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Date:  14 January 2008

Redbridge JCC and AJEX honour Jewish Fire Fighters of World War II

Jewish Care joined forces with AJEX – the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women – to pay tribute to civilians who served as fire fighters with the AFS (Auxiliary Fire Service) during World War II.
Lee Scott MP for Ilford North presented certificates to 14 people during a ceremony held on Sunday 13 January at Sinclair House, the Redbridge Jewish Community Centre.

The event was organised by Derek Fisher, the centre’s programmes assistant who had been approached by AJEX and those honoured included eight day centre members. Many brought their families to the ceremony which began with the sound of an air raid siren and included a minute’s silence. Also present were local firemen, representatives of Firemen Remembered and members of the Jewish Lads and Girls Brigade, who made a guard of honour.

Robin Jacobs, service manager for Jewish Care’s community centres, welcomed 70 people to the centre in Woodford Bridge Road where they heard a presentation by Martin Sugarman and Stephanie Maltman from the AJEX Jewish Military Museum who are researching stories of Jewish fire fighters.

National AJEX chairman Harold Newman spoke of the late Harry Errington, the most famous Jewish fire fighter who was awarded the George Cross, noting his “bravery and dedication” while bombs were exploding everywhere. He also spoke about AJEX’s educational work “to teach the younger generation to respect and appreciate the contribution given by Jewish people to this wonderful country.”

Earlier, Stephanie Maltman noted the role that civilians played as fire fighters during World War II had been “largely overlooked”, while Martin Sugarman said it was “important to correct a racist myth that Jews didn’t fight or serve during the war.”

Lee Scott MP said: “I can’t claim to know about the war directly, as I wasn’t born but my late parents came from East Ham and Stratford and took me to see some of the places which were still bomb sites in the 60s. It is an honour and a humbling experience to be here today - you are great people and I am delighted to honour you for your bravery.” He also paid tribute to the current fire service.

Sinclair House member Gertrude Joseph from Leytonstone remembers “being in the middle of it – I used to answer the switchboard and bring the fire engines out.” Norma Sanders from Wanstead was a fire watcher and recalled when the police called and said her parents’ shop was on fire. She said: “The ceremony was very good but you had to experience it to understand what we went through.”

Former meals-on-wheels volunteer Joyce Gresham from Clayhall paid tribute to her late father who served in the Auxiliary Fire Service and she enjoyed looking at memorabilia from the museum. She said: “I felt a bit tearful during the ceremony – my father never spoke about his experiences as a fire fighter, so it has been very interesting.”


Those honoured included Sinclair House members Betty Bloomfield, Ruby Crosby, Gertrude Joseph, Lily Landau, Bena Lessing, Doris Nayman, Norma Sanders, Fay Sennett and local resident Betty Cohen. Also present were Sylvia Dorff, Sylvia Kay, Enid Perez, and Charlotte Stenham, from north-west London.