Joseph McTaggart

JOSEPH McTAGGART was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with his twin brother Francis X. McTaggart on September 15, 1919 to James McTaggart and his wife, the former Josephine Borel. The family was living with his grandmother, aunts and uncles at 1710 Broadway when the census was taken in 1920. His father worked at the nearby New York Shipbuilding Corporation shipyards in the early 1920s, until being appointed to the Camden Police Department shortly after the 1924 Camden City Directory was compiled. Joseph McTaggart’s uncle, John McTaggart was also a Camden police officer and had served with the Fire Department for several years in the 1910s.

James McTaggart and family were living at 1713 Fillmore Street when the 1924 Camden City Directory was compiled. They were still at the Fillmore Street address as late as 1927. The 1929 Camden City Directory shows James McTaggart living at 1236 Browning Street. By 1940 they had moved to 3189 Merriel Avenue in East Camden.

Joseph McTaggart and his brother Francis enlisted in the United States Army on September 23, 1940 in Camden. Enlistment records indicate that his initial service was in the Signal Corps and that he was to be sent to the Panama Canal Zone. Instead, the brothers were both assigned to the 251 Signal Construction Company and served together throughout the war, seeing duty in North Africa, Italy, Southern France, and Germany.

Joseph McTaggart was appointed to the Camden Fire Department on December 30, 1950 and reported for duty on January 1, 1951. Joseph McTaggart served the City of Camden for over 27 years before retiring on April 1, 1978. His brother Francis X. McTaggart was appointed to the Camden Fire Department in August of 1953 and served until January 1, 1979.

Joseph McTaggart lived at 201 Beideman Avenue in the Westfield Acres public housing project from the time of his appointment to the Fire Department into the 1960s. By October of 1970 he had moved to 3609 Westfield Avenue.

Joseph McTaggart passed away on July 28, 1983.

More than 40 members of the Camden Fire Department have completed the Red Cross course in advanced first aid according to announcement today by Howard F. Keller, Collingswood, chairman of the Camden County Chapter’s first aid committee.

Instruction sessions were under the direction of Fire Chief William V. Pfefferle, Drillmaster Anthony Dzinski, a member of the local chapter first aid group, assisted by Nicholas E. George, were instructors. Dzinski is a member of the Red Cross faculty at the National Aquatic School held in this area each year for instruction in advance safety techniques. Dick Harris, director of Red Cross safety services, supervised.

All members of the graduating class are personnel of several units housed at fire department headquarters here. These include the Headquarters Company, Engine Company 2, Rescue Squad 1 and truck company 1. These groups include:

Rescue Squad: Captains Arthur Batten, Philip A. Stinger and Albert Weller; Edward Brendlinger, Harrison Macneir, Robert Olesiewicz and James W. Smith.

Headquarters Company: Raymond Banford, John K. Voll and John W. Yates.

Truck Company 1: Captains Daniel Jiannetto, Robert E. Dukes and Otto V. Kaiser; William Watkin, Chester Gedrich, George Baxter, John Mogck, George C. Hennessy, Charles Devlin, Ambrose W. Faust, Joseph McTaggart, Howard R. Taggart, William G. Winstanley and Elmer Johnson Jr.

Engine Company 2: Captains James R. Asher, Thomas Winstanley; Carl Wirtz, James McGrory, Edwin V. Decker, James Stewart, Francis X. McTaggart, Anthony T. Orme, Mario D. Fattore, James O. Jones, Francis P. Stibi, William Hopkins, Robert E. Briggs, John Giuliano, Casper Martelli, Harold H. Pike, John J. Vane, William Stibi, John DiMaggio and Harry Kleinfelder.