Information File No1. ESSEX FIