John Davies, 1959–1993
Firefighter
On leaving school John trained as a draughtsman, working first for Leominster Council and later Welsh Water. He also worked as a retained Firefighter, on call at both the Leominster and Hereford stations. On the 6th September 1993 John was a member of the crew that attended a large fire at the Sun Valley works in Hereford. The incident escalated and while John and a colleague, David Morris, were fighting the fire a ceiling collapsed trapping them. They both died at the scene.
John Davies was born in Leominster and attended the Junior School and the Minster College. A keen footballer, John played in the First Team at Minster and for Youth Teams.
When he left the Minster John trained as a draughtsman, working first for Leominster Council and later for Welsh Water. In the early 1980s he joined the Fire Service and served at Leominster at various times as a retained and full-time Firefighter. Following an office move to Hereford John split his duties, and was on call with the Fire Service in Hereford during the day, and Leominster in the evenings and at night. He qualified as a driver, and was later promoted to Leading Firefighter.
John was on call in Hereford on the 6th September 1993 when a fire started in a unit for defrosting meat at the Sun Valley Processing Factory in Grandstand Road. The Hereford appliances were the first to respond to the alarm call received at 11.44am, when it became clear this was a major incident. As the fire escalated more appliances and firefighters were dispatched. This would become one of the biggest fires the city has ever seen, and at its height would involve 130 firefighters in 23 appliances.
While the firefighters were tackling the main blaze inside the building they were unaware that smoke and flames were travelling through the roof space, shielded by insulation panels. Eventually the ceiling collapsed, trapping John and his colleague David Morris, a full-time firefighter with 11 years’ service, inside. Despite the best efforts of other firefighters they could not be rescued, and both died at the scene.
On the 9th July 2021 a memorial Red Plaque to John and David was unveiled at the Queenswood Country Park and Arboretum which is on the boundary of the Leominster and Hereford stations. On 13th May 2023, the 30th anniversary of the fire, an additional permanent tribute in the form of a lead plaque was placed in their honour in the Lady Arbour Garden at the Hereford Cathedral. This fitting tribute was designed by Hereford Firefighters, and made by students from Hereford’s NMITE University working alongside lead craftsmen.
Remembering two firefighters who lost their lives in tragic fire
https://www.herefordcathedral.org/news/sun-valley-fire-30-years-on
Next Wednesday – 6 September – marks 30 years since two firefighters lost their lives fighting one of the biggest fires that the city of Hereford has ever seen.
At its height, 130 firefighters using 23 pumping appliances were at the scene of the fire at a factory formerly known as ‘Sun Valley’. Among them were David Morris and John Davies who never made it out of the factory.
John Davies, who was 34, was a retained Firefighter from Leominster but, as he worked in Hereford, would often attend emergencies in the city.
Meanwhile, 35-year-old David Morris was a fulltime Firefighter with 11 years’ service when he responded to the fire which started in a unit for defrosting meat.
Insulation panels in the factory ceiling meant smoke and flames travelled unnoticed through the roof space, setting fire to ceilings which collapsed.
On Wednesday at 11:44, exactly 30 years on from the time of the call about the fire, Hereford Fire Station crews will be holding a parade at the St Owen Street fire station.
Then, at the Lady Arbour Gardens at Hereford Cathedral at 3pm, dignitaries including the mayors of Leominster and Hereford, the chairman and vice-chairman of Hereford & Worcester Fire Authority and the Chief Fire Officer will attend a memorial parade when a wreath will be placed at the memorial plaque.
Close family members of David Morris and John Davies will also attend, as will members of the crews who attended the incident back in 1993.
John Davies
https://redplaque.org.uk/plaque/john-davies/
John A Davies lost his life in the line of duty on the 6th September 1993, alongside his colleague David Morris. Their Red Plaque was presented on the 9th July 2021.
John was killed whilst fighting a fire at Hereford’s Sun Valley poultry plant at Grandstand Road, Hereford, which involved 130 firefighters, using 23 pumping appliances.
As a Retained firefighter from Leominster Fire Station, John was working in Hereford the day of the fire and so booked himself as available for duty with the Hereford Retained unit. He responded to the fire at the factory, which started in a unit for defrosting meat. Insulation panels in the factory ceiling meant that smoke and flames were unnoticed travelling through the roof space and collapsed the ceilings. Alongside his colleague David Morris, John never made it out of the factory.
Their Red Plaque was presented on the 9th July 2021 at Queenswood Country Park and Arboretum which is on the boundary of the two stations (Leominster and Hereford) where John and David were stationed and its position at an arboretum was deemed fitting as it is in itself a place of remembrance. An additional permanent tribute in the form of a lead plaque was placed in their honour at the Hereford Cathedral in the Lady Arbour Garden on 13th May 2023 for the 30th anniversary. Students from Hereford’s NMITE University worked alongside the lead craftsmen on the project to create this fitting tribute, designed by Hereford Firefighters.
Dignitaries including His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Herefordshire and the High Sherriff of Herefordshire will be attending, alongside the Chief Fire Officer and members of Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority.
