Listed below are the names of 32 Firemen and 2 Firewomen who lost their lives at The Old Palace School Bombing on 20th April 1941, in the heart of the East End of London. This is still today, the largest ever loss of life for the Fire Brigade Service, at a single incident. The link below will take you to my new website dedicated to keeping their memories alive and recounting the stories of every one of the firefighters who tragically died that night.
The Old Palace School website can be found here:
Below is the first ever image of the Old Palace School, which I have not published before and below is a map showing the school’s location in Poplar, London. The image is copyright to the London Metropolitan Archives and permission to reproduce the image is granted under license with the following copyright:
Old Palace School, St. Leonard’s Street © London Metropolitan Archives (City of London)
(Map Showing St. Leonards Street, Poplar)
Listed below are the names of those that tragically died and as each biography is completed, you can click on the name of the individual firefighter and read his or her story.
AFS Firewoman Hilda Ellen Dupree
Firewoman Winifred Alexandra Peters
AFS Fireman Percy Charles Aitchison
AFS Fireman Ronald Mark Bailey
AFS Fireman Alan Charles Barber
AFS Fireman Ernest Reginald Beadle
AFS Fireman Kenneth John Bowles
AFS Fireman John Coleman Barrell
AFS Fireman Patrick Joseph Campbell
AFS Fireman Harry John Clifford Carden
AFS Fireman Frank James Endean
AFS Fireman George John Joseph Hall
AFS Messenger Bertie James Frederick Harris
AFS Fireman Leslie Thomas Healey
AFS Fireman Ernest Herbert Henly
AFS Fireman Albert Victor Kite
AFS Fireman Vernon Jospeh Middleditch
AFS Fireman Alfred Edward Minter
AFS Fireman Norman Richard Charles Mountjoy
AFS Fireman Frederick George Parcell
AFS Fireman Martin Charles Parfett
AFS Fireman William Charles Plant
AFS Fireman Cyril Bertram Porter
AFS Fireman William Thomas Rashbrook
AFS Leading Fireman Leonard Roots
AFS Fireman Albert Alfred Savill
Station Officer Richard William Sinstadt
AFS Fireman Edgar William Vick
AFS Fireman Walter John Woodland
AFS Leading Fireman Herbert Charles Wotton
Thank you for taking the time to stop and read the stories of the brave men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice when their country needed them most. Life can deal the cruellest of blows and change lives forever and that loss never goes away. All of these families were torn apart by the ravages of war. Many of those that died that night were young men and women, just starting out in life and the devastation and loss was deeply felt by all the families and the wider communities as well. Parents lost sons and daughters, spouses lost their partners and many of those that died were fathers or mothers and left their children growing up without one of their parents.
Those that lost their life at the old palace school stood up when our Country needed them most and we will always be eternally grateful for their courage, bravery and the ultimate sacrifice they gave, to ensure we enjoy the freedom that we have today. Unsung heroes each and every one of them.
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The Chiddicks Family Tree 
so very tragic for all. I really have never heard this story and I appreciate learning about it and the brave heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice when trying to help
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Thank you so much Beth for me it’s so important to keep their memories alive
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Haven’t seen that photo of the Old Palace School before. Your blog posts and website are a great way to remind the world of the heroism of the men and women who lost their lives during this terrible incident.
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Thank you so much Marian, the photo is a very recent discovery and is another way to keep the brave men and women’s memories alive
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