Sale firefighter killed in the line of duty honoured with plaque

The fire superintendent was known for his acts of bravery, one of which even inspired a song

A firefighter who was killed in the line of duty more than a century ago has been honoured with a plaque near the site of his death.

John Johnson Hunt died when he was hit by a falling roof while fighting a fire at the Brooklands Hotel in Sale, Greater Manchester, in 1909.

Thousands of local people turned out to pay their respects at his funeral.

Fire Brigades Union regional secretary Ed Burrows said the plaque would ensure "the community knows what he did".

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said a wreath was laid at the 65-year-old superintendent's grave in Brooklands Cemetery following the unveiling of the plaque on Friday.

It said Mr Hunt had been an experienced and well-respected firefighter, who served in both Manchester and then Sale across a 40-year career.

The plaque has been placed on an office block which now stands on the site where Mr Hunt was killed

The plaque is one of a number the union has put up that commemorates firefighters that were killed in the line of duty

He received several awards, trained a number of in-house fire brigades for local companies and advised on the establishment of a new brigade.

His acts of bravery were well-known locally and one incident in 1885, which saw him save a fellow firefighter by crawling along a sixth-floor parapet in dense smoke, led to a song being written about him.

Mr Burrows said he "set an example to every firefighter with his bravery throughout his career".

He added that the plaque, which was part of the union's scheme to commemorate firefighters who died in the line of duty, "will help ensure that the community knows what he did and what he sacrificed".