THEY can still remember the horror of Booth’s factory fire in Huddersfield which claimed the lives of 49 people.

And now 71 years later, three survivors Florrie Walsh, Gladys Lunn and Emma Atkinson, have returned to the spot where the tragedy unfolded to see a memorial plaque unveiled.

Some 49 employees – many of them women and teenagers – died in the inferno at H Booth and Son’s clothing factory on John William Street in Huddersfield town centre on October 31, 1941.

Huddersfield Parish Church vicar the Rev Canon Simon Moor led the memorial service on Saturday ahead of the plaque unveiling at the former site.

“This seems to be a way of creating and sustaining the memory of those who lost their lives in a single fire on a single day in 1941,” he said.

The service, attended by many relatives of the victims, was followed by a procession from the church to the site of the former factory, now a goods yard at the rear of Tesco.

The plaque was unveiled by Deputy Mayor of Kirklees Clr Martyn Bolt who said: “We mark a sad day in Huddersfield not as a result of the war that was raging but as the result of a simple act of a workman not extinguishing his pipe properly before entering the building.

“Unlike other places where tragedy has struck, there was until now no inkling of the terrible tragedy which occurred here.

“Today we are privileged to honour their memory with the unveiling of this plaque.”

The campaign to create a memorial at the site was led by local historian Richard Heath and David Hanselman, who lost his 16-year-old brother, Chris, in the blaze.

Mr Heath said: “The tragic loss of life at Booth’s clothing factory is part of our history.

“Its importance can never be understated.”

Speaking after the service, he added: “It’s been a moving day both for the survivors and their relatives and for those who have become involved in campaigning to have this memorial plaque instated.

“It’s been wonderful and this day is for the three survivors – Florrie, Gladys and Emma.”

He thanked Tesco who helped fund the plaque, Kirklees Council and Huddersfield Parish Church for their support to the memorial.

Mr Hanselman, who was 10 at the time of the blaze, said: “This was really the last opportunity we had to mark the occasion with the three survivors who are now in their 80s and 90s.

“It means something to us and to Huddersfield and hopefully when this area is revamped we will be able to reinstate the plaque in the rightful place.”

Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman and Kirklees Council leader Clr Mehboob Khan also attended the unveiling and talked of plans to commission a sculpture as a second chapter in marking the tragedy.

Huddersfield fire crews attended in honour of the firefighters who fought desperately to help those in the blaze.

THREE survivors of Huddersfield's worst disaster have recalled that fateful day when the Booth factory fire claimed so many young lives.

Gladys Lunn was 23 when she managed to flee from the burning five-storey clothing factory on John William Street.

Now 93, she said: "When we got out of the building we didn't look back to see what was going on - we couldn't watch it.

"All we thought about was telling our families that we were safe.

"We were very lucky that we managed to get out.

"There was so much paper and cardboard and the stairs were made of wood so everything just went up in flames."

At the time, H Booth and Sons Ltd was a prominent five-storey converted warehouse that stood back-to-back with the Empire Cinema in the town centre and faced the railway viaduct on the opposite side of the road.

After the blaze broke out the flames spread and dozens of workers were trapped on the upper floors with no fire escape.

Florrie Walsh, 84, who was working at the factory recalls: "I had only been there six months to the day when the fire happened.

"There were no alarms. Foreman George Thurkill came over and shouted 'Fire, get out'. When we got to the bottom of the steps outside, the building started to blow up. We were the last to walk out of that door alive.

"I was so lucky and I firmly believe Mr Thurkill saved my life."

Survivor Emma Atkinson, 91, who was 20 at the time, said: "We managed to get down the stairs just before a massive explosion.

"I was so lucky. They asked me to go to the hospital to identify the bodies but when I got there I lost my nerve and couldn't go through with it. It was horrific what happened that day.

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