DISASTROUS FIRE IN MILITARY CAMP

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21659, 10 March 1945, Page 3

DISASTROUS FIRE IN MILITARY CAMP

INQUIRY BY S.M.

PALMERSTON BLAZE LOSS OF ARMY STORES (P.A.) PALMERSTON N.,'March 10. Tiie coroner’s inquir;; into the circumstances of the lire at the .showgrounds camp on the night of December 31, when a huge quantity of army stores was destroyed, was • opened yesterday with Mr. 11. P. Lav'i-y.'S.M.. presiding. Detective F. X. Quin is conducting the proceedings on behalf .of the police; and Mr. Fr. H. Cooper is appearing for the Army Department. Between 25 and 30 witnesses will be called. Mr. J. P. Innes watched the proceedings on behalf of the A. and P. Association, owners of the buildings. Outlining the evidence to be called, Detective Quin said it was intended to show that on the . evening of December 31 a small fire was discovered in the cookhouse next to the army ordnance store. This was put out. About an hour later the major

fire broke out in the ordnance store. This eventually destroyed the store and the administration building next door. Corporal W. A. Gould, of the works branch. Central Military District, produced plans of the buildings destroyed. Lieutenant C. R. Gair, attached to security intelligence, produced five photographs of the fire, which he had taken on January 1. These showed various parts of the damaged ordnance store and the bulk store. Administrator's Evidence

Captain F. L. McKenzie, administrative officer. said that standing orders were issued for the camp regarding security precautions. In conjunction with these were also orders for the guard, who were responsible for patrolling the camp, to keep watch for fire, and to prevent unauthorised interference with property. These orders were effective at the time of the fire. During the holiday period a special set of orders was issued owing to a number of men being on leave. The usual patrols, il was stressed, had to be maintained and every precaution taken against fire risk. The orders covered the entire camp, but referred only to the outside of the ordnance stores. The administration inside the store was the responsibility of the ordnance officer. Full patrols had to be maintained. In reply to the coroner, the witness said the patrol of the cookhouse was ihe responsibility of the guard. Ordnance Depot Inspection Captain- W. S. Keegan, officer commanding the ordnance depot, gave evidence that two nightwatchmen were maintained in the ordnance store, one being on duty at a time. The fire equipment in the store consisted ol buckets, bucket pumps, hoses and extinguishers. In the store were tools, spare parts, and expended stores. The other part of this area (No. 3) consisted of camp fittings and crockery, etc. 'in area No. 4 were practically every type of army stores required. All of this was under his command and the assessing of the loss of stores was his responsibility, as was also the amount of salvage. He had not yet arrived at the final figures, but he expected to have them in a week or two. The witness said he was not in camp on the night of the fire, being on leave. In reply to Mr. Cooper, the witness detailed the nightwatchmen’s hours and duties. A register was kept, recording times of inspection and any unusual occurrences. The register which was in use at the time was destroyed in the fire, in addition, to the routine orders. The non-commissioned officer on duty kept a check on the nightwatchman. The latter was on duty in the store, which was kept locked, and to obtain admission the officer on duty had to ring a bell. He could not get in if the nightwatchman was not there. The stores were stacked to order. Inflammable goods generally were in heaps so as to form fire breaks, and in addition non-in-flammable goods were used to form fire breaks. This had been approved by the superintendent of the fire brigade, whose advice was always sought. Under advice of the superintendent, every possible precaution was taken against fire and his recommendations adopted. Inflammable Goods

