Event    From 18/1/1981  To 18/1/1981

New Cross Fire

Categories: Tragedy

A fire at a teenagers' birthday party caused the death of 14 young people, 13 at the fire. The 14th victim was Anthony Berbeck, who escaped the fire, but became mentally disturbed and died after falling from a balcony on 9th July 1983, a possible suicide. Originally the fire was thought to be a racist attack as all the victims were black. Two inquests reached open verdicts.

We are grateful to I Rise, our source for the thumbnail photos of each of the 14 dead.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
New Cross Fire

Commemorated ati

New Cross Fire - Fordham Park

In memory of the young people who died as a result of the New Cross fire 18th...

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New Cross Fire - Hackney

These trees were planted in the memory of the 13 children who died in the New...

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New Cross Fire - site of fire

New Cross Fire, took place at this site on January 18, 1981, Claiming the liv...

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New Cross Fire - Town Hall

Unveiled by Sybil Phoenix, a community leader who had been called to the scen...

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Other Subjects

William Roy Hardy

William Roy Hardy

Non-British, killed by the Bali bomb.

Person, Tragedy

1 memorial
Colin John Maher

Colin John Maher

Killed in a traffic collision, aged 26 years. His name appears in the Mass Intention list for 22 September 2003 at the Church of the Most Sacred Heart in Ruislip. 2014: Via Facebook Adam Knight se...

Person, Tragedy

1 memorial
Granville Road V1 bomb

Granville Road V1 bomb

A V1 bomb fell on Granville Road early on a Sunday morning. 15 people were killed and 25 seriously injured. Twelve houses were destroyed and 100 others damaged.  Holy Trinity church was badly damag...

Event, Tragedy

1 memorial
London Salvage Corps

London Salvage Corps

The London Salvage Corps was set up after the Tooley Street Fire of 1861. Their job was to rescue valuables from fire, protect goods from damage by water, etc. to minimise the claims submitted to ...

Group, Emergency Services, Tragedy

1 memorial
Anna Cecilia Aviles Marcillo

Anna Cecilia Aviles Marcillo

Non-British, killed by the Bali bomb.

Person, Tragedy

1 memorial

Previously viewed

David M. Gibson

David M. Gibson

Stonemason, letter carver, memorial artist and calligrapher. Based in West Sussex. Website.

Person, Craft / Design

1 memorial
Peter Campbell

Peter Campbell

Our colleague, Andrew Behan, has researched this young man: Peter Desmond Campbell was born on 23 February 1962 and died, aged 18 years, on 18 January 1981 in a fire at party being held at 439 New ...

Person, Tragedy

2 memorials
George Buridge
War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Andrew Marvell

Andrew Marvell

Poet, wit, and satirist. Born at Winestead-in-Holderness, Yorkshire. Childless, contemporary sources hint that he was impotent due to having lost a testicle to VD. For about twenty years M.P. for H...

Person, Poetry

2 memorials
F. Henry Warner

F. Henry Warner

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial