THE OLD FIREMAN
He was old; and his white hair thinning; and he’d smile and say ”Hello”
As he strolled round to the station; and told tales of long ago.
Of the fires that he’d fought ; and the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his watch mates; Ah! they were heroes, every one.
And sometimes; to his neighbours; his tales became a joke,
But the firefighters listened; For they knew whereof he spoke.
Now, they’ll hear his tales no longer because old Bill has passed away
And the world’s a little poorer;
for a Fireman died today.
ROLL OF HONOUR
Retained L/Ff John Guy March 2010 Bishop Auckland.
DCO John Adamsom March 2010 HQ.
Bob Whaley July 2010.
Sub O Dougie Furn. July 2010 Seaham.
D.O. Jack Coulson 8th August 2010 HQ.
Ff Stephen Mitchell 9th August 2010 Darlington.
George Curtiss 27th August 2010 Stanley.
Sub O Roy Bowman 27th October 2010 Bishop Auckland.
D.O. John Clark December 2010 HQ.
D.O. Bill Comerford April 2011 HQ.
Ff John ‘Wally’ Dixon July 2011 Durham.
Ff John (Jack) Corker 14th November 2011 Stanley/Consett.
Stn.O. Harold Kirby January 2012 Ex Durham County and Cleveland.
Ff David Ball February 2012 Stanley/Consett.
D.O. Alan Hopper March 2012 HQ.
Sub O Tommy Maddison October 2012 Stanley.
Retained Ff Joe Foster & Mobile mechanic Dec 2012. Durham & HQ.
Ff John ‘Harvey’ Ripley Dec 2012 Durham.
Geoff Kipling January 2013 Ex Durham County and Cleveland County.
Retained Ff Bruno Mellenthin April 2013 Seaham.
Retained Sub.O Ian Heath April 2013 Seaham.
Sub O Fred Turnbull May 2013 Fence Houses.
Ff. Terry Connor 9th June 2013 Darlington.
L/Ff Robin ‘Taff’ Coady July 2013 Darlington.
Senior Fire Control Operator Joan Coulson 8th July 2013 HQ.
L/Fm Jimmy Cairns. September 22nd 2013 Peterlee.
Retained Sub Officer Raymond Hall Oct 1st 2013 Middleton-in-Teesdale.
Fm Tommy Maddson October 2013 Peterlee.
Retained Station Officer Terry Sayers November 26th 2013. Spennymoor.
DO Dave Peacock December 6th 2013 Darlington.
Sub O Harry ‘H’ Atkinson 11th February 2014 Peterlee.
Fm Harry Bell March 5th 2014 Durham.
D.O. Allan Hodgson March 2014 Darlington.
Retained Leading Fireman Jack Fogherty March 8th 2014 Seaham.
L/fm John Slane 19th March 2014 Consett.
CM Tony Hoban (serving) 18th May 2014 HQ.
L/Fm Michael Wardle May 2014 Bishop Auckland.
L/fm Dennis Halliday 25th June 2014 Bishop Auckland.
Retained Fireman Ronny Owers August 2014 Bishop Auckland.
WM Peter Brown (serving) August 25th 2014 HQ training.
Dave Cartlidge January 2015 FP HQ
WM Ian Bell (serving) Feb 2015 Consett
Retired SDO Jim Donaldson Feb 2015 HQ
Retired L/Fm Jim West. Feb 2015 Seaham
Retired Chief Fire Officer Alf Thompson. March 2015 HQ
Retained Sub Officer John Heslop March 2015 Spennymoor.
Retired DO Tom ‘Tot’ Welch (senior) Peterlee May 2015
Retired Retained Leading Fireman Avery Smith Barnard Castle June 2015
Retired Fm Nicholas Woods Darlington September 2015
Jimmy Pope, Darlington. December 2015
Retired Stn.O. John Cairns March 2016. Darlington
Retired workshop Foreman Eric Butler. May 2016 HQ
Retired Retained Sub Officer Fred Forster June 2016 Fence Houses.
Retired Fm Austin Oliver, September 2016. Durham
Retired Retained Station Officer Maurice Dunn October 2016 Wheatley Hill
Retired Station Officer John Andrews. January 2017. Darlington
Retired Retained Sub Officer Brian Dawson February 2017. Stanley
Retired Firefighter Alan Laskey. February 2017 Bishop Auckland
Retired ADO Albert Ernest Reynolds (Ernie) February 2017 Training School, Durham.
Retired Fire fighter Barrie Hall. March 2017. Consett
Retired Fire fighter Alan Watson March 2017 Seaham& Newton Aycliffe
Retired Fire fighter Jack Holiday April 2017 Durham.
Retired Divisional Officer John Daly Taylor July 2017 Darlington.
Retired Fire Fighter Ronnie Gustard. August 2017. Seaham
Retired Fire Fighter Alan Tug Wilson. September 2017 Darlington.
