The grave of a World War 2 Fire hero has been transformed thanks to funds made available by the Firefighters 100 Lottery.
The grave of Patrol Officer Hector Graham, known as ‘Mac’ to his Fire Service mates, had fallen into disrepair with a grave stone that was barely readable, but has now been fully refurbished, including a professional deep clean of the marble headstone and a returf of the grave site, following an intervention by the FBU and the assistance of the Firefighters 100 Lottery.
A veteran of World War 1, Hector ‘Mac’ Graham volunteered for the Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) in Liverpool in 1938 and led a group of six men during the Blitz that tore into the city. The Liverpool Blitz devastated large parts of the city and killed over 4,000 citizens. Liverpool was the most heavily bombed area in the UK, outside of London, with the city’s docks being the focal point of the attack.
On 5 October 1940, Hector reported for duty as part of the early shift. That day, an especially heavy attack took place and Hector volunteered to stay on duty throughout the night to fight the massive fires around the docks. A huge blaze took hold at Duke’s Dock warehouse and the structure weakened by fire and explosions, the building collapsed onto the firefighters who were tackling the fire. Tragically, Hector ‘Mac’ Graham was at its base and the force of the blast swept his body into the adjacent dock.
During the air raid, the dock gate mechanism was damaged and could not be repaired until 19 October. When the water was released, Hector’s body was retrieved and buried in a hero’s funeral.
The FBU was first made aware of Hector’s story when his daughter Jean, now in her 90th year, contacted the Union to request a Red Plaque in honour of her Dad. Researching the story, National Officer Tam McFarlane was appalled to see that Hector’s grave had fallen into a state of disrepair and, working with Jean, a successful application was made to the Firefighters 100 Lottery for funds to do a complete overhaul of the headstone and grave site.
Speaking of the transformation, Tam said: “As firefighters, we know our history and the debt of honour we owe to the generations who built our service. This is especially the case for the firefighters who fought the blitz infernos during WW2. Described by Winston Churchill as ‘heroes with grimy faces’, their sacrifice is personified by Hector ‘Mac’ Graham, a genuine hero who gave his life for our city. I want to thank the Firefighters 100 fund, and all the players who buy weekly tickets, for making sure that we could continue to honour Hector and provide him with a grave fit for a hero to lie in.’
Hector’s daughter Jean said “I want to send the thanks of myself and my family to the FBU and everyone who plays the Firefighters 100 Lottery. My Dad was very proud to be a firefighter and serve the city of Liverpool during that terrible time. As a firefighter, he made the ultimate sacrifice, but he was also a father and a husband, and his loss created a lifelong family tragedy which I still feel today. It is very special to see that he will not be been forgotten and I want to pay tribute to everyone involved in the work being done to honour his memory.”
The FBU is currently engaged in dialogue with the owners of Duke Dock and local MP Kim Johnson in an attempt to get planning permission to mount a permanent Red Plaque at the site of Hector ‘Mac’ Graham’s death.
