Introduction
William J. Cleary was born in Philadelphia on August 23, 1908. William J. Cleary was appointed to the Camden Fire Department on September 29, 1940. On October 15, 1940 he was assigned to Engine Company 3 at 1813 Broadway as a hoseman. Single at the time, his career with the Fire Department was interrupted when he was drafted into the United States Army on February 18, 1941.
He returned to Camden and was reassigned to Engine Company 3 on Monday, December 1, 1941. The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor the following Sunday, and on January 23, 1942 William Cleary was recalled to active duty with the United States Army. He did not return to the Fire Department until he was discharged on October 5, 1945. Still unmarried, William Cleary was making his home at the Young Men’s Christian Association building, 614 Federal Street as late as 1947. He later moved to 2012 Wayne Avenue in Cramer Hill.
William Cleary once again returned to Engine Company 3. He was promoted to Captain on June 15, 1951 and was assigned to Engine Company 9, quartered at the East Camden firehouse at North 27th Street and Federal Street. He served with Engine Company 9 until his retirement on July 1, 1973.
William Cleary passed away on February 23, 1975.
Mrs. Kobus to Ask More Cops, Firemen for City Next Year
Camden Courier-Post —
New Appointment Return Forces to 1938 Status; Defense Increases Need
Appointment of 22 patrolmen and 10 firemen by City Commissioner Mary W. Kobus during the past three months has brought the personnel of the public safety department to figures comparable to 1938.
That announcement was made yesterday by Commissioner Kobus, who expressed the hope the city could afford additional members of both departments in the near future “as a safety measure and because of the great national, State and local defense programs, in which we must participate.”
“Camden is rapidly taking its rightful place as one of the greatest industrial centers of the entire nation. Thousands have been added to the payrolls of our various great industrial plants. Houses are at a premium within the city, and it is natural for the public safety department to keep in step with the times,” the commissioner stated.
“We have hundreds of new traffic problems confronting us today, that never existed back in 1931, when the police department was manned by 247 regular members and 83 special policemen and investigators.
Comparable to 1938 Figures
“Today the personnel of the police department totals 194 men, with no special investigators. This is comparable to 1938, when we had a total of 192 members of the department. Since 1938, 12 policemen have died and eight others requested to be placed on pension, after long and honorable service to their city.
“No replacements were made until a civil service examination was held and a list of eligible men provided. I have appointed 22 policemen from that list and 10 men as members of the city fire department, which had nine vacancies due to deaths and retirement.
“I will ask that sufficient money be placed in my budget for next year to appoint a few additional policemen, due to the defense measures which have been set up, and in which the public safety department is expected to participate.”
All of the new police and fire appointees must serve for one year at a salary of $1500. The second year they receive $1560, with their salaries going to $1680 for the third year and $1800 for the fourth year.
Normally they would have received $2040 for the fifth year, when they become full-fledged members of the department, but a referendum approved by the voters at the last general election sets the salary of police and firemen at $2400 annually after 1943.
As it will be after that year the present appointees will reach the end of the five-year period during which they receive annual increments in their pay, it was indicated they would jump to $2400 after their fourth year in the two departments.
Appointments Listed
The new policemen appointed by Commissioner Kobus were:
Joseph Caputi, 332 Mt. Vernon street; Joseph M. Carroll, 427 Lansdowne avenue; Roland Comerford, 2931 Cramer street; Vincent Conley, 423 Beideman avenue; James Eskridge, 716 North Seventh street; Joseph Hooven, 501 Beideman avenue; Julius Kaunacki, 1183 Sheridan street; William E. Kelly, 55 State street; William F. Large, 729 Mickle street; William H. Neale, 773 Line street; Francis J. Nelson, 720 Penn street; John E. Opfer, 323 North Second street; Cecil H. Picou, 1127 Cooper street; Earl Quinton, 687 Jefferson avenue; Edw. W. Tatem, 565 Mt. Vernon street; Harry Tracy, 2003 Federal street; Harold I. Vecander, 1039 North Twenty-sixth street; John H. Watkins, 2902 Constitution road; Edward Watson, 1048 Haddon avenue; Donald R. Watson, 841 Lois avenue; George T. Weber, 1231 North Thirtieth street; Stanley Zuckowicz, 1157 Thurman street.
The new appointees to the fire department are:
Philip H. Farrow, 529 Newton avenue; Anthony W. Bretschneider, 1621 Louis street; John Gryckiewicz, 810 North Front street; Thomas Winstanley, 329 Bailey street; William Palese, 900 South Fourth street; Anthony Dzinski, 1230 Atlantic avenue; Joseph R. Guarino, 25 Morse street; Martin B. Nelson, 561 Spruce street; William Cleary, 614 Federal street; Otto Kaiser, 904 North Twenty-sixth street.
Camden Fire Department Personnel Record
Named: William J. Cleary, Born Philadelphia, Pa., August 23, 1908, Appointed September 29, 1940, Hoseman; Captain, Pension: July 1, 1973, Died: February 23, 1975. Assignments: Oct. 15, 1940, Engine Co. 3, Hoseman; U.S. Army, Feb. 18, 1941, Dec. 1, 1941; Dec. 1, 1941, Jan. 23, 1942, Engine Co. 3, Hoseman; Jan. 23, 1942, Oct. 5, 1945, U.S. Army; Oct. 5, 1945, and Engine Co. 3, Hoseman; Promoted to Captain June 15, 1951; Assigned to Engine Co. 9, June 16, 1951..