Summary
Colin James Townsley, GM (22 May 1942 – 18 November 1987) was an English station officer in charge of Red Watch at Soho Fire Station. He was one of 31 people who were killed in the King's Cross fire in 1987 and the only firefighter to die. He died from smoke inhalation while assisting passengers to escape and was posthumously awarded the Chief Officer's Commendation and the George Medal for his bravery.
Colin Townsley | |
|---|---|
| Born | 22 May 1942 Newton Abbot, Devon, England |
| Died | 18 November 1987 (aged 45) King’s Cross Station, London, England |
| Cause of death | Smoke inhalation |
| Monuments | King's Cross Station |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation(s) | Station Officer, Red Watch, Soho Fire Station; Firefighter |
| Years active | 1964–1987 |
| Employer | London Fire Brigade |
| Title | Station Officer |
| Spouse |
Linda Creese (m. 1968) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | George Medal, Chief Officer’s Commendation |
Early and personal life edit
Townsley was born on 22 May 1942 to James and Emma Townsley in Newton Abbot, Devon. He married Linda Creese in Leicester in 1968 and they had two daughters – Sarah (b. 1969) and Sally (b. 1976).[1]
King's Cross fire edit
Townsley was the station officer in charge of Red Watch at Soho Fire Station, London. He was in charge of the first fire engine to arrive at the King's Cross fire on 18 November 1987 and was the most senior officer at the scene.[2] Townsley had entered the underground with a colleague to assess the situation.
Witnesses said a firefighter wearing a white helmet, believed to be Townsley, had been telling passengers to evacuate just before the fatal flashover.[3]
Crews found Townsley beside the badly burned body of a passenger at the steps leading up to the Pancras Road entrance of the station.[4] Colleagues carried him out of the ticket hall and paramedics attempted unsuccessfully to resuscitate him.[5]
His funeral was held at St. Paul's Church in Covent Garden, with the Bishop of Fulham, the Rt. Rev. John Klyberg, paying tribute to Townsley's bravery and offering his sympathy to his widow and daughters. More than 3,000 fire fighters paid tribute to Townsley, with the appliance that took him to the fire carrying his body to his funeral.[6][7]
Aftermath of the fire edit
In the official inquiry into the fire, Sir Desmond Fennell said all the evidence suggested "Station Officer Townsley was overcome by smoke and fumes while trying to help the burned passenger…a heroic act."[8][9]
Townsley was posthumously awarded the Chief Officer's Commendation and the George Medal for his actions in the fire.[10] His citation for the George Medal notes that "He displayed selfless devotion to duty and gallantry of a high order when faced with conditions of extreme danger". It goes on to say that with a "total disregard for his own safety", and even without breathing equipment, Townsley remained within the booking hall area "to assist as best he could those seeking to escape until he was overcome by toxic fumes".[11][12]
The fire engine that took Townsley and his colleagues to the tragedy, and which later carried his coffin, has been restored and dedicated to his memory. It is now kept at Chiswick Fire Station as a memorial. At Soho Fire Station, Townsley's space remains empty in his memory and Chiswick Fire Station also has a memorial to him.[13]
Townsley's name is included on the plaque at King's Cross that memorialises the victims of the fire which was provided by the King's Cross Disaster Fund.[14]
References edit
- ^ "Colin J. Townsley G.M., Station Officer". londonremembers.com.
- ^ Hatty Collier (18 November 2017). "King's Cross fire memorial: Survivors and victims' families say memories still 'fresh' as they pay tribute 30 years on". Evening Standard.
- ^ "The King's Cross fire". London Fire Brigade.
- ^ "The King's Cross fire". London Fire Brigade.
- ^ Alice Evans & Clifford Thompson (18 November 2017). "King's Cross fire: 'I was screaming in pain'". BBC News.
- ^ "Firefighter Who Died in Underground Fire Mourned". AP News. 27 November 1987.
- ^ "News report of funeral of fire officer Colin Townsley". British Universities Film and Video Council. November 1987.
- ^ "King's Cross fire remembered 30 years on". London Fire Brigade. 9 July 2018.
- ^ Desmond Fennell (21 October 1988). "Investigation into the King's Cross Underground Fire" (PDF). The Department of Transport. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- ^ "The Kings Cross Underground Fire". Firehouse. 14 February 2004.
- ^ "George Medal For Fireman Townsley". Herald Scotland. 25 May 1989.
- ^ "Awarded the George Medal" (PDF). The Gazette. 25 May 1989.
- ^ Áine McGinty (10 August 2018). "Chiswick Fire Station houses memorial to tragic Kings Cross Fire". Chiswick Herald.
- ^ "Plaque: King's Cross fire – names". londonremembers.com.