In reply to Detective Quin, the witness said he would have preferred to have had the inflammable goods stored in another building, such as paints, a quantity of turpentine and some kerosene. Turpentine and kerosene were kept in steel drums. Attempts had been made to obtain a place in which to store volatile goods, but he _ was unable to do so until a certain military formation was changed. This tool? place towards the end of 1943. None of the buildings which then became available were suitable for storing inflammable goods. The store containing expended goods had a concrete floor, iron walls and roof. Captain Keegan, in reply to Mr. Cooper, said that there was no danger of oil soakage setting up spontaneous combustion. There was a day by day inspection. Smoking was absolutely prohibited, and to wbtness’ knowledge this was observed. To the coroner tiie witness said there was no petrol in the store. It would not have been practicable to shift flic volatile stores to the section .occupied by the motor transport unit on tiie other side of the camp. The installation of automatic fire alarms had not been considered. The witness thought that the building the ordnance depot occupied was; in any case. a.temporary depot, and thus the question of automatic alarms was ruled out. Fire in Cook-House Sergeant W. C. Luffman, senior N.C.O. of tiie showgrounds guard, said he was on duty on the evening of December 31. At about 9.30 p.ni. be carried out a patrol and saw nothing wrong. At 10.30 p.m.. when on another patrol, he found the bottom of the copper in the men’s cook-house red hot. A piece of wood on the wall had been ignited and the gas under tiie copper was alight. The wood which was glowing was on a corrugated iron wall and was used to hold a canopy over the coppers. The witness turned the gas ofl, went to the main gate, and then instructed Private WagstafT to accompany him to the men's cook-house. They took the

Ktil'Yup pump to the men’s kitchen and directed a stream of water on the burning timber. They were satisfied they put the lire out. Private Wagstaff filled the copper with cold water. The witness said he felt the iron around the site of the lire and it was quite cold. The stirrup pump was refilled and left near the copper a s a natural precaution against a repetition The witness returned with Private Wagstaff to the guardhouse. The witness tried to make contact with the ordnance night watchman, but did not receive any reply on the telephone. . The witness did not notify an officer in the camp—Lieutenant Smith who was the railway transport officer —nor the fire brigade, as he was fully satisfied . the fire was out. The witness went on another tour of inspection and got back to Ihe main gate about 11.35. Private Wagstaff and Private Collins, the latter tile ordnance nightwatchman. were there. The witness instructed Private Collins lo make a tour of the ordnance a ret. and told him to examine the wall opposite where the fire had been. Private Collins left immediately to make the inspection. The witness went back to the kitchen and conditions there were normal. there being no sign of a fire. Satisfied that all was well, the witness went back to the guard-house, reaching there about 1-1.50 p.m. or 11.55 p.m. Private Collins reached there at the same time and reported everything correct on the ordnance side of the wall. A Glow in the Sky Neither - the witness. Private Wagstaff, nor Private Collins, had had anv liquor. All three were capable of doing their duty efficiently. They waited at the guard-house for about 10 minutes, waiting for the usuai “noise and hullabaloo" of New Year's Eve at midnight.. The witness thought he would contribute .to this by blowing , the hooter at the gate. Apparently this was the only hooter or siren which went off. The witness did not hear any others. The witness went outside the guaid hut and saw a. glow in the sky, near the ordnance depot. He was not sure if it was from the ordnance, but he rushed into , the guard-house to telephone the fire brigade. The witness received no reply. There were two alarms in the camp connected with the fire station, these being of the street alarm type. They were both out of order. Privates Collins and Wagstaff vanished from the guardroom when the. witness shouted fire. Thinking he might have dialled the wrong number, the witness dialled again and when doing so heard the siren of the fire engine coming. One engine came at first, going to the fire which was just beyond the cookhouse. The witness followed, 'flu building beyond the cook-house —a:ic ordnance store. —was well alight and the flames were breaking through the roof. This was back from the cookhouse. The witness had no idea of the course of- the fire. He did not connect it with' the previous outbreak. The. witness had, not..seen or heard ol any unauthorised .persons in the camp. There was no tampering with the buildings.'gates, or fences to witness’ knowledge. Private-C. F. Wagstaff said he ran his lingers over a piece of wood to make sure no sparks were left. He was certain, the fire was out. Private J. 11..--Collins, ordnance nightwalchihaii, said that flic clothing portion of the store, which was adjacent to the cook-house, was enclosed and the door.' locked ’so that the watchman could neither enter nor see inside. When.told of the cook-house (ire he went to see if everything was all right on the ordnance side. He inspected the corner of the adjacent storeroom at a spot he now knew to be 25ft. from the spot opposite the copper in the cook-house. The inquiry was adjourned until March 22.;