Plaque unveiled to honour two firefighters killed in line of duty

A plaque has been unveiled to commemorate two firefighters close to the 60th anniversary of their deaths in the line of duty.

On January 7 1963, Lanarkshire Fire Brigade assistant firemaster Stanley McIntosh, 48, and station officer Joseph Calderwood, 58, were helping to put out a fire at a paint store of Colville’s Mossend steelworks in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire.

But when the pair, both fathers, entered the premises to tackle the flames, an explosion led to the death of Mr McIntosh and left Mr Calderwood with injuries that he died from a week later, on January 14.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said it was later revealed that petrol stored in the paint shed did not comply with regulations and was not marked as dangerous.

The premises contained large quantities of paints, thinners and paraffin in 40-gallon drums.

The memorial, which was unveiled on Wednesday at Motherwell Fire Station, is a Red Plaque – a scheme set up by the Fire Brigades Union during its centenary to commemorate firefighters who died in the line of duty.

FBU regional treasurer, Seona Hart, said: “Stanley McIntosh and Joseph Calderwood gave everything in trying to help with a fire in incredibly dangerous conditions.

“They were on routine duties in the area when they were called into action on what turned out to be a perilous fire.

“They wanted to protect life and property and very tragically lost their lives in doing so.

“Firefighters in Lanarkshire and beyond have never forgotten this massively significant incident. This plaque will help ensure that continues and will help the public to remember Stanley and Joseph and their sacrifice.”

Mr Calderwood was married to Catherine and they had two daughters and a son, Ian, who was also a firefighter.

Mr McIntosh, who lived in Airdrie, was survived by his wife Annie and daughter Lesley.

Fire Brigades Union national officer, Tam McFarlane, said: “We created the Red Plaque scheme in 2018 because we knew how important it was that firefighters who die in the line of duty are properly remembered.

“Their sacrifices can never be forgotten and they will not be with plaques like this one.

“Red Plaques make sure that these vital pieces of our past are remembered in the spaces they were lived.

“Mr McIntosh and Mr Calderwood were thinking only of protecting their communities when they rushed into the burning building. As we remember them today, we should remember the scale of the sacrifice they made.”

Pupils from Knowetop Primary School in Motherwell, have been involved with the placing of the plaque and the ceremony.