05December2024

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Annual Memorial

Today (Sunday 3rd May) would have been the day this year that the CFA Memorial Service would have been held.

COVID-19 restrictions have obviously made that impossible this year. However I would encourage members to take a moment over the next couple of days to pause, reflect and honour our firefighters who have selflessly given their lives in the line of service in order to protect the lives of other Victorian’s.

The annual memorial is usually held each year on the Sunday closest to St Florian’s Day (4th May).

The event pays special tribute to the 79 CFA firefighters (which includes 11 from pre-1944 who died prior to the formation of CFA under the Country Fire Brigades Board).

This years’ service would have also been a formal occasion to pay our respects to our colleagues from DELWP, NSW RFS and the United States who tragically lost their lives battling this summer’s bushfires.

While we mourn the loss of each precious live lost as a result of these and any fires, I want to acknowledge each of the nine to whom this year we owe a special debt. Victorian firefighters Bill Slade, Mat Kavanagh and David Moresi. New South Wales firefighters Geoffrey Keaton, Andrew O’Dwyer and Samuel McPaul. And North American firefighters Ian McBeth (Montana), Paul Hudson (Arizona) and Rick DeMorgan Jr (Florida) who travelled from the United States of America to help Australia in its time of need.

To all the families and loved ones of those we have lost, we say thank-you and make a solemn promise that their sacrifice will never be forgotten.

While the annual memorial service is always solemn and reflective, it is also an important opportunity to reflect on our history as we pay tribute to those lost – and reflect on the importance of the work we all do in making our communities safer. And while we can’t come together in person this year, we can come together in spirit and thought to acknowledge and pay respect to those we have lost.

On behalf of VFBV and all member Brigades and Groups, our thoughts and prayers are for the families, friends and loved ones of those who have died in the line of duty and for all those that have suffered loss, injury or sickness through their work, dedication and commitment to protecting their communities.

 


 

In memory of our fallen firefighters, at each years memorial the CFA Chief Officer would cause the tolling of a bell as each name of our fallen is read out. I ask that you please take time to reflect on each of the lives memorialised in our roll of honour below.

 

Roll of Honour

COUNTRY FIRE BRIGADES BOARD – ROLL OF HONOUR

 

Arthur SWANWICK

Bendigo Fire Brigade

26.02.1908

Kevin DUNKLEY

Tarrawingee CFBB 

22.12.1943

Andrew GUTHRIE 

Tarrawingee CFBB 

22.12.1943

Claude HILL 

Tarrawingee CFBB 

22.12.1943

Theodore LEA 

Tarrawingee CFBB 

22.12.1943

John MARKS 

Tarrawingee CFBB 

22.12.1943

Norman ROBINSON 

Tarrawingee CFBB 

22.12.1943

Joseph Louis RYAN 

Tarrawingee CFBB 

22.12.1943

Edward SEYMOUR 

Tarrawingee CFBB 

22.12.1943

Godfrey SPENCER 

Tarrawingee CFBB 

22.12.1943

Arthur WELLINGTON 

Tarrawingee CFBB 

22.12.1943

 

COUNTRY FIRE AUTHORITY – ROLL OF HONOUR

 

August Theodore (Ted) HAEUSLER

Horsham South RFB

22.01.1949

Francis John MARENGO

Chiltern RFB

12.12.1953

Ronald Thomas GILL*

Darragan RFB (now Noradjuha RFB)

