Two Hampshire Firefighters Die - 06/04/10

Around 20:00 hours on Tuesday 6th April 2010, Red Watch at St Mary's Fire Station, Southampton were called to a fire on the 7th floor at Shirley Towers, a 15 story highrise block.

This fire was to result in the deaths of two Hampshire Fighfighters, James Shears and Alan Bannon.

Tribute to Jim Shears and Alan ‘Bert’ Bannon

by Paul Trew, Secretary, HFBU

Three years ago I left the Red watch St Marys for promotion and pastures new. I left behind what I considered to be the best watch that I had served on in my 23 years or so.

Both Bert and Jim had joined the watch whilst I was there and I watched as their confidence grew and their characters developed.

 Berts obvious skills with the tools of our trade and his extraordinary laid back manner soon endeared him to the watch. It was almost as if Bert had been there for years.

What maybe didn’t endear him to some senior officers was the famous day that Bert, driving a pump at the head of a convoy of appliances, whist doing a exercise involving half the brigade, went the wrong way and turned down a  dead end road in Portsmouth. Every single machine followed him and no-one could turn round. The radio traffic turned blue. Bert explained that he hadn’t been to Portsmouth before.

Happy Days.

I once visited his Southampton home and saw all the amazing things that Bert had built and created. He had an artistic gift and you always knew any secret santa present that Bert had created.

He loved the outdoors and tried every gut wrenching, adrenaline inducing pastime known to man. My idea of a good day out is to watch Saints beat Pompey, Berts would be to parachute into the ocean, don scuba gear and swim with a Great White Shark.

My last long conversation with him, involved him telling me he was off to South America where he was going to conquer the Andes, swim the Amazon and explore for Inca gold in the rainforests. I, as usual, told him he was barmy and explained I was off to Cornwall.

 I did, however say to him that he should do all these things before he got old

Now, tragically, Bert will never get the chance to grow old.

I always seemed to get paired up with either Bert or Jim whilst playing badminton in watch PT sessions. Bert without any doubt was the worst badminton player in the service if not the country. His hand, feet, eye co-ordination was a sight to see. Jim however threw himself around the court like a demented windmill thrashing away at the shuttlecock. I would be so entranced by Jims manic efforts to hit the shuttlecock that I would often miss my own shot.

I remember Jims first proper fire and he and Ginger pulled a unconscious man out of a flat above shops in Swaythling. ‘You done well’ I told him. He looked pleased.

Jim was relatively short for a firefighter, we called him ‘Little Jim’.

 What he lost on height Jim made up for in physical prowess and he was as tough as old boots. He was a black belt in Judo and an instructor in the art.

 I used to test him out on occasion by leaping out just like Kato in the Pink Panther films. He would always despatch me to the floor with that lovely laugh of his, saying ‘Not this time Trewy’.

Jim won Gold medal for Judo at the World Firefighter Games. We were all as proud as punch. I had played my part by being his sparring partner.

Jims money making schemes were legendary and one day somebody will collate them all and put them in a book entitled ‘How to make Ten Quid Quickly’.

Jim and Bert were two of the best. They loved their children and families and they in turn were loved by many.  They were lovely, lovely fellas and this has broken my heart.

They were my colleagues, comrades and friends and I will miss them so much.