Henry Follas - Published May 2001

RAMBLINGS.

Today I would like to follow up on a story I wrote a few issues ago about the Devonport fire brigade. This story created quite a bit of interest and in particular I was contacted by Mrs Buchanan whose father had been major force in the brigade soon after it was founded. I was able to interview Enid Buchanan and she told me wonderful stories of her memories of their time the family were involved with the brigade. I thought therefore I would add to the story I first wrote and correct one or two things that had been miss reported over the years.

Enid’s dad was Henry Eugene Follas or Harry as he liked to be called. He was the fire Superintendent at the time when Joe Le Scalles was killed when the fire engine known as the “firefly” turned over on the corner of Calliope Rd and Russell St.  All the records that I had consulted had mentioned that Le Scalles was the Fire chief when he died but Edith advised that was not the case. It seems that Joe was sitting in the place where her father normally sat on the engine, as he was home at the time with a very bad flu, so was unable to answer the call. What a lucky thing that was for the Follas family.

Edith has very fond memories of her dad and I am sure she won’t mind me passing them on.

Henry was born in Auckland 23rd September 1882 and at the age of 20 

in 1902 he married Sarah Hannah Smart at 53 Lake rd Devonport. He lived in Devonport for the rest of his life. They had seven children Enid was 2nd youngest.

Henry Follis joined the brigade on the 13th April 1909 when it was still only operating with a hose reel on wheels and very primitive equipment. The brigade was made up of volunteers. He rose to be Superintendent by 1917 and retired in 1948 after 39 years service.

She recalls him arriving home when she was about five and always picking her up and throwing her up to the ceiling much to her mothers’ disgust because she was terrified he would drop her. Every night when he arrive home Enid would rush up to her dad for this bit of fun.

Henry who was a builder by trade build the house which the family still own in Aramoana Avenue. The house was the first to have an alarm system that allowed Henry to identify where a fire was located in the town. Enid recalls there being about eight rings and each one represented an area of the town, She always remembered that one ring was Bowen St. and eight was up where they lived. If the alarm went off when her father was out in the garden she had been told to count the calls before calling out to him so that he would know where the fire was. Henry would then head off on his bike to answer the call.  If the alarm went off at night her mother would stand at the window and wait and watch till her husband returned.

The Hand hose reel was located about three doors away on the corner of Lake rd. in those days the site of a large fire bell. This bell was one of several scatted around the Town to advise of a fire and call in the volunteers.

Henry was appointed Fire and building inspector of the Devonport Borough Council in 1917.

Edith recalls some of the big fires. One in a large two storied house in Vauxhall Rd which they were concerned would spread to adjoining properties and anther in Calliope road where three house caught on fire.

The most dangerous was one at the Naval base. The brigade was called out to a fight a fire in a ship. It was particularly difficult as it was in the hold. When he asked what was on board, so they knew what they were fighting, he was told by the Navel officer that they were not able to disclose the contents of the vessel. Henry argued that they could not fight the fire if they did not know what they were up against. It was then that they revealed that ship was carrying ammunition. Henry and his team had to crawl into the ship to where the ammunition was to contain the blaze. They were able to put it out but were sworn to secrecy over the contents of the ship. This was in November 1945. The Commander wrote to Superintendent Follis following this incident saying. “ We would like to take this opportunity of tendering our congratulations to you personally on your work and leadership on the evening of 22nd November, which undoubtedly did much to towards preventing a disaster of far greater magnitude”.

There was another story of an Arsonist who unknown to members of the brigade would light a fire then come rushing along to the station yelling “ there’s a fire”, he would help them reel out to fight the fire. After this happened several times they began to, smell a rat, and caught him out and he ended up in an asylum.

One day there was a fire on Mount Victoria, which was very overgrown and very dry during the summer. The brigade was called out and there were houses on the mountain in danger as the wind keep changing direction. He was nearly caught out and surrounded by the fire but luckily got out. Edith said she come home and sat at the table and burst into tears. It was so close.

I asked why Henry had changed his name to Harry. Edith said that he did not like the sound of Henry. It came about one day he was at the tepid baths in the city. The family lived in Symonds St., in fact they owned a whole lot of it. At the baths this day there was this big fat fellow who went for a dive. Someone called out “Oh Henry that was a wonderful dive”. Henry Follis went home and told this to his Mother and father and“ that he did not want to be called Henry anymore”. When asked what he wanted to be called he said “Harry”.

As mentioned in my previous story the acquisition of the new fire engine nicknamed the “Firefly” was a major step forward for the brigade in 1921. Edith told me about the fund raising for this machine.

They held a fair to raise money and one of the methods was to make little fireflies, like butterfly’s, on sticks They were made with orange and lemon and the children just loved them.

After 25 years service in 1934 he was presented with a Gold Star and a wonderful illuminated address signed by all of the members of the brigade. In 1966 he was made a life member of  The Auckland Provincial Fire Brigades Assn.

Edith married Ernie Buchanan who worked at Sterling’s in Devonport for many years. His brother Roy was also a member of the brigade for many years. Ernie was related to the early Buchanan family after whom Buchanan St is named. They were cousins of Ernie’s father.