William Rae (1869 – 27 November 1904) was a Scottish

firefighter A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...

who served in the Glasgow Fire Brigade. Rae responded to tackle a fire at the

North British Railway Company The North British Railway was a British railway company, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1844, with the intention of linking with English railways at Berwick. The line opened in 1846, and from the outset the company followe ...

, Glasgow on 24 November 1904 where he was seriously injured by an exploding boiler. He died of his injuries three days later. Rae was memorialized in Scottish Fire and Rescue Service's ''Firefighters' Heritage Trail'' where one of the twelve plaques is dedicated to him.

Personal life

Rae was born in 1869. At the time of his death in 1904 he was married and had four children; the oldest child was 10 years old.

Fire fighting career

Former fire station on Ingram Street - geograph

Rae, a carpenter by trade, joined the fire service in November 1891 and rose through the rank to become a merit class fireman. From 1897 to 1904 he was in charge of the joiner's shop. In 1904, Rae was stationed at the newly opened Central Fire Station at

Ingram Street Ingram Street is a major thoroughfare in the city of Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. The street runs east from Queen Street through the Merchant City until it meets High Street. History The street was formerly known as Back Cow Lone. L ...

, Glasgow.

Hunter Street fire

On 24 November 1904 Rae and other members of the Glasgow Fire Brigade attended a fire at the

's terminus, in Hunter Street, Glasgow, Scotland. The seat of the fire was the gas storage area. Exploding gas cylinders burnt Rae from the shoulders upwards, although his eyesight was not damaged.

Death

On 27 November 1904, at the age of 35 years, Rae died of his injuries at

Glasgow Royal Infirmary The Glasgow Royal Infirmary (GRI) is a large teaching hospital. With a capacity of around 1,000 beds, the hospital campus covers an area of around , and straddles the Townhead and Dennistoun districts on the north-eastern fringe of the city cen ...

. Lord Provost Sir John Ure Primrose as well as representatives from Edinburgh, Paisley and Greenock fire brigades attended Rae's funeral on 30 November 1904. His coffin was carried by horse and ladder carriage to the

Glasgow Necropolis The Glasgow Necropolis is a Victorian cemetery in Glasgow, Scotland. It is on a low but very prominent hill to the east of Glasgow Cathedral (St. Mungo's Cathedral). Fifty thousand individuals have been buried here. Typical for the period, only ...

, where he was buried. Memorial A memorial plaque is situated in Hunter Street, Glasgow and is featured as part of the Fire Fighter Heritage Trail.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rae, William 1869 births 1904 deaths British firefighters British carpenters History of firefighting 1904 in the United Kingdom 1904 in Scotland 1900s in the United Kingdom History of Glasgow Accidental deaths in Scotland People from Glasgow 1900s in Glasgow