Loftus Fire Crew – 1978 – at ICI Wilton on exercise

Loftus Fire Station Crew on exercise at ICI Wilton in 1978.

Back row: Ken Verrill, Colin Gallilee, Ivan Gallilee (Station Officer @ Loftus), Jerry McElvaney.

Front Row: Bill Hicks, Keith Gallilee.

Bill Hicks worked at ICI Wilton as a fireman and subsequently became Station Officer @ Loftus, replacing Ivan Gallilee. ICI Wilton were very supportive of local retained fire crews and offered additional training sessions. Ivan was father of Colin and Keith.

John Preston advises: “The Gallilee family had had a long firefighting tradition, Ivan’s dad (my step grandfather) Fred was also in the brigade and I can recall him telling stories of having to catch the horse to pull the pump.”

Image courtesy of Eileen Hicks, thank to John Preston for the update on the Gallilee family.