[afsrochester]

Hi bromptonboy.

I was talking to a Lady yesterday who was working in the "Main Office" opposite the slipway, when it went up. She told me that quite a few cars that were parked around the slipway and were also lost in the fire. She also said that several of the dockyard workers were injured whilst helping the Brigade tackle the fire.

I was aware of the "Press Presence" story, courtesy of the Events Officer at the Historic Dockyard, who is a really nice chap, and very well informed on Local History. It was also ironic that Commander Fordham, Chief Officer of Kent Fire Brigade was there, being an ex-Naval man, invited as part of the ceromony, and ended up taking charge of Fire Fighting Operations. I believe it was the last time the Chief Officer attended a Fire, something I bet he never thought he would do at the start of the  day!!

Yes I have seen the Film of the incident. It shows a Commer K1 coming through the Main gate with Headlights blazing (no pun intended) and the little acorn blue light on the top. As you say, the figurehead was badly damaged, but it was restored by the Navy and later presented to the Brigade.

Hi Merv. I wonder how much it made, if it was the genuine article?
 

[Merv]

I remember itm and not only that abour five years ago I saw a bronze plaque in an Auction house round the back of what was Featherstones going up in the auction.
I basically said"On this spot Hms Victory was built", there was a lot more to the plaque.
I can only assume someone had nicked it.

[bromptonboy]

Hi AFS, I do recall the great fire. I lived in Brompton at the time and recall the huge pall of smoke over the area. From our back window we could look right down onto it. I am sure the Dockyard Historical Society have an old cine-film of the fire showing KFB appliances arriving through Main Gate.

There was a funny side to that day. Dockyards were always very secret places with a strict control on the press and photographs. However, the day of the fire was also the handover day between the outgoing and incoming Port Admiral's, an occasion the press were always invited to attend. So there were the press photographing the handshakes when someone shouted FIRE! The late Ray Christopher, who I later worked with and became great friends with, merely turned around and started snapping away. His photo of the Nelson figurehead outlined with a halo of fire won him Press Photograph of the Year. As he said, "right place at the right time!" I believe the remains of the figurehead are now displayed on the wall in Medway Fire Station.

Just before the fire a major exhibition had been held in the slip to celebrate the bi-centennial of the launch of HMS Victory and the slip had been filled with all manner of heritage items. Luckily the exhibition had ened and the items had been removed. I've still got my guidebook for the exhibition somewhere.

[afsrochester]

Chatham, Dock-Yard, fire at Dr Rowland's:     On Tuesday morning, about four o?clock, a fire was discovered raging with great fury in the kitchen and laundry of Dr ROWLAND Surgeon in the Dock yard of Chatham, alarm was immediately given and an immense supply of water being obtained from the steam engine reservoir;  the military guard (assisted by the convicts employed in the  Dock Yard) who behaved with great propriety on the occasion, speedily succeeded in extinguishing the flames.?   (Kentish Gazette 13 April 1821)[
/quote]

Nearly 150 years later, who remembers the fire that destroyed the famous no2 slipway where Nelson's HMS Victory was built?

[ellenkate]

Chatham, Dock-Yard, fire at Dr Rowland's:     On Tuesday morning, about four o?clock, a fire was discovered raging with great fury in the kitchen and laundry of Dr ROWLAND Surgeon in the Dock yard of Chatham, alarm was immediately given and an immense supply of water being obtained from the steam engine reservoir;  the military guard (assisted by the convicts employed in the  Dock Yard) who behaved with great propriety on the occasion, speedily succeeded in extinguishing the flames.?   (Kentish Gazette 13 April 1821)

Molash ? a fire at Bower Farm,  threshing machine engine ignited straw ? about 6 tons straw were consumed...  The Kent engine at Faversham also arrived but too late to be of any service... The delay was occasioned for want of horses..  Mr Hogben of the Ship Hotel who undertakes to horse this engine, being unable to supply more than 2  (four were required).  After lapse of nearly 1 hour two more were procured from Mr Cowtan?s Railway Hotel, and the engine was started but when it reached Molash the fire was out.?  (Dover Standard  Sat 22 March 1873 p.7 col.1)

Swingfield Mill  ?burnt down on Saturday morning?  (Dover Express 4 Aug 1911)

WALDERSHARE MANSION FIRE  (Dover Express 3 Oct 1913 p.5 cols 1 ? 4,  two PHOTOS page 8)
The Sandwich Fire Engine, got a bit lost in the fog going to this fire, and by the time it got there the fire had been extinguished.  The mansion was badly damaged.  
I think the engine referred to is the one in St Peter's Church, Sandwich.
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