The Belmont Fire Brigage
Fr Brendan Thomas • May 8, 2020
Today we mark VE Day, 75 years since the guns fell silent at the end of the war in Europe, and give thanks for the peace that was won and pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the entire Second World War generation. What a courageous example they gave for which we will always be grateful.
The monks played their part, such as Fr Christopher McNulty who resigned as Headmaster in 1941 and received a commission as Chaplain to the Forces. Fifteen Old Boys of the school gave their lives in the armed forces during the war and are remembered in the memorial chapel. Below we recall the small local effort of some of the monks of Belmont in difficult times.
Shortly before his death Fr Hugh Menken gave an account of how five Belmont monks volunteered for the fire service in the Second World War, and formed the country's only monastic fire brigade. We reproduce the story from the Hereford Times.
The fire at the Rotherwas Munitions Factory in 1944 is a well-known event in Hereford's history. What is less well known is that one of the county's more unusual fire crews was among the first on the scene. Peter Smith, who has a keen interest in the history of the fire service in Herefordshire, discovered in the course of his research the existence of a unique war-time fire brigade.
In 1940 five monks at Belmont Abbey volunteered for the fire service, working alongside more experienced crews during the war years. Fascinated by how the monks found themselves in the fire service, Mr Smith asked Father Hugh Menken, one of the original fire crew, to share his memories of life in Belmont Abbey's brigade, and was delighted to receive a handwritten account of his parallel life as a firefighter.
He detailed many events from the time his career took a - temporary - change of direction. "In November 1940, a small group offered their services," Father Hugh recalled in his account. "Many of the others were already working for the Air Raid Precautions (ARP). We were provided with a uniform and trained on a two-man manual pump. This rather primitive equipment was housed at Belmont, though it never saw active service."
Later, the Belmont complement rose to 15, the manual pump was withdrawn and replaced with a Coventry Climax Major towing pump and a converted Commer towing vehicle.
"The Commer had already seen much commercial use," Fr Hugh recalled, "and was in a parlous state as to roadworthiness: insufficient compression in the engine to tow the Coventry Climax at any reasonable speed, the gear gate was so loose that gear selection was difficult and the brakes were virtually non-existent. "Only the skill of the driver, Fireman (Rev) Paul Bloom prevented a very nasty accident when the brakes failed entirely on Fromes Hill."
According to Father Hugh, the country's only 'monastic' brigade was recognised by the Home Office for its propaganda value and a Picture Post photographer despatched to Belmont to take shots of the monks as firemen. They also received visits from many senior fire officers, but, wrote Father Hugh, there was a hidden agenda to the visits.
"Two things made such visits possible: monk firemen were an unusual curiosity, and invitations to visit the Abbey relieved HQ in Hereford of their commanding officers staying too long." Calls from HQ to arrange the VIP visits always ended with a request that Father Hugh call HQ the moment the VIP left the Abbey. "It was not merely for official knowledge of their whereabouts," wrote Father Hugh, "but so that Hereford themselves could be on the alert should a further call be made at the fire station!"
The first fire the Belmont brigade attended was at the old Barrel Inn in Eign Street, their last a big fire at an emergency hospital at Hope- under-Dinmore. They were also, with Hereford, the first on the scene at the Rotherwas munitions factory fire in 1944.
"All the gates were locked, everyone was supposed to have been evacuated. It was eerie waiting for the keys to the gate to get at the fires burning in small patches all over the area towards Dinedor Hill," wrote Father Hugh. "The original blast must have killed all the wildlife. There was not a sound from nature, not a bird to be seen, only an ominous drip-drip from a pipe in a wrecked canteen just over the wire fence. Before the keys arrived, we climbed the high wire fence to assist a solitary worker crying for help - he must have been missed when the workers were evacuated. He had a badly lacerated hand with the thumb almost severed, so we bandaged him up and got him off in our ATV to the ambulances at Bullingham."
Memories of the monastic fire brigade of 60 years ago are not the only thing to have vanished. The silver rose bow awarded annually to part time fire stations was returned it 1945 to Hereford Fire Station by the Belmont brigade, the last recipients, and no trace of it can now be found.
From Francis to Leo: A special event with Christopher Lamb of CNN in conversation with Austin Ivereigh who commentated for the BBC on the transition from Pope Francis to Pope Leo.
On 12th June an Ecumenical Service was held at Hereford Cathedral to celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea.