Retired Station Officer Robert (Bob) Stoves. Durham November 2017
Retired Fire fighter Brian Brown December 2017. Peterlee
Retired Fire fighter Ray Randall December 2017 Newton Aycliffe
Retired Fire fighter Doug Fisher December 2017.
Retained Fire fighter David Middlemass. December 2017 Bishop Auckland.
Retired Sub Officer Chris Binney. February 2018 Darlington.
Retired Chief Fire Officer Fred Elton. April 2018. HQ
Retired Sub Officer Derek Mullens. April 2018 Darlington.
Janet White. Control operator in Durham. April 2018
Stephen Clark Ex Fire fighter, Durham. June 2018
Bob Robson, Retired Retained Fire fighter Newton Aycliffe September 2018
John Scott, Retired Leading fire fighter, Training School and Stanley. September 2018
Retired Watch Manager Paul Elliot Bishop Auckland October 2018
Retired Fire Fighter Keith Dent Former Durham and Cleveland October 2018
Retired Sub Officer Harry Brown formerly of Darlington Fire Brigade. October 2018
Graham Wilkinson ex Fire fighter, High Handenhold. Dec 2018
Retained L/ff Raymond Maughan Spennymoor Jan 2019
Retired Fire fighter Tommy Robson, Jarrow and Hebburn. February 2019
Retained Fire Fighter Thomas William Durkin. Spennymoor April 2019
Retired Station Officer Derek Norris Training School and Peterlee. May 2019
Retired Sub Officer Tommy Moses Durham. July 2019
Retired Leading Fireman Dave Ridley, Durham and Bde Driving Instructor July 2019
Retired ADO Dick McCormick. Durham July 2019
Retired Retained Station Officer Officer Billy Harker. Crook November 2019
Retired Station Officer Derek Thompson. Bishop Auckland. December 2019
Retired Retained Sub Officer Gordon Hall. Crook. December 2019
Retired retained Crew manager Dave Martin, Seaham March 2020
Retained L/fm Allan Gauden. Durham April 2020
Yvonne Milburn Ex Control July 2020
Retired ACO John Erskine Brigade HQ (Training) Nov 2020
Retired Fire fighter Peter Graham Dec.2020 Fence houses
Retired ADO Ian Robinson. Dec 2020. Darlington.
Retired Sub O Peter “Nobby” Clarke. Jan 2021 Durham
Retired Fire fighter Phil McGowan. Jan 2021 Peterlee and Durham.
Retired L/Ff David ‘Sandy’ Sanderson Feb 2021 Peterlee
Retired SDO Trevor Denham Feb 2021. Fire Safety HQ
Retired Sub Officer Alan Roberts April 2021 Fencehouses.
Retired ACFO Dominic (DOM) Brown June 2021 HQ
Retired Retained Fire fighter Keith Ringer. July 2021 Consett
Retired ADO Ralph Laws. July 2021 Peterlee/Seaham
Retired DCO Edwin Stanger. July 2021 HQ
Retired Stn. O Billy Dunn. Darlington and Durham. Sept. 2021
Retired Mechanic John Harding. Nov 2021 Bde workshops HQ Nov 21
Retired Leading Fire fighter John Gornall Consett Dec. 21
Gail Matthews Control operator. HQ. January 2022
Retired Sub Officer Harry Stephenson. Fence Houses. Feb 22
Retired Sub Officer John Winter. Bishop Auckland March 22
Retired DO Brian Barrett Ex Durham County and Tyne and Wear March 22
Retired DO Malcolm Squib HQ March 22
Retired Control Operator Zena Gill May 22 Brigade Control.
Retired Fire fighter Dougie Kelly July 22 Durham
Retired L/Ff Bryce Johnston July 22 Bishop Auckland/Darlington
Retired Fire Fighter Bob (Brian) Docherty August 22 Durham
Retired Area Manager Chris Banks September 22 HQ
Retired Assistant Chief fire Officer Dave Winter December 22 HQ
Retired Fire fighter Bobby Atkinson Dec 22 Durham
Retired Sub Officer Alex Green Jan. 23 Fence Houses
Ret Fire fighter Michael ‘Archie’ Andrews April 23 Darlington
Ret Fire Fighter John Aitman. May 23 Darlington and Aycliffe.
Ret Fire fighter Dave Smith August 23 Newton Aycliffe.
Ret. Fire fighter Derek Johnson August 23 Durham.
Ret. Fire fighter Ernie Thompson Oct 23 Fence Houses.
Ret. Sub Officer Ron Curry December 23 Peterlee
Ret Sub Officer Albert Varnsverry February 24 Seaham
Ret. Fire fighter Billy Hull February 24 Seaham
Ret Fire fighter Martin (Marty) Lively Feb 24 Hebburn. Ex DCFB
Ret. DO Ian Sutherland. Feb. 24. Consett, Durham and HQ
Ret Ff Geoff Kelly March 24 Consett.
Ret DO Charlie Collier Tyne & Wear Ex DCFB April 2024