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60th Anniversary of the explosion of RFA Bedenham at Gun Wharf, Gibraltar
On 27 April 1951 the naval armaments vessel RFA Bedenham, while unloading at Gun Wharf, Gibraltar was sunk when a lighter alongside of her exploded. This caused the ship to explode and sink. There was heavy loss of life and vast damage through out the City.
The 60th anniversary of this terrible incident was remembered on the 27 April 2011 at the memorial erected close to where the vessel sank and many of the lives were lost.
The Mayor of Gibraltar, Anthony Lombard, whose maternal grandfather was a
victim of the explosion, approaches the memorial to lay his wreath
The Memorial and the wreaths laid to commemorate those who were killed
A message from H.M. the Queen was read to those at the memorial
Two of those killed were Sub Officer George Henderson and Chief Fire Officer Albert Indoe both from the Dockyard Fire Brigade. Sub Officer Henderson was subsequently awarded posthumously the George Cross in recognition of his gallantry while Chief Fire Officer Albert Indoe was also recognized by the posthumous award of the King’s Police and Fire Services Medal for Gallantry.
Chief Fire Officer Albert Indoe KPFSM and Sub Officer George Henderson GC
Both Henderson and Indoe were buried in North Front Cemetery, Gibraltar but neither of their graves recorded details of their gallantry awards. This omission 60 years ago has now been corrected by the Civil Defence Association.
The gathering at the graves at North Front Cemetery
Wreaths being laid on the graves
The new plaque on Sub Officer George Henderson GC's grave
(Colour images above by John Bugeja)
The new plaque on Chief Fire Officer Albert Alexander Indoe KPFSM's grave
(the one image above by Terry Hissey)
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