Also known as: Cliff.
This page has been created to honour the memory and celebrate the life of my father Cliff Crawley who served proudly in the London Fire Brigade for nearly 30 years, and who was Station Officer Red Watch at F21 Stratford when he retired in December 1978.
Cliff passed away on 9 April 2009 after a fall at his home in Sheringham, Norfolk. A much loved father and grandfather, he had been living on his own since losing Kathleen in 2007. He particularly used to look forward to occasional visits by members of his old Watch.
His funeral was held in Norwich on 1 May 2009, and the family were moved that a number of his ex colleagues came along. The following is part of his tribute, which I was proud to give during the ceremony.
'By the time I was born, he’d joined the London Fire Brigade. This was a profession he loved, and which more than anything defined him as a man. He would have been overjoyed to see so many friends and ex colleagues here for him today. You were his extended family, and I know there are many old firemen who called him ‘Dad’ though probably not to his face on the fireground'.
'Some of my earliest and happiest memories are of being taken to his fire station. For Christmas parties or just to visit. I remember strong arms lifting me into the cabs of fire engines, and being given the honour of ringing the bell. Father Christmas always arrived from the roof by means of a turntable ladder, and I noticed he always wore fireman’s boots'.
'On his retirement from the London Fire Brigade, his Chief Officer wrote him a personal letter of commendation. It referred to his efficient and loyal service over nearly 30 years, steady and conscientious devotion to duty, and to his qualities of leadership when in charge at Stratford. He thanked Cliff for setting an excellent example to younger men in the service, referred to the many friends he’d made, and finally wished him a long and happy retirement. For once probably, a Chief Officer’s wish came true. He also mentioned Cliff’s personal contribution at many major fires in the high risk London area, including those at Broad Street, Smithfield Market and the Moorgate tube disaster. These are part of London Fire Brigade history, and Cliff was there. At Moorgate in 1975 when a crowded tube train crashed into a blind tunnel, over a hundred people were killed or seriously injured. Rescue operations went on for 6 days. Cliff told me how the Salvation Army abandoned their principles of temperance in favour of humanity, and gave brandy to the exhausted firemen when they came out of the wreckage – this was a kindness which he always remembered'.
'After he died we found a press cutting in his bedside drawer. It must have meant a lot to him. It was the London Evening News, dated 1972. It described how at a blaze in a terraced house in Forest Gate, Station Officer Crawley and 4 other firemen from F21 Stratford rescued 6 unconscious children from the top floor bedrooms where they were trapped. The paper referred to the ‘shy heroes’ of F21 and Cliff was quoted as saying ‘Please don’t make us out to be heroes, we haven’t done anything brave, we were only doing our job’. I’d say it was an example of courage and professionalism in the finest traditions of the London Fire Brigade, or for that matter, of any uniformed service'.
'I guess we should overlook the time when the same men fed Cliff’s dog with laxatives, or when they placed in his bed one night the dummy they used to practice resuscitation. He always said that being in the fire brigade was fun sometimes, and I imagine there are many who remember very fondly the laughter they had with Cliff'.
If you knew Cliff and would like to leave a personal message on this webpage, please feel free, and thank you. And thank you also to everybody who made donations to the Firefighters Charity in Cliff's memory.
Michael Crawley
Added by: Michael Crawley on 3 July 2009.
Comments
A honour to have seen a picture of one of the men who attended Moorgate,my late partner often spoke of their bravery Kate Mckeating writes [10 July 2009]:
Regards Kate
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charity information
Every year, thousands of fire fighters are injured whilst protecting the public. Every 30 seconds in the UK, fire fighters are called to an incident, putting their lives on the line, and often sustaining physical injuries whilst carrying out their duties. The Fire Fighters Charity is here for fire fighters during their times of need, and assists thousands of individuals every year, by providing pioneering treatment and support services.