19.01.1957

Frank Thomas ADDLEM

Baringhup West RFB

21.02.1957

Gordon William MALE

Maldon RFB

21.02.1957

Maxwell John MC DONNELL

Toolangi RFB

9.04.1957

Arthur Gordon POPPLE

Wollert & District RFB

2.02.1958

Bruce Robson FORSTER

Edenhope RFB

10.01.1959

Clyde Belmont OLHOLM

Wodonga West RFB

10.02.1961

Malcolm Douglas BARBER*

Healesville RFB

13.01.1962

Allan James MC KEAN

Inglewood RFB

17.01.1965

Maxwell Roy MARTIN*

North Geelong UFB

7.02.1965

Stephen WARD-ANDERSON*

Mt Eliza RFB

7.02.1967

John Robert GREENWOOD

Yarrambat RFB

30.04.1967

Barry HANLON

Scoresby RFB

25.10.1968

Kenneth James CLARK

Ararat UFB

8.01.1969

Evan James HURN

Campbelltown RFB

8.01.1969

Dennis John COLLERY

Hesket-Kerrie RFB

24.01.1973

John Tregurtha Syme DENNIS

Nambrok RFB

8.01.1975

William Bassett BILLS

Lakes Entrance UFB

15.08.1975

John Craig STONE

Teesdale RFB

1.02.1976

Wallace Edward ANNISON

Macedon RFB

4.04.1976

Stephen William DEFINA

Avenel RFB

14.12.1976

Graham John KIRK*

Rokewood Junction & District RFB

12.02.1977

Donald Graham DUNN

Streatham RFB

12.02.1977

Neville James KIRK*

Wallinduc & District RFB

12.02.1977

Peter Henry PATTERSON

Bengworden RFB

15.01.1978

Ronald Max (Bill) ARMSTRONG

Marraweeny RFB

15.01.1978

Stanley Bertram BRIDGES

Wendouree UFB

12.04.1980

David John BRAMWELL*

Redbank & District RFB

15.04.1980

Edward Hitchcock STEARNS

Kangaroo Flat UFB

22.02.1981

Kenneth Neil JUCKERT

Belgrave UFB

5.04.1981

William John PIERSON

Dandenong UFB

24.01.1982

Darren John MC LEAN

Churchill-Jeeralang RFB

14.02.1982

Jeremy Peter KING

Spring Creek RFB

20.02.1982

Osborne Edward John LOWEN

Nar Nar Goon RFB

16.02.1983

Dorothy Ellen BALCOMBE

Narre Warren RFB

16.02.1983

Keith BUSBRIDGE*

Narre Warren RFB

16.02.1983

Lloyd Huon DONOVAN

Narre Warren RFB

16.02.1983

Murray John FORSYTH

Narre Warren RFB

16.02.1983

Neil Rodney HENRY

Narre Warren RFB

16.02.1983

John Richard MINETT

Narre Warren RFB

16.02.1983

Darrell John WILKES*

Narre Warren RFB

16.02.1983

Maurice ATKINSON*

Panton Hill RFB

16.02.1983

Stuart Robert DUFF

Panton Hill RFB

16.02.1983

Neville Lewis JEFFERY

Panton Hill RFB

16.02.1983

William John MARSDEN

Panton Hill RFB

16.02.1983

Peter John SINGLETON

Panton Hill RFB

16.02.1983

Peter Ronald CLOVER

Wallacedale RFB

16.02.1983

John Francis MYNARD

Trafalgar RFB

27.04.1990

Robert Ian PARISH

Eaglehawk UFB

28.12.1990

Dennis James WITNEY

Jeparit UFB

19.06.1997

Maxwell George WILLIS

Scarsdale & Smythesdale RFB

4.11.1998

Matthew Leigh THOMAS

Hurstbridge RFB

26.11.1998

Matthew William ARMSTRONG

Geelong West UFB

2.12.1998

Stuart John DAVIDSON

Geelong West UFB

2.12.1998

Christopher John EVANS

Geelong West UFB

2.12.1998

Jason Richard THOMAS

Geelong West UFB

2.12.1998

Garry VREDEVELDT

Geelong West UFB

2.12.1998

Arthur Johnson SHARMAN

Tarnagulla UFB

1.07.2000

Darren Michael RIDLEY

Skye RFB

15.12.2001

Scott John LLOYD

Hillside-Sydenham FB

19.12.2001

Douglas Colin HENRY

Glengarry West RFB

3.04.2005

Trevor James DAY

Campbells Creek UFB

23.01.2006

Rebecca Svetlana HELWIG

Barnawartha RFB

17.02.2006

Joseph SHEPHERD

Arthurs Creek RFB

7.02.2009

Hugh Neville MONROE

Tolmie & District RFB

10.01.2010

Peter Nicholas  HARRY  

Gisborne FB 

30.12.2012

 


 

About the Annual Memorial

The annual memorial event honours firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of service and is held on the closest Sunday to 4 May, which is St Florian’s Day (the patron saint of firefighters) and International Firefighters Day.

We wear blue and red ribbons to pay tribute to our fallen. The ribbons are linked to colours symbolic of the main elements firefighters work with – red for fire and blue for water. These colours also are internationally recognised as representing emergency service.

St. Florian is the Patron Saint of Firefighters and was an officer of the Roman army who was responsible for organising and leading firefighting brigades tasked to fight fires when Rome needed to protect itself against fire being used as an offensive weapon in the third century.

On St. Florian’s Day, firefighters, families and communities across the world take a moment to acknowledge firefighters commitment and dedication to their communities and their selfless duty to protecting lives and property.

The Annual Memorial Service is a formal and reflective day to acknowledge and remember those that have made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of their communities. It’s a time for reflection and just one of the ways we can remember the lives of 68 CFA members and 11 Country Fire Brigades Board  firefighters (prior to the formation of CFA), who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and given their lives in service to protecting our communities.

 

Read 7924 times Last modified on Monday, 18 May 2020 08:35
CFA Volunteers are the unpaid professionals of our Emergency Services. VFBV is their united voice, and speaks on behalf of Victoria's 60,000 CFA Volunteers.

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