton on Sea Cornwall moved with his wife, Jeanie, to Mercedes Avenue, Hunstanton, Essex PL25 3BA two years ago. CO16 9ED tel 01726 642 74 tel/fax 01255 830 546 Speaking of his special civic award, he said; “I’m absolutely Norfolk chuffed, and it was quite emotional receiving it. I think I’m Chairman Steve Doran member 41 the first person, who does not live in the borough, to receive Roger Brooks member 16 Ronal this award. I am genuinely grateful to receive this tremendous 18 Farm Close 22 Gunn Street Seaford Foulsham honour.” Sussex Norfolk BN25 3RZ Presenting it to Mr. Savage, Newham NR20 5RJ Councillor, Patrick Holland said: tel 01323 899 562 e-mail-suero- tel 01362 683 795 [email protected] “The decision to give John an award RAF was an easy one – it was for all the Vice-Chairman Steve Bowden member 413 extra help he has given to the police Jim Paterson member 405 Station Fire Officer forum, and especially the civic office. 18 Plover Court RAF St Athan John has organised quizzes acted as Rossington Barry Nr. Doncaster Glamorgan unpaid Toastmaster, and helped with South Yorkshire CF62 4WA many projects on a voluntary basis.” DN11 0HU tel 01446 798 393 tel 01302 864 742 Superintendent Roger Smalley added Scotland – “This award recognises John’s exceptional contribution to the Secretary Rab Dawson member 527 forum, and its predecessor, the consultative group. It reflects George Edwards BEM mem. 238 24 Malvern Court well on John and on all police officers serving in the borough.” 8 East Close Gallowgate Ecclestone Park Glasgow Mr. Savage was given the award last week at Newham Town Prescot G31 1TW Hall, East Ham. He began his service in the borough in 1982 Merseyside tel 0141 554 7794 L34 2RA as a home beat officer in West Ham, before transferring to the youth and community section. Last year, Mr. Savage received tel 01514 26 5 093 Wales email - george.edwards46@ Ian King member 242 the MBE for his services to the police. virgin.net Warren Bungalow Note - This article was extracted from the Lynn News, King’s John’s Lane Hirwaun Lynn, Norfolk. Treasurer Mid Glamorgan Congratulations John, you and your family must be very proud Geoff Varley member 221 Wales 3 Fairway CF44 9TB of the award – Ed. Girton tel 01685 811 131 Cambridge John Savage (third left) receives a special award from a London CB3 0QF SouthYorkshire & Derbyshire 01223 276 772 John Arnold member 394 22 Crookes Broom Lane Membership Secretary Hatfield Bob Feather member 218 Doncaster Bank House DN7 6JN Station Road tel 0132 351 196 Bolton Percy York YO23 7AP tel/fax 01904 744 903 e-mail:[email protected] Borough for his service to the local community. With him, from the left, are Supt Roger Smalley, Patrick Holland, civic ambassador, Patricia Holland, and last year’s civic ambassador, Joy L. Editor Flashpoint © The copyright of this journal is vested in the Royal Air Force and Defence Fire Services Association. No part may be copied, or stored, in any type of retrieval system, electronic or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Editor. Flashpoint Magazine - December 2004 2 www.fireservicesassociation.net Flashpoint Editorial would like to thank and becomes part of our I everyone who tele- history for posterity. contentS phoned, wrote and Long after we are gone, 2 Who to Contact, and member 180, emailed his or her our memories,stories, John Savage’s Civic Award. congratulations on my anecdotes and ‘Tales first issue of Flashpoint of Yester-year’, will 3 Editorial & front cover photo in August. I was a live on in those copies. 4 A Note from the Chairman & Stoke little worried as to the P l e a s e k e e p y o u r museum October Reunion response of members articles, anecdotes in April 2005, when when I drafted it, but my and photos coming. it will become known 5 Membership & Remembrance fears proved unfounded. We need your input. If as the John Arthur Report & Christmas Message Members appear to like you want your items Memorial Museum. 6 Personal Profiles of Treasurer & the format and presenta- back, please ensure you If more details are Newly Elected Secretary tion. include an SAE for their available before going 7-9 Members Letters & Appreciation safe return, otherwise to press, I will let you After the AGM, I was it falls to Association all know. 10 Memory Lane - RAF Changi overwhelmed with the funds to subsidise the 11 Tattershall/Waddington Weekend support I received, cost. Thank you. R e g a r d s a n d b e s t and was inundated wishes, 12-13 ‘Our Man in New Zealand’ with ideas, items, and Additionally, if the photos for Flashpoint. proposal to form a Dave Kenyon 239 14 RAFDFSA Enterprises - “Shop!” I also heard quite a few museum in memory Editor December 2004 15 Ground Zero/NY Fire Dept. Visit stories from members, of our late founding and encour-aged them president, John Arthur, 16 Brief History of the Association to put them on paper mentioned in this issue, 17 In Memoriam & Requiem Poem and get them to me. gets off the ground, Even if it’s only a it makes for exciting 18 News - Views - Updates - Diary & small item, a memory, times ahead! It’s hoped Deadline Dates or a brief anecdote, it that members of John 19 Firefighters Wedding - Next Issue still needs to be told. Arthur’s family will - Tattershall/RAF Coningsby 2005 Once it’s published in dedicate and open the 20 Photographic Memories Updates Flashpoint, it’s archived 21 End Of Year Report - Vehicles Acknowledgement of the original front Purchase & Proposed Museum cover photograph showing a “Practice Dedicated to John Arthur Crash” exercise by ‘A’ Crew RAF Marham 22 RAF & Defence Fire Services - April 1968 for USA Air Force firefighters. Making a ‘Splash’ in Basrah! The photo shows, on the left, a Dual 23 Brief Histories of the Royal Air Purpose Tender MK2 (DP2) and right, an Alvis Pyrene MK6 Crash Truck producing Force and Defence Fire Services foam with firefighters in full crash gear and bone-dome helmets. 24 Your Stories - Firefighters Battle Photograph courtesy of Bob Feather Membership Secretary member Basrah Fuel Blaze! 218. address for all letters etc:- eDITORial NOTES Flashpoint - 47 Grange Avenue, Thornbury, We welcome your comments and enquiries about Flashpoint, or the Bradford. BD3 7BE Association in general. tel/fax 01274 666 043 e-mail [email protected] l Letters should be kept brief. Please include your name, address, telephone & l The Editor reserves the right to edit, or shorten, any letter or correspondence membership number and why not a photo and brief in order to fit available space. service details for publication with your letter or l Anonymous, or unsigned letters will not be published, nor anything of an article. offensive or abusive nature. l Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily endorsed by the Note:- Ensure you enclose an SAE for any items Editor or the Officers and Committee of the Association. you wish returned to you. Thankyou. l The Editor’s decision is final. Dave Kenyon member 239 www.fireservicesassociation.net 3 Flashpoint Magazine - December 2004 A Note from the Chairman cHaiRMan’S aDDReSS aGM & ReUnion STOKe- on - tRent - 22nd to the 24th october 2004 elcome to you all at our 2004 AGM. The Committee has been working hard To close, I would WIt’s been quite an eventful year for the Association and has moved our l i k e t o e x t e n d again. Unfortunately a few of our members meetings to the ATC Headquarters in a personal thank have passed on including our Founding Cambridge. A big thank you goes to Geoff y o u t o a l l t h e President, John Arthur. Our thoughts go Varley, our Treasurer, for arranging this, C o m m i t t e e f o r out to their families. and to his wife Hazel, for the food she puts their continued hard on at lunchtime. My wife, Sue enjoyed her work and support Looking on the bright side, we have new visit to Cambridge when we had our last and to you, our members who have joined our Association meeting, especially when her eyes nearly members, without and it continues to grow from strength to popped out of her head when she spotted whose backing, the strength.