Archbishop Mark O'Toole, of Cardiff-Menevia presided at the Requiem Mass for Bishop Mark, while Abbot Brendan conducted his burial. Cardinal Vincent Nichols preached a homily full of warmth and affection for Bishop Mark which is reproduced below.
Bishop Mark Jabalé OSB RIP Given at his funeral by Dom Alexander Kenyon Baby Jean Pierre (Mark) Jabale was born on October 16th, 1933, in Alexandria, Egypt. As he said, himself, his background could be considered “cosmopolitan”: his father was Lebanese / French and his Mother, British / Greek / French. He also reminded people that he wasn’t Egyptian. Through his mother, Arlette, he was related to St. Jean Vianney, so it was, perhaps, no surprise that he followed in his priestly footsteps. His father, Jean, was MD of Fiat and Simca cars Europe and, maybe surprisingly or not, he did love a car – not, however, Italian cars, but German; he loved his Audis. Perhaps we should begin today by remembering his mother and father, his brothers Christian and Paul and his nieces, here today, Aline and Nathalie and Isabelle and their families – they were so dear to him and he to them and I know they miss him enormously. Young Jean wanted to join the Navy and came to England, to Belmont Abbey school but the Lord had other ideas – he ended up joining the rather land locked monastery, our dear, late Fr. Raymund opining that he wouldn’t last a month. After a rather uninspiring course of priestly studies (his words, not mine) he studied for a Licentiate in French literature in Fribourg, then a Dip Ed at Strawberry Hill and played Rugby there – the Papist Witch Doctor as he was affectionately known. Teaching followed, at Belmont, Housemaster, acting Headmaster, then to Alderwasley, our prep school in Derbyshire as Headmaster, and then back to Belmont soon after as Headmaster. In 1983 he went to Peru to build our first monastery there only to realise there was little money. So, he returned to the UK to put in a stint of fundraising with his usual zeal and determination. With his mission accomplished he was asked by Abbot Alan to return to Belmont as his prior in 1986 – Peru remained close to his heart. In 1993 he was elected Abbot. In his time as Abbot, he had to preside over the closure of the school, necessary but no less painful for him. In 2000 he was appointed coadjutor Bishop of Menevia and succeeded Bishop Mullins in 2001. He retired as Ordinary in 2008 and “retired” to Chipping Norton as parish priest, then Hendon, saying Mass for the nuns and helping with confirmations. After a spell at Archbishop’s House, Westminster, living with his great friend Cardinal Nichols, he came home to Belmont – it was as though he had never been away and he loved being back in the monastery, particularly praying the Office with the community. That’s the list, of sorts, but it doesn’t really say “who” he was. I haven’t mentioned his outstanding contribution to rowing – the 1979 coxless, lightweight four gold medal at the world championships in Bled, which almost didn’t happen as, at the last minute, he was told there was no money to send the crew. He begged, cajoled and got them there – the video footage of the final is compelling. He transformed Henley Royal Regatta, writing a computer programme for the race results – he was well ahead of his time. He coached the Oxford Boat, ran the Heads of the River Schools Regatta, and more. What an achievement from someone who had never sat in a boat but learned on the job, as he said, “from books, mainly”. It was his determination, his commitment, his love of people and his drive to share what he had that is, perhaps, one of the key things to celebrate about him. And it was underpinned by his rock-solid faith – nothing overly pious, nothing showy, but a faith and a love of the Lord built on granite. Even his occasional lack of patience (sorry Mark) extended to that faith; ‘why won’t God call me?”. At the risk of being irreverent my response was always “would you want you?”. But God did want him, and he knew it. God had a purpose for his Apostle during his life and he now rests with Him in eternity. His purpose was, simply, to bring the joy of the Lord into the lives of others, in many and varied ways. A few weeks before Mark died, Pope Francis died. When the late Pope was seriously ill the son of friends of mine who entertained Mark and I to lunch regularly, was distraught at overhearing mum and dad say the Pope may die. He couldn’t stop crying. “But darling”, they said, “you don’t know the Pope, why so very sad?”. “We do know him” came the reply, “it’s Mark”. “No, Mark isn’t the Pope”. “Oh, so when the Pope does die will Mark be Pope then?”. Mark loved that one. When Mark himself did die said son would only be pacified by picking flowers from the garden and bringing them to church for him. He wanted to show how much Mark meant to him and wanted to give a little something back. That is the real biography – a man loved, respected, a man who shared what he had, above all his faith, a man who touched so many lives and made them better.  Rest in peace our dear friend.
Our brethren in Peru were delighted with the election of Pope Leo.
