Victory in sight for Ewan honour

HERO firefighter Ewan Williamson was today nominated for the Queen's Gallantry Medal by Chancellor Alistair Darling.

The move is a massive step forward for the Evening News campaign to secure the honour for the 35-year-old who lost his life fighting the Balmoral bar blaze.

Ewan was killed after helping to rescue more than 20 people, including a baby, from the flats above the Dalry Road pub in the early hours of Sunday, 12 July.

Mr Darling, whose Edinburgh South West constituency includes the fire site, said that Ewan had shown "bravery", "courage" and "determination" in fighting the fire which cost him his life.

And he called on the Honours and Appointments Secretariat in London to approve the nomination, saying such actions should be "properly honoured".

In his letter supporting the nomination, Mr Darling said: "There is no doubt that had Ewan Williamson not entered the building many more lives could have been lost. His bravery and courage should, I believe, be rewarded, albeit posthumously, in recognition of his sacrifice.

"This award will be widely supported, not just by Ewan Williamson's colleagues but by residents in Edinburgh generally.

"Naturally, many people were shocked that someone should lose their life attempting to save the lives of others. That courage should be properly honoured."

Official investigations into the fire have yet to be completed, although some details of what happened on the night have been established.

Ewan and colleague Oliver Carrigan, 29, were called out to the blaze along with the rest of Green Watch at Tollcross Fire Station.

On arrival, the pair were given the frontline role of entering the burning building wearing breathing apparatus to tackle the fire.

They went down into the basement after determining that this was where they would find the seat of the fire.

At one point, both men left the building to replenish their air supply then, despite the increasing danger, went back to continue tackling the fire. After they began their return to the first floor and exit for a second time, the first floor collapsed, leaving Ewan trapped in the basement of the burning building.

His colleagues battled to rescue him, but their efforts were in vain.

Councillor Mike Bridgman, convener of the Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Board, has backed the nomination with a letter of support, in which he described the actions of Ewan and Mr Carrigan as "extremely courageous", requiring "considerable strength of character and courage".

He added: "There is no doubt that had Ewan not bravely entered the building with his partner and fought the fire for a significant period of time, many more lives could have been lost that night.

"The service was devastated to lose a colleague, a determined frontline firefighter with more than seven years' experience in the job. Ewan was without doubt committed and dedicated, and his determination on the night to do the job was clearly evident.

"Many residents who remained at the scene after being rescued were deeply shocked that a firefighter had lost his life in his efforts to rescue them.

"It is my contention that the outcome for them and indeed other firefighters working that night might not have been as it was had it not been for Ewan's prompt and courageous response.

"I would commend Ewan Williamson for bravery beyond the call of duty. His actions tragically cost him his life, but without doubt saved the lives of so many."

Chief Fire Officer Brian Allaway said: "We are very pleased to hear that the Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP has agreed to take forward the Evening News petition to honour firefighter Ewan Williamson.

"The last few months have been a very difficult time for the service, for all those who knew and worked with Ewan and most importantly for Ewan's family.

"I think we have all taken comfort from the support of the public and the commitment that people have shown to ensure that Ewan's bravery is honoured with the Queen's Gallantry Medal."

Pensioner Adam Bullen, 75, was one of the residents who had to be rescued, and

the retired French polisher today added his voice in backing the nomination.

"It is good that the Chancellor has decided to put forward the nomination, and I would hope that it could be dealt with as quickly as possible," he said.

Tony Coia, one of Ewan's closest friends, said: "This has been about keeping Ewan's memory alive and his family are 100 per cent behind it. He was much loved and deserves all the recognition he's getting."

The application will now be examined by the Honours and Appointments Secretariat, and the process is expected to take up to 18 months to complete.

Legends in Heart-felt tribute
THE family of Ewan Williamson will attend a charity match between firefighters and former Hearts players on Sunday.

A team of Hearts legends, with current manager Csaba Laszlo, will take on members of Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service at the club's Riccarton training academy at 6:30pm.

Ex-Hearts player Alan McLaren will be among the former stars appearing in the legends team.

A spokesman for Hearts said: "We're delighted that Ewan could be recognised in such a significant way.

"This weekend, we will be paying our own small part in remembering Ewan when our legends team plays the fire service to raise funds for the fire service's benevolent fund."

RARE AWARD
THE Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM) is the third level civilian decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.

It is awarded for "exemplary acts of bravery", and is primarily a civilian medal. Fewer than 600 have been awarded.

The Honours and Appointments Secretariat will soon begin the lengthy process of investigating the application to determine whether or not to approve it. This can take between 12 and 18 months.

As the nomination is for a firefighter, it will be passed on to the Department for Communities and Local Government to oversee before deciding whether or not to recommend approval.

It will then be passed back to the Honours and Appointments Secretariat, who will put it to Buckingham Palace for final approval.