Sunday, February 25, 2007

 

The Final Story for Aileen in Northern Ireland

This is Part 3 of a family story for Aileen.

I found Bill Broadhurst (see Parts 1 and 2) and his book, The Flaming Truth, on the internet in 2002 while researching the history of my ancestors in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Since the book was not available in the U.S.A., I purchased four copies directly from Bill and his co-author Harry Welsh to share with my sister, brother and one nephew (a New York City firefighter).

In the book, I found this account of the death of my uncle, Archie McDonald:
[O]n the night of 7-8 April 1941 the German air force arrived over Belfast. Just past midnight, having illuminated the city with parachute flares, the relatively small force of six Luftwaffe bombers began dropping incendiary and high explosive bombs, principally on the docks area. One of the first major fires to develop as a result of this was at the McCue Dick timber yard in Duncrue Street. As the regular and auxiliary firemen moved in to deal with this and the other fires in the area, a parachute mine exploded nearby killing Auxiliary Firemen Archibald McDonald and Brice E. Harkness, who were among the first casualties of the raid. By the end of the attack at about four o’clock in the morning of the eighth, major fires had started throughout the harbour area, including one as the aircraft factory of Short Brothers and Harland Limited. The local firemen began to experience the same difficulties as their colleagues in Great Britain had been enduring for some months.
Pages 174-175
The Flaming Truth: A History of the Belfast Fire Brigade
©William Broadhurst and Henry Welsh 2001

Bill Broadhurst and I kept in touch via email. When my son, Robert, went to Belfast in 2004 to compete in the World Irish Dancing Championships (Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne), Bill took him to Lisburn. That’s where The Rescue statue stands in front of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service headquarters on Castle Street. Here’s a picture of my son and Chief Fire Officer, Colin Lammey, in front of the statue:


You can see more pictures of the statue and the names inscribed on the Roll of Honour at Honoring Fallen Firefighters.

Here’s a picture of the man himself, my internet friend, Bill Broadhurst, taken in 2005:






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