< p>A UNIQUE honour has been accorded former Metropolitan Fire Brigade Officer Terry Beardon, 67, who died at his home in Narre Warren on January 17 after a courageous 10-month battle with cancer.

The MFB permanently inscribed one of its appliances - pumper 35A - with Mr Beardon's name.

MFB station officer Bruce Weaver said the honour was usually reserved for Valor Medal recipients or retired chief officers.

But Mr Beardon, who joined the brigade in 1970, was given the honour for his extensive mentoring role to many young fire fighters, and, his service history and actions at the Athol Lodge fire in 1991 in particular.

Mr Weaver, who gave the eulogy at Mr Beardon's funeral said a guard-of-honour was formed by 80 firefighters at the church and 'Pumper 35A' escorted the funeral cortege to the Bunurong Memorial Park in Dandenong South.

Terry Beardon was born in London on August 26, 1942, and joined the Norwegian navy at the age of 15, serving mostly in Canadian waters.

He later became interested in the building trade and did an apprenticeship in brick laying and slating and tiling.

He met his future wife, Mandy, at a dance in London in 1964.

They married in London in 1965 and migrated to Australia in 1967.

He leaves behind his wife Mandy, four children Julia, Sean, Natalie, Jane and four grandchildren.

Highlighting Mr Beardon's 34 years of service, Mr Weaver said that on December 24, 1991, Pumper Unit 35 and combined Ladder 35 were dispatched to Athol Lodge in Ackland Street, St Kilda, where the fire crews found a two-storey building totally smokelogged and a number of people trapped.

Eighteen people were rescued. Mr Beardon helped rescue a number of the trapped people. At one stage he was resuscitating six people singlehandedly as they lay in front of the building.

A Victorian Unit of Meritorious Award was presented from the State Government for his actions, and only three of these awards have been presented in the MFB's 119-year history.

He retired in 2004 to spend time with his wife and family.

Marg Stork