Harold J. Megee
HAROLD J. MEGEE was born in Camden, New Jersey on April 4, 1913, one of at least four children born to Emma and Leonard J. Megee. In January of 1920 the family, which included older brother Leonard H. and younger sisters Beatrice and Evelyn, lived at 407 Royden Street in South Camden. Leonard J. Megee was then working as a janitor in one of Camden’s public schools. He later was appointed to the Camden Fire Department, possibly through the influence of James Tatem, who served as Camden’s Chief of Police for a time in the mid-1920s. When the Census was taken in April of 1930, the Megee family lived at 613 South 5th Street, the corner of South 5th and Royden Streets. James Tatem was their next door neighbor at 615 South 5th Street, and Albert Fogg, a clerk at Camden’s City Hall, resided at 617. Just around the corner at 458 Royden Street was Camden policeman Nathan Petit, at 456 was Camden fire fighter John Lutts.
Harold Megee followed his father into the Camden Fire Department. He was appointed to the department on July 16, 1937 and was assigned to Engine Company 7 on Kaighn Avenue above Mount Ephraim Avenue, where he reported for duty on July 19, 1937.
The 1940 Camden City Directory shows Harold Megee living at 515 Benson Street. By the time the 1943 edition was compiled, he had moved to 3083 Carman Street, where he lived into the 1970s.
Harold Megee was promoted to Captain and transferred to Engine Company 8, 619 Kaighn Avenue, on April 6, 1948. He was reassigned on December 22, 1949 to Engine Company 6, Front and Linden Streets, where he served until June 15, 1951, when he was again transferred, this time to Engine Company 9 at North 27th Street and Federal Street in East Camden, not far from his home at 3083 Carman Street. Captain Megee served at Engine 9 until he retired on a disability pension on March 6, 1963.
Harold Megee moved out of Camden by the fall of 1977. Last a resident of Medford, New Jersey, Harold J. Megee passed away in May of 1978.
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Camden Courier-Post —
Firefighters Fete ‘Shorty’ Prucella After 39 Years in Service of City
Camden Courier-Post —
A GOLD WATCH in recognition of his many years of service with the Camden fire department was presented Tuesday to John B. “Shorty” Prucella, 75, retiring member of Engine Co. 6, by his “buddies” of the station. Prucella, who will retire July 15 after 39 years, is given the watch by Hoseman Ernest Tartaglia. Standing, left to right, second row, are Capt. William H. Deitz, P. Farrow, E. Callahan, H. Pike, H. Needham and Capt. Harold Megee; back row, Capt. Thomas Winstanley, of No. 2 Engine Co.; M. Fattore, T. McParland and William Reed.
John B. “Shorty” Prucella on July 15 is going to stop fighting fires, rescuing cats up poles and trees, returning lost children to anxious parents and marching in parades.
On that date Prucella, oldest member of No. 6 Engine Co., will go on pension after 39 years service.
Shorty, as the other eight members an [sic] two captains of his company call him, is 75. He is one of the two remaining veteran fire fighters in the city who formerly drove horse-drawn apparatus.
The other horse driver is Battalion Chief Clarence Madden.
Prucella joined the city electrical bureau in April, 1910, and after 19 months service, transferred in November 1911 to the fire department. It was at Engine Co. No. 5, formerly at Twelfth and Federal streets, where he drove a horse-drawn fire truck.
Receives Watch as Gift
Later, Prucella served at No. 4 Engine Co., formerly at Fourth and Vine streets. He has been stationed at No. 6 company, Front and Linden streets, for the last 17 years.
Shorty’s comrades, in a surprise ceremony Tuesday, presented him with a gold watch. Attending the affair were Captains William H. Deitz and Harold Megee, of the same company; Firemen P. Farrow, E. Callahan, H. Pike, H. Needham, M. Fattore, T. McFarland, William Reed and Ernest Tartaglia, and Battalion Chiefs Edgar Ellender and Howard Gick.
Prucella lives at 919 Penn street with his wife, Hattie; a daughter, Elizabeth, and a son, Raymond. He has two grandchildren.
Will Take It Easy
The veteran smoke-eater announced his future plans call for “taking it easy” and reminiscing about old times.
“The ‘fire department’ is gone now,” Prucella commented. “What people called the fire department went out with the horses. Horses gave something to fire fighting, and when they left there just wasn’t any ‘fire department.’
“Of course, considering that out [sic] engines get out of the fire house in 20 seconds today, is enough to show that horses could never compare with anything we have today. But the horse drawn wagons got out of the firehouse in two minutes, and Heaven help the man who got in their way.
“It hurt when the old plugs were taken away. The keenest horse we owned was turned over to the street cleaning department.”
Biggest fire in Prucella’s experience was the Hollingshed fire in 1940, but he doesn’t like to think about it because 14 persons lost their lives.
Prucella is a member of the International Firefighters Association, Police and Fire Club, Firemen’s Mutual Benevolent Association and the Camden Lodge of Moose.
Fire Department Service Record
Camden Fire Department Service Record — Harold J. Megee