Emotional moment firefighters down helmets as coffin of hero colleague killed in line of duty passes

Published on July 31, 2025 at 06:55 PM

FIREFIGHTERS yesterday lined the streets to honour a colleague killed tackling a deadly blaze in a hangar.

They laid their yellow helmets on the ground as Martyn Sadler’s ceremonial funeral procession passed by.

Firefighters and mourners lining a street before a funeral cortege.
Firefighters lay helmets at their feet to honour their colleague
Firefighters and mourners at a funeral procession.
The cortège passes through the streets
Firefighters escorting a coffin draped with a Union Jack on a firetruck.
Uniformed firefighters march beside the firetruck carrying the coffin
Firefighter in uniform.
Oxfordshire firefighter Martyn Sadler, 38, tragically died in a hangar blaze

The 38-year-old’s coffin, draped in the Union flag, was carried on a fire engine through Bicester, Oxon.

Hundreds of people watched in respectful silence while uniformed firefighters marched behind.

The cortège paused outside the town’s fire station, where crews stood for a minute’s silence.

His coffin, flanked by standard bearers from all fire services across the country, was brought into St Edburg’s church for a private service.

Martyn was on May 15 alongside colleague Jennie Logan, 30, and businessman Dave Chester, 57.

Ten fire crews were called to reportedly being used to store vintage buses and other vehicles.

s in the blaze but have been discharged from hospital.

Thames Valley said post-mortem examinations suggested the three victims were killed by part of the structure collapsing. An inquest was adjourned until November 25.

The force’s major unit, the Health and Safety Executive and the fire service are investigating.

Photo of Jennie Logan.
Heroic colleague Jennie Logan, 30, died while tackling the inferno
Photo of a man in a suit with a woman whose face is blurred.
Local Businessman David Chester, 57, also lost his life in the tragic fire
Aerial view of a large fire at Bicester Motion, Oxfordshire.
Neighbours saw black smoke billowing above the buildings during the shocking blaze

On Tuesday, owners of the Bicester Motion complex, set up on a former World War Two RAF bomber training station, announced that the fire-damaged Grade II-listed Hangar 79, would be demolished.

Work is expected to start next week.

In a tribute following his death, Martyn’s family said he was born to be a firefighter.

They added: “Coming from a fire service family, it was always in his blood, but it was significantly more than that with him, it was his life.”

He worked for Fire and Rescue Service but was also part of the London Fire Brigade.

A funeral procession for Jennie took place in June.

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