Cowards '“ but were they?

I have since found out more information about this sad event, news of which escalated to the national press.

The Empire Cinema was in Sutton Road next to where the Seaford Bakery now stands (the site has never been built on and is now a council car-park) and on Tuesday evening, February 28 there were two features '“ The Port of Seven Seas, starring Wallace Beery and Walking Down Broadway.

After the first film, the Gaumont-British newsreel was shown and then taken along to the Ritz cinema in Dane Road. After the second film the customers left and the main electric switch near the front doors was turned off and the premises locked. One of the usherettes, Miss Coffen, walked the short distance to her home in Croft Terrace.

All seemed quiet but a fire had started in the boiler room under the main stage and slowly took hold. Miss Coffen was woken by her mother just before 2am and told that the cinema was alight. She ran to a nearby telephone kiosk and raised the alarm.

The fire brigade was quick to react and maroons were sent up from the Esplanade which woke many Seaford residents and bathed the town in a vivid red glow.

The fire-engine was on scene in eight minutes and Chief Officer Reeves soon realised that the assistance of the Newhaven brigade was needed and they in turn arrived shortly afterwards.

Forty-two-year-old Fred Mace had joined the fire brigade 20 years earlier and attended the fire with his brother Charles, of Stafford Road, who had joined two years before.

Shortly after 3am Fred climbed a 40ft fire escape to direct a hose on to the burning roof.

There was a high wind blowing and it became necessary for some men to hold the base of the escape in an attempt to stop it swaying.

This proved impossible and the escape crashed to the ground seriously injuring Fred, who died at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton a few hours later.

Charles had to break the sad news to their mother who had already lost another of her six sons, Joe, in the Great War. Fred's life had been insured by Seaford Council for just 250; he left a widow and two children.

The local press reported the fire but also mentioned that the Seaford crowd had failed to assist the brigade in steadying the fire escape.

It was reported that on two occasions the police had asked the crowd to help but only three men had volunteered.

An inquest on Fred was soon opened by Dr Hoare, the coroner for East Sussex, who called the brave fireman a hero.

The jury heard evidence relating to the escape apparatus which was old, wooden and had no guy ropes to secure it. However, the inquest became interesting when the alleged apathy of the crowd was brought up.

Returning a verdict of accidental death the coroner criticised the crowd by saying, 'I am not happy as to the conduct of the crowd. There does seem to have been some lack of enthusiasm to come forward to help in manning the wheels of the escape.'

The alleged misconduct of the crowd was again reported but this time the story was picked up by the Daily Mirror which accused Seafordians of cowardice.

I recall local historian Pat Berry telling me that she had heard that at a football match a short time later the Seaford crowd were taunted by the cries 'Cowards '“ cowards!' Seaford hung its head in shame.

But were the complaints justified?

In 2006 I spoke to one of the crowd who was actually there '“ Percy Thompson '“ who I interviewed because he was one of the last people to have lived at Tide Mills.

I asked Percy about the fire but he did not recall anyone asking him to help and I am sure an active man like Percy would have been keen to assist.

The criticism must have irked the town because a few days later a mass meeting was held at the Queen's Hall and more than 700 people attended.

The chairman, Sir Alfred Cope KCB, was supported by the vicar, the Rev Charles Maxwell, and the Roman Catholic priest Father Webb. Sir Alfred Cope had been busy and had interviewed many witnesses including the Chief Constable, the fire chief and even the coroner.

Many witnesses came forward to say that there had been no requests for assistance and indeed the police had tried to keep people away from the fire escape ladder.

Among the witnesses to the fire were Mr Carter and Mr Pettit, both former firemen.

They told the meeting that they had volunteered to assist but had been declined.

Other witnesses, mostly ex-Servicemen, told a similar story and 40 other witnesses had felt so strongly that they had already written to Seaford Council to say that they had heard no request for help.

The Rev Maxwell gave a rousing speech saying that he had travelled all over England but had never met a better set of men than those he had met at Seaford.

He called the Daily Mirror headlines 'unwarranted, unworthy, unjustified and contrary to the facts'.

Father Webb then asked for practical help in contributing to the fund for the fireman's widow.

The meeting agreed unanimously that the death of Fireman Mace was not attributable to any lack of volunteers or any 'holding back' of any of the public present.

The meeting ended with requests for more ARP and St John Ambulance volunteers followed by the national anthem.

A few weeks after this sad incident the country was plunged into war which resulted in many more brave Seaford men being added to the war memorial to prove that the people of Seaford were not cowards.