Norfolk Second World War firefighter awarded medal from the King
97-year-old William Betts joined Wroxham Fire Station in 1942.
A Norfolk firefighter who started his service during the Second World War has been presented with a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.
William Betts, aged 97, joined Wroxham Fire Station in 1942, when the county was part of the National Fire Service. He served until 1963, with the large fire at Horstead Mill being one of his final calls.
The Lady Dannatt MBE, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Norfolk, presented the medal to Mr Betts on Tuesday at Carrow Fire Station in Norwich on behalf of King Charles.
She said: “If the King were here to present this, I know he would be as proud of you as I am. Many congratulations and thank you for your service.”
Billy, as he is known to his friends, married Sylvia Bane in 1949 and the pair had two children. Their son, Christopher followed his father into the fire service, also serving at Wroxham but he sadly lost his life in the fire at The Chequers pub in 1987.
Scott Norman, Deputy Chief Fire Officer at Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, who led the presentation said: “We’d like to thank you for your service, which started during wartime, and for your commitment to the people of Wroxham and the surrounding area.
“The loss of your son Christopher was such a sacrifice. I hope he is smiling down on us here today.”
Billy, who still lives in Wroxham, said the fire service was very different when he joined during wartime.
“When I started at Wroxham during the war, we slept there in hammocks,” he said.
“I was on the control and when the message came in that the enemy was coming, I had to ring up five fire stations to tell them. I then had to ring them all back to tell them when they were gone.”
It was Billy’s grandson, Marek Jaczalik, who researched his grandad’s career in the fire service and current staff were pleased to welcome him along to be part of the presentation.
“Grandad really enjoyed his time in the fire service and his work as a marine engineer – first at Landamores in Wroxham and then with Brooms of Brundall,” he said.
“He saw the original fire station being built at Wroxham when he went up there on a holiday from the children’s home where he lived. He ended up being fostered and then adopted by the people he stayed with – and his foster-father, Mr Blake was leading fire officer at Wroxham.”