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Rudders and Paynes Fire

postie

postie

The buck stops here
Staff member
hope you are all keeping yourself busy and active during these troubled times. My hands are as smooth as a baby's bottom, due to all this hand washing.
I have been asked by a member to do a write up on one of her ancestors who rescued some horses from a big fire at a timber yard in Aston. I have tried to find any information on line and have come up with nothing at all.
The fire was at Rudders and Paynes and the date was 13th of November 1937 , the RSPCA awarded the rescuer with a medal for his bravery .
Any information will be greatly received and appreciated..
thank you..
 
According to the newspapers they had three in 1937-1938, though only one of these were very serious. There was also one false alarm which was mentioned (nowadays a false alarm would never be reported !)Did not look outside those years.
 
mikejee said:
According to the newspapers they had three in 1937-1938, though only one of these were very serious. There was also one false alarm which was mentioned (nowadays a false alarm would never be reported !)Did not look outside those years.
Click to expand...
thanks mike
 
They would certainly qualify for a Christmas card from the local fire station - even if one was a false alarm. ;)
Was this down to carelessness ( known to firemen as bad housekeeping) or did someone have a grudge?
Pleasing to hear about the bravery made when rescuing the horses - award well earned.
 
HEROES SAVE HORSES IN ASTON FIRE,

ON THE 13TH OF NOVEMBER 1937 A HUGE FIRE DESTROYED THE PREMISES OF RUDDERS AND PAYNE , A HUGE WOOD YARD IN ASTON BIRMINGHAM.
PART OF THE PREMISES WAS THE STABLES OF THE 11 DELIVERY HORSES, BELONGING TO THE FIRM
THE FEROCIOUS FLAMES QUICKLY CONSUMED THE TIMBER STOCKS AND ADVANCED TOWARDS THE STABLES. IT LOOKED LIKE THE HORSES WERE ABOUT TO MEET A HORRIFIC DEATH.
AS THE FLAMES RACED TOWARDS WHERE THE HORSES WERE, TWO OF THE STAFF WHO LOOKED AFTER THE HORSES , ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AND WERE ADVISED BY THE FIRE CHIEF TO KEEP BACK AWAY FROM THE FIRE AND FLAMES.

THE TWO MEN , STEPHEN TAYLOR AND SYDNEY HAINES TOTAL IGNORED THE ORDER AND BOTH ENTERED THE YARD AND INCREDIBLY RETURNED WITH HORSES THAT WERE PANICKING AGAIN THEY WERE ORDERED NOT TO GO BACK, BUT BOTH OF THEM IGNORED THE ORDER AND AGAIN RE-ENTERED . THEY MADE 7 TRIPS TO RESCUE THE HORSES AND WOULD HAVE CARRIED ON BUT THEY WERE PHYSICALLY RESTRAINED BY FIREMEN.
WHEN THE TWO MEN HEARD THAT TWO HORSES HAD PERISHED , THEY BOTH BROKE INTO TEARS.

THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT THAT BOTH MEN WERE A RARE BREED OF MAN AND CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS HEROES .
THE GENERAL PUBLIC REALLY GOT BEHIND THE STORY OF TWO HEROES AND THEY WERE BOTH SWAMPED WITH HUNDREDS OF MESSAGES OF APPRECIATION AND SOME EVEN CONTAINED POSTAL ORDERS AND GIFTS OF MONEY AND MANY GOOD WISHES,
HORSES.jpg

THIS WAS NOT THE LAST OF THE STORY
SHORTLY AFTER THE RESCUE BOTH MEN WERE PRESENTED WITH A GALANTRY AND BRAVERY MEDAL FROM THE RSPA.
A FITTING OUTCOME FOR A RESCUE WELL DONE..


THIS ARTICLE IS THANKS TO GILL HEWITT WHO'S GRANDFATHER IS THE GENTLEMAN ON THE RIGHT OF THE PHOTO
 
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postie said:
HEROES SAVE HORSES IN ASTON FIRE,





ON THE 13TH OF NOVEMBER 1937 A HUGE FIRE DESTROYED THE PREMISES OF RUDDERS AND PAYNE , A HUGE WOOD YARD IN ASTON BIRMINGHAM.


PART OF THE PREMISES WAS THE STABLES OF THE 11 DELIVERY HORSES, BELONGING TO THE FIRM


THE FEROCIOUS FLAMES QUICKLY CONSUMED THE TIMBER STOCKS AND ADVANCED TOWARDS THE STABLES. IT LOOKED LIKE THE HORSES WERE ABOUT TO MEET A HORRIFIC DEATH.


AS THE FLAMES RACED TOWARDS WHERE THE HORSES WERE, TWO OF THE STAFF WHO LOOKED AFTER THE HORSES , ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AND WERE ADVISED BY THE FIRE CHIEF TO KEEP BACK AWAY FROM THE FIRE AND FLAMES.





THE TWO MEN , STEPHEN TAYLOR AND SYDNEY HAINES TOTAL IGNORED THE ORDER AND BOTH ENTERED THE YARD AND INCREDIBLY RETURNED WITH HORSES THAT WERE PANICKING AGAIN THEY WERE ORDERED NOT TO GO BACK, BUT BOTH OF THEM IGNORED THE ORDER AND AGAIN RE-ENTERED . THEY MADE 7 TRIPS TO RESCUE THE HORSES AND WOULD HAVE CARRIED ON BUT THEY WERE PHYSICALLY RESTRAINED BY FIREMEN.


WHEN THE TWO MEN HEARD THAT TWO HORSES HAD PERISHED , THE BOTH BROKE INTO TEARS.


THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT THAT BOTH MEN WERE A RARE BREED OF MAN AND CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS HEROES .
THE GENERAL PUBLIC REALLY GOT BEHIND THE STORY OF TWO HEROES AND THEY WERE BOTH SWAMPED WITH HUNDREDS OF MESSAGES OF APPRECIATION AND SOME EVEN CONTAINED POSTAL ORDERS AND GIFTS OF MONEY AND MANY GOOD WISHES,View attachment 146014

View attachment 146014
Click to expand...
what a great pair of gents, they should have had bravery medals
 
Thanks for writing about this.
Rudders and Paynes was our family business and was sold to the Sabah Timber Company (itself a subsidiary of Harrison and Crossfield) in 1972. My grandfather and father were respectively Chairman and Managing Director at the time of the sale. In the newspaper articles are references to Mr E.G Payne, my great-great uncle and Mr Douglas Payne my great-uncle who was subsequently killed in an air raid. Having been born in 1954 I cannot add much to the story of the fire, but I can confirm that the company survived and flourished thereafter.
David Payne
 
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