Gidlow Mills Fire. 20th Oct 1969

GIDLOW MILLS
WIGAN
20 OCTOBER 1969

A TRIBUTE TO THE LATE
SUB-OFFICER GEORGE CHADWICK
[1930 - 2001]
D65 ~ HINDLEY

Possibly one of the greatest dreads of any fire-fighter is to turn out to a shout in October and not return home until the following May. That is exactly what happened to Sub-Officer George Chadwick when he was seriously injured in the fire at John England's, Gidlow Mills, Wigan in 1969.   

By the following day, it had been established that his injuries included cracked shoulders, a fractured spine, five fractured ribs, a punctured lung and the left foot and leg severely crushed.  His leg was amputated below the knee 3 days later.  

Thanks to George's selflessness, his colleagues received comparatively minor injuries. 

Sadly, George himself passed away in 2001, having spent the final 32 years of his life in a wheelchair. 

The pictures below tell the story of that fateful afternoon, and I hope they will serve as a reminder of the constant dangers that face all our fire-fighters, and be seen as a fitting memorial to a man who always showed extreme courage. 

 His family have very generously supplied all the photographs.