Firefighters will gather in Stockport town centre on Friday 4 September to unveil a Red Plaque in memory of Police Superintendent Howard Beckwith KPFSM, who died in the line of duty in 1926.

The ceremony will take place at 2pm at the site of the old Stockport fire station, now Merseyway Shopping Centre, next to the A6. The location marks the point where Beckwith, then officer in charge of Stockport Borough Police Fire Brigade, began his final journey.

On 29 December 1926, Beckwith was travelling as a passenger in a fire engine leaving Mersey Square fire station in response to an emergency call.

The vehicle left the road and plunged over the parapet of Wellington Bridge on Wellington Road. He sustained fatal injuries. He was 64 years old.

The event has been initiated and coordinated by retired Stockport firefighter and FBU member Bob Taylor, together with current Greater Manchester Brigade Chair Matt Fryer.

Despite efforts to trace relatives, organisers have been unable to locate any of Howard Beckwith’s family. Firefighters and senior managers from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service will attend to ensure his sacrifice is remembered.

The Red Plaque scheme, run by the Fire Brigades Union, commemorates firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Each plaque is installed at or near the site where the death occurred, serving as a permanent reminder of the risks firefighters face and the debt owed to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Steve Wright, FBU General Secretary, said: “Howard Beckwith died while responding to an emergency call, doing the job that firefighters are still doing today. He was 64 years old and had devoted his life to protecting the people of Stockport. Nearly a century on, it is right that we remember him.

“This Red Plaque will serve as a permanent record of the risks firefighters and emergency workers face every time they get a call.”

Matt Fryer, FBU Greater Manchester Brigade Chair, said: “Every Red Plaque tells a story of courage and loss. Howard Beckwith’s story is no different. He died answering an emergency call, serving his community in the most direct way possible.

“Unveiling a plaque is a solemn act of remembrance, and an act of solidarity.

“It says that across the generations, firefighters stand together.

“It says that the risks our members take today are built on the sacrifices of those who came before.”

Short speeches will be given by FBU officials, including National Officer Adam Taylor, and senior managers from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, before the plaque is unveiled.

Refreshments will follow at the Stockroom Venue within Merseyway Shopping Centre.