It was fitting for a former Naval officer that it was Chief Officer Fordham's lot to take charge of his last major fire as Chief Officer of the Kent Fire Brigade on Naval premises. A spectacularfire broke out in Chatham Naval Dockyard at 10.15 hours o 12th July 1966 at the time when Commander Fordham arrived to say goodbye to the Admiral Superintendent of the Dockyard, who was leaving the yard for a new post.
On his arrival he found the dockyard blanketed in a pall of heavy smoke. The No2 Slipway with its 200 year old timber covering, a protected site of considerable historic interest on which Nelson's flagship HMS Victory was built, was well alight. Employyes from nearby offices and workshops had to be evacuated. a large number of cars parked adjacent to the building were destroyed.
Despite the very best efforts of the crews from 16 Pumps from 10 local stations, under the personal direction of the Chief Officer, the building was completely destroyed. Saving it was an impossible task due to the intense radiated heat from the fire. Many Dockyard workers assisted the brigade at the height of the operations and forty one persons, including a number of firemen received minor injuries during the fire-fighting. The figurehead of Lord Nelson, removed for preservation from the seventh HMS Vanguard, which had been launched in 1835, was badly charred. However, it was saved from further damage by fire-fighting operations and was subsequently restored by the Navy.
After the fire the Chief officer received the following letter from an employee at the Dockyard.
"I am writing on behalf of some of the girls of Naval Stores who witnessed the fire which occurred on Tuesday, 12 July 1966 at HM Dockyard Chatham. We were so much impressed by the courage of the firemen who attended that we thought we would take the opportunity of conveying our own personal thanks"
Most of us are too young -some not even born to remember the brave deeds these men carried out during the last war, and to us the fire was the worst we have ever seen. Of course, we realise that these men possess a special quality but to see them tackle the blaze really brought home to us your men's dedication to duty. The heat was so intense that I'm sure some of these men must have sustained burns but nevertheless they carried on regardless.
Many brave deeds must be executed by these men which the public never hear about, so we as office girls would like to say "Thank You" not only to these men but to the Fire Service in general. None of us know any of the firemen, so please convey our heartfelt thanks to all the men who came from many different areas to attend the blaze, and they will always have our admiration."
signed Pamela Chuck.
24 girls in addition to Miss Chuck signed the letter.
From 50 Vigilant Years. A History of Kent Fire Brigade.
The restored figurehead was presented to Kent Fire Brigade and it now resides in Medway Fire Station.
