Fuller Fire Flag - 1917
"On Sunday evening around 7.30PM Scoutmaster Berman of North Linwood Troop and Scoutmaster Cawley of the Radley troop were walking through Cathedral Square when they saw smoke rising, which they thought was coming from Manchester Street.. Being Scouts they thought they may be able to help so they ran very fast and came to what was known as "Her Majesties Theatre" alongside the then Christchurch Town Hall. They both ran down the side of the theatre and met the caretaker at the side door, on asking if they could do anything to help he said "yes, get upstairs and throw anything you can through the windows". They threw chairs and mirrors from the dressing rooms.
Cawley then lost contact with Berman as the flames spread into the center of the building and fifty to sixty feet high, he then saw two firemen on the parapet holding a hose and playing water onto the flames.
Cawley who was only 17 years old assisted the two firemen in playing the water into the centre of the fire which finally subdued so they could go home, a team of firemen stayed to make sure everything was safe. Cawley got home about midnight, he was wearing his best Sunday suit, a blue one and it had got into a frightful mess.
Mr Fuller, owner of the theatre (later Sir John Fuller) was in Wellington at this time. Cawley was reimbursed for his ruined Sunday suit by the Christchurch Fire Brigade and the Chief Fire Officer was so impressed with what the two seventeen year old Scoutmasters had done that he told Sir John Fuller all about them.
Sir John then decided to present a flag to the scout movement for competition annually by teams of scouts trained at firefighting. Although the Sydenham Troop appeared on the flag in 1917 they never took part at that time but the name appeared because scoutmaster Cawley had his commission in the name of the Sydenham Troop when it was presented. It was first competed for for the first time in 1918."
Reproduced courtesy CPFBA 75th Jubilee Booklet 1915-1990
CPFBA - History
The first recorded annual meeting for the CPFBA was held at the Timaru fire station on the 24th Febuary 1929
Your Past Presidents and Secretaries
Life Members of the association
J McNabb
L Scott
W Fitchett
W Bradley
J Watts
F Kennard
E Cummings
W Lewis
R Larcombe
L (Neill)N Price
Brent Hassal
Les McGillen ( 24 years of service as minutes secretary,executive member 1964-65)
Trevor King
Bob Palmer
Fuller Fire Competition 2005
Rolleston - Hosted by Lincoln brigade
This year the competition is being hosted by the Lincoln Fire Brigade and promises to be another enjoyable day of competitions.
The venue is the Rolleston Domain.
The Executive and Members of the Canterbury Provincial Fire Brigades Association look forward to meeting you at this event.
