Clydeside bore the brunt of Scotland’s limited ordeal by bomb and fire. Thirty-two members of the Fire Service were killed in action, and over 200 badly injured. All the attacks took place before nationalisation of the Fire Service, and all the more credit is therefore due to the local authorities and to the members of their fire brigades for their splendid co-operation in the battle with the flames on Clydeside.
The local authority controlled Fire Brigades co-operated in a manner which reflects considerable credit upon them and the officers and men of the units of the Fire Service in Clydeside.
There is not a single instance on record where local authorities refused assistance to their stricken colleagues.
Indeed, such was the enthusiasm then that there was considerable competition among Fire Service personnel to be allowed the privilege of going to the assistance of the other areas.
I have heard Firemasters express in glowing terms their appreciation and pay tributes for the help they received from other local authorities.
I must not forget the part played by part-time personnel. I had scores of volunteers from this coterie who were extremely anxious to play their part, both at the week-ends and at night time, to relieve their full-time colleagues, who, due to the tremendous tasks which confronted them, found it difficult to obtain rest and sleep.
These part-time men and women gave freely of their services and shared equally the trials and tribulations of their full-time colleagues in their strong desire to bring fires under control as quickly as possible.
Numerous instances can be quoted, where personnel at their own expense actually hired transport to proceed to stricken areas to offer their services on the spot for fire fighting operations, without any thought or consideration for themselves or their own welfare.
Mention must be made, too, of the part played by volunteer female personnel, not only in the Control Rooms, but also on the fire-ground, in carrying out duties associated with the feeding of the fire fighters from canteen vans under conditions which called for tremendous enthusiasm on the part of the women. They supplied not only hot refreshment to fire fighting personnel, but also rendered considerable assistance in feeding the stricken public of the affected areas.
In this short article, I will content myself with making mention of the larger incidents which demanded the attendance of a reasonable number of Fire Service officers and men. It must be appreciated that there were a number of smaller incidents arising from other air raids within the Clydeside area, which were adequately and efficiently dealt with by the authorities without assistance.
On September 18, 1940, enemy action over the City of Glasgow started fires in the Central, Partick, Yoker, and Yorkhill districts, including a serious outbreak of fire on one of H.M. ships at Yorkhill. These incidents called upon the services of officers and men and the use of fifty pumps.
The areas affected on March 13, 1941, were Knightswood, Scotstoun, Lambhill, Kelvingrove, Hutchesontown, Yoker, Kingston, Hyndland, Kelvindale, Partick, and Clydebank. Altogether 250 pumps were in operation at fire incidents in these areas. Five fire stations were hit during this raid and a number of fire appliances put out of action.
Special mention must be made of the part played by Boy Messenger Neil Leitch. A part time volunteer, he immediately reported for duty on his bicycle on the receipt of the "alert." He dashed from his home without wishing his family good bye, and reported to Partick Fire Station.
Shortly afterwards, he volunteered to accompany a senior officer of the Fire Service to the Hyndland district.
This officer sent him with a message for assistance. Although Boy Messenger Neil Leitch, who was only 16 years of age, was thrown from his bicycle on more than one occasion by the effects of blast, whilst endeavouring to reach Partick Fire Station, he managed to deliver his message.
On one occasion, he was so badly injured that he was carried into a first aid dressing station. After the minimum amount of attention, he insisted upon proceeding with his message, contrary to the advice of the ambulance officers.
He informed them that he must get this message through, as it was very important, and in spite of his injuries, continued on his way to Partick Fire Station. Just before he reached the Station, it was hit by a high explosive oil bomb and he received further injuries. Despite this, he heroically carried on and finally delivered the message.
Messenger Leitch subsequently succumbed to his injuries. In recognition of his heroic conduct, the Lord Provost of the City of Glasgow, Sir Patrick Dollan, and the members of the Fire Service, erected a Celtic Cross over his grave at Dalbeth Cemetery.
On March 14, 1941, a number of fires caused by the enemy action of the previous evening were still blazing furiously, and the enemy, taking full advantage of the resultant illumination, carried out a further attack. On this occasion the districts affected were Yoker, Partick, Dumbarton, Clydebank, Dalnottar and Dumbarton County. The seriousness of the situation can be gauged by the necessity to put into action over 200 pumps with the proportionate number of officers and men.
The areas affected on April 7, 1941, were the Central, Dalmarnock, Kingston, Shawlands, Bridgeton, Whiteinch, Partick, and Clydebank districts, the fire incidents demanding the attendance of 74 pumps.
On April 16, 1941, an urgent call for assistance was received for re-inforcements for Northern Ireland, and twenty five pumps and 250 officers and men were dispatched from Clydebank to Belfast. The personnel were engaged for several days dealing with serious outbreaks of fire in that city as the result of enemy air attack.
A further attack was made on Belfast on May 5, 1941. Again assistance had to be sent to the extent of twenty pumps and 200 officers and men, who remained in Belfast for some considerable time.
On both of these occasions, I received very fine tributes from governing officers responsible for Northern Ireland and the City of Belfast.
Meanwhile, a number of pumps and their crews had been dispatched to Glasgow from England to make up resultant deficiencies. This foresight was justified. On May 6, 1941, enemy air activity created incidents in the Central, Eastern, Northern, Dumbarton, and Bearsden districts, which required the attendance of thirty pumps.
A further enemy attack developed the next night over the Burgh of Greenock. Incidents were also created in the Kelvinside, Hillfoot, and Dumbarton areas. From this Fire Force Area, fifty five pumps were sent into action, the majority being dispatched to Greenock.
That was the last occasion on which Clydeside was threatened by the flames started by enemy bombers.
The courage and devotion to duty displayed by members of Fire Service in Scotland was in no way less than that shown by their English colleagues during the more persistent and frequent raids on ports and industrial areas over the Border. We in Scotland are proud to feel that we contributed our share in the fire defence of this island, did everything that was asked of us and were prepared to have given more had the call been made on us.

Thirty two men of Western (No. 1) Area were killed in action during the war.

MAIN INDEX                                 AFS PAGE                                 NFS PAGE