I was pleased to read about this award, especially later in the article reading about the 19 firemen killed in Glasgow in 1960, all 19 were colleagues and friends of my father, who was lucky to survive, I new them all, the gentleman, mentioned Willie Cruikshank was our neighbour for many years..................
The first recipients of an award for emergency service workers who die in the line of duty have been announced.The Elizabeth Emblem, named after the late Queen, will be given to the next of kin of more than 30 deceased firefighters, police officers and public servants in recognition of their loved ones.
Among those honoured are PC Fiona Bone and PC Nicola Hughes, who were killed in an ambush responding to a bogus 999 call in September 2012.
To mark the new honour, King Charles will award the first batch of emblems later this year.................
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce31jgjel81oGlasgow Fire Memorial
Cheapside Street Fire
On 28th March 1960, a bonded warehouse in Cheapside St, Anderston, Glasgow, owned by Arbuckle, Smith & Co Ltd, went up in flames. Men from every division of the Glasgow Fire Service attended, even those who were not on duty that night, such was the dedication of those men. It was a fire the likes of which Glasgow had never seen and one which would live on in the memory of many Glaswegians to this very day. At its peak 450 fire fighters were engaged in fighting the blaze that was fuelled by more than a million gallons of whisky and rum, which sent fierce flames into the night sky, that could be seen for miles around.
In all 14 firemen and 5 salvage men were killed that night, when the walls of the warehouse blew out into Cheapside St and Warroch St as a result of an explosion within the building. Three fire appliances were also buried in the falling masonry. The fire actually took a week to put out.
A public funeral took place on Tuesday 5th April 1960, and the citizens of Glasgow lined the streets to pay their respects to these heroic men, and it was no exaggeration to say this city literally came to a standstill. A public fund in aid of the wives and children of those who lost their lives was launched by the Lord Provost and a final sum realised amounted to £187,360, of which a significant amount came from ordinary men, woman and children of Glasgow.
