Words written by a firefighter who survived one of Victoria’s worst fire tragedies 75 years ago hung in the air during a memorial service at Tarrawingee on Saturday.

About 80 people gathered by the recently-restored monument on Great Alpine Road, the site where 10 firefighters died on December 22, 1943, as they battled a blaze that started at Bowser.

Two 14-year-old boys, Kevin Dunkley and Claude Hill, and eight men, Andrew Guthrie, Theodore Lea, John Marks, Joseph Ryan, Norman Robinson, Edward Seymour, Godfrey Spencer and Arthur Wellington, lost their lives while 20 others were injured.

At least two firefighters from that day joined relatives of the victims and representatives of the Country Fire Authority, Victoria Police and Wangaratta Council to honour this sacrifice.

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Norman Robinson’s daughter Valerie Clarke, 83, was then eight years old.

“What a terrible day it was, so hot, the bell tolled continuously, the fire brigade bell,” she said.

“I remember our father coming home from work and he didn’t come inside, he just sang out he was going to the fire and that was the last I saw of him.”

Tarrawingee brigade captain Warrick Benton told the crowd the fire came during a drought with Australia at war and men, supplies and resources scarce.

A community meeting a week later decided Tarrawingee needed its own fire truck and a fundraising effort began.

“Some would say this tragedy was the start of when the CFA was born, and a year later towns and districts across Victoria united together to form the Country Fire Authority as it is today,” Mr Benton said.

“Fires will run the same way as 75 years ago, but hopefully with the latest equipment and technology, another day like this will never happen again.”

A sudden wind change proved catastrophic for the occupants of two trucks near the fire front.

“The Wang unit, attempting to turn, became stuck in a drain and was overwhelmed by the fire,” CFA chaplain Rev David Poole recounted.

“The heat was so intense that the bales of straw were being sucked up high into the air, releasing showering fragments of flame over the firefighters.”

Mr Benton said the 75^th anniversary came soon after Tarrawingee had been inundated by flash flooding.

“In the last 10 days I have witnessed the strength of the Tarrawingee district and community supporting each other in time of need, just like the community did 75 years ago,” he said.

“As we approach Christmas, spend some time with your family, make time to see your neighbour, and remember those 10 brave men who could not spend time with their families at Christmas 75 years ago.”