Cheapside Street Disaster

On Sunday 28th March 2010, Strathclyde Fire & Rescue marked the 50th anniversary of the Cheapside Street Disaster when 14 members of Glasgow Fire Service and five members of Glasgow Salvage Corps were killed after a whisky bond exploded.

SFR prepared for almost two years to commemorate this tragic event which accounted for the biggest loss of life in the peacetime history of the British Fire Service.

Surviving veterans along with families and friends were joined by SFR personnel for a ceremony at the Cheapside Street Memorial at the Necropolis. Chief Officer Brian Sweeney gave the opening remarks and our chaplains, Father Jim Thomson and the Rev Craig Lancaster, officiated.

The  ceremony was followed by a special service at Glasgow Cathedral attended by over 600 people including Community Safety Minister Fergus Ewing MSP and Lord Provost Bob Winter. Chief Officer Sweeney gave the main address.

The final event, fully open to the public, took place at George Square from 3.30pm. SFR Pipe Band and a firefighters’ Guard of Honour marched onto the Square where they joined a firefighters’ vanguard, flag bearers and a lone piper.

At 4.15 Fergus Ewing unveiled a granite plaque depicting a turntable ladder pouring water onto the Cheapside inferno. This plaque will be installed beside the Clyde Walkway adjacent to Cheapside Street at a later date. The ceremony ended at 4.30pm with the Guard of Honour and Pipe Band marching off the square.

The day’s proceedings were the result of hard work and preparation by a team of SFR personnel overseen by the Chief Officer and led by Assistant Chief Officer Lewis Ramsay. 

• The public were able to view a fascinating exhibition of historical fire service equipment and dramatic video footage of major Glasgow fires in a marquee set up on George Square. The exhibition was organised by Strathclyde Fire & Rescue Preservation Society and our AV colleagues pieced together the video from footage taken by fire service personnel over the years.
  
  
• The Mitchell Library in Glasgow is also hosting an outstanding Cheapside exhibition in its foyer off Granville Street. The exhibition, which runs throughout April, includes Cheapside-era equipment such as a Proto breathing apparatus and a large scale model of the St Mungo fire boat. Display boards and backdrops created by our Graphics team feature striking images relating to the Disaster.
  
  
• The BBC TV documentary on Cheapside, "The Night Glasgow Burned", was transmitted on Sunday Sunday 28th March 2010 at 5.05pm on BBC1.
  
  
• A wonderful memorial book, "Tinderbox Heroes", has been written by our Public Affairs Manager, Alan Forbes, and former Staff Officer, Jim Smith. The book is now available in Glasgow branches of Waterstones and by email from us at:

        REA@strathclydefire.org

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The 28th March 1960

On the 28th March 1960 the worst peacetime disaster in British Fire Service history took place when 14 firemen and 5 Salvage Corps men lost their lives at a fire in Arbuckle Smith’s bonded warehouse in Cheapside Street Glasgow.

Each year there is a Memorial Service held in the Glasgow Necropolis at the Fire Service Memorial at the top of the cemetery. This annual Service commemorates this terrible loss of life and helps keep alive the memory of the men and the ultimate sacrifice they gave in protecting the public in the line of duty.

The 28th March 2010 will see the 50th anniversary of the fire and to mark the occasion in a manner befitting the memory of our colleagues who lost their lives, the Chief Officer Brian Sweeney, the Fire Board Convenor and Vice Convenors, SFR Senior Management Team, SFR Chaplains and members of the REA attended an Inaugural Meeting recently to discuss what form of tribute or tributes would be appropriate.

A Memorial Committee was formed at this meeting and this Committee will be having regular meetings to progress the many aspects of our tribute to our fallen colleagues for the 50th anniversary in 2010

If you have any ideas or suggestions to enhance this tribute then please submit them through our website Guest Book facility or contact Joe direct on 0141 638 6486 to discuss it further or contact any Committee Member.  

Cheapside Street Memorial Service 2008 Slideshow

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