Firefighters in 1966 Neatishead arson attack remembered

Scott Norman, Deputy Chief Fire Officer of Norfolk Fire Service, Colin Farrington of Norfolk Fire Museum and Matthew Parrot, manager of the museum met on Thursday to pay their respects

A museum has commemorated three firefighters who died in a fire almost 60 years ago.

The RAF Air Defence Radar Museum at Neatishead, Norfolk created a display remembering the February 1966 tragedy.

The firefighters who attended believed it to be a shed fire due to the secret nature of the building.

The blaze lasted for nine days and its aftermath heralded changes in firefighter guidelines regarding dealing with smoke-filled buildings.

The fire took place in the underground R3 bunker which was used by RAF Neatishead as their main air defence operations building during the Cold War.

Divisional officer Gordon Robert Dix, 52 from Holt, leading fireman Herbert James Durrant, 52, from Acle and firefighter John Stuart Holman, 23, also from Acle, lost their lives during the incident.

A lead aircraftman, John Cheesman, served seven years in prison after pleading guilty to arson.

Three firefighters who lost their lives in the fire believed they were being called out to a shed fire, due to the secret nature of the RAF airbase

The fire is believed to have been started in a waste paper bin and although Cheesman intended to put it out in an effort to receive praise and recognition from his superiors, the fire got out of control.

The incident led to the introduction of guidelines to help firefighters navigate smoke filled buildings, improvements to breathing apparatus equipment and the need to keep firefighters together during incidents.