Plaque

Wandsworth Fire Station - stone plaque 2

Inscription

In memory of Fireman B. Trussell who died on duty 21st May 1981.

The report in the glazed stand contain this text: 
Barry Trussell died a month after a fire in the Intensive Care Unit of Tooting’s St Georges Hospital.  The fire started at 1.45am in the early hours of Monday 27th April 1981, and it took 45 firemen nearly an hour to put out the blaze, which destroyed the storeroom. Four patients from the Intensive Care Unit and 20 others from two nearby wards, including a children’s ward, had to be evacuated as firemen struggled to contain the blaze.  There was a sudden flash explosion in the storeroom, which buried Barry Trussell, and he was removed to the special burns unit of Queen Mary’s Hospital, Roehampton with severe burns to his hands and face.  Barry died a month later, and left a wife, Gillian (24) and a four month old baby daughter Karen.  Police suspected the work of an arsonist.

Site: Wandsworth Fire Station (3 memorials)

SW18, West Hill

This memorial originally comprised the two low marble plaques with the display stand between and a rather nice little fountain behind. On the day we visited the fountain was not playing. The plastic terracotta plant pots are a recent unhappy addition. The plaque on the wall behind is also more recent. The glazed stand contains a newspaper article and a report, The Firemens' Stones, produced by the GLC Fire Brigade on the two incidents commemorated on the marble plaques. We wonder how long they pondered before putting the apostrophe in the wrong place. The report starts:

"The memorial stones outside this station were placed here by the Wandsworth Fire Service Old Comrades Association in commemoration of their colleagues who have been killed whilst on duty."

We have transcribed the relevant sections of that report onto the pages with the photos of the two stone plaques.

The right side of the building carries a foundation stone: "London County Council, Fire Brigade Committee, 24th October 1956, Richard Coppock CBE Chairman".

(It might be fixed by the time you look, but at the time of writing (Nov 2011) GoogleMaps map view and satellite view are seriously out of sync in the area around this memorial.)

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Wandsworth Fire Station - stone plaque 2

Subjects commemorated i

Fireman Barry Charles Trussell

Died a month after attending a fire in the Intensive Care Unit of Tooting’s S...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Wandsworth Fire Station - stone plaque 2

Created by i

Wandsworth Fire Service Old Comrades Association

Admittedly the badge is for an overseas contingent rather than Wandsworth but...

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Wandsworth Fire Station - stone plaque 2

Also at this site i

Wandsworth Fire Station - stone plaque 1

Wandsworth Fire Station - stone plaque 1

The report in the glazed stand contain this text:  The memorial stones outsid...

Read More

Wandsworth Fire Station - wall plaque

Wandsworth Fire Station - wall plaque

AFS - London In memory of six members of the London Auxiliary Fire Service wh...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

David Greig - N8

David Greig - N8

N8, High Street, 32

The location was Greig's mother's shop, opened in 1870. The address then was 3 St Mary's Terrace.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
John Logie Baird - IEEE

John Logie Baird - IEEE

W1, Frith Street, 22

From The Register: "On the afternoon of 26 January 2017 – exactly 91 years to the day since Baird demonstrated his mechanical apparatus t...

4 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
William Lilly

William Lilly

WC2, Strand

2015: Via Facebook Deborah Houlding, who has an interest in astrology, told us that this plaque is not really in the right place - it nee...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Brady Settlement - foundation stone

Brady Settlement - foundation stone

E1, Hanbury Street, 192-196, Brady Arts and Community Centre

From Spitalfields Life: "The Brady Girls’ Club ran from 1920 to 1970. Led by Miriam Moses ... – the Club supported the community during t...

2 subjects commemorated
Chaplin mosaics 3

Chaplin mosaics 3

SE1, Lambeth Walk, Chandler Hall

We've numbered the mosaics left to right. The text plaque is to the right of the curved wall, just out of sight of our camera. Chaplin ce...

1 subject commemorated

Previously viewed

Homoeopathic doctors and colleagues

Homoeopathic doctors and colleagues

16 died in the Trident air crash.

Group, Medicine, Tragedy

1 memorial
Coronation tree - Southwark Park

Coronation tree - Southwark Park

SE16, Southwark Park

This Chestnut tree was planted by the London County Council to commemorate the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 2nd June 1...

1 subject commemorated, 3 creators
J. A. Dowsett

J. A. Dowsett

Employee of West Ham Tramway killed in WW1.

Person

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
George M. Hammer and Co. Ltd.

George M. Hammer and Co. Ltd.

Firm of furniture makers, such as school desks and park benches. From London Fine: "Operating in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Hammer were an old English furnisher, in their words; 'Manufactur...

Group, Commerce, Craft / Design

1 memorial
Leaside Regeneration Project

Leaside Regeneration Project

A community-based social enterprise set up to develop the regeneration of the Lower Lea Valley and the surrounding area of East London.

Group, Community / Clubs, Property

1 memorial