Medal for bravery 100 years ago

Members of the Fire Brigade pictured with their first motorised fire engine outside the original fire station on Canal Road in 1923.

The photo of the firemen was brought in to us by Guardian reader Ian Sellars, of Sandy Lane, Worksop.

It shows his grandad Arthur Sellars on the far left.

He was part of the team which tackled the blaze at Shirley, Aldred and Co chemical manufacturers in February 1913.

All the firemen received a medal from the company for their bravery.

Ian, 67, said: “The medal is inscribed on the back with ‘from SA to AS’, which meant from Shirley Aldred to Arthur Sellars.”

“It has a link where it could be attached to a fob chain. It was passed down to me by my father George.”

Ian said his grandad died in 1968 at the age of about 86. As well as being a fireman, he had also worked as a foreman for the former Worksop council.

“My grandad never talked about the fire, or mentioned the medal he received. It was my dad who gave it to me,” said Ian, who worked as a British Rail clerical officer.

A front page report in the Worksop Guardian on 28th February 1913 had the headline: Serious Fire At Worksop.

It said: “As we were going to press this morning, the Worksop Fire Brigade was called to a fire on the premises of Messrs Shirley, Aldred and Co, Chemical Manufacturers, Sandy Lane, Worksop.”

“The brigade turned out with promptitude under Capt Rawson, and on arrival, we understand found the premises practically gutted, the fire having spread with great rapidity.”

“The brigade was still at work when we went to print.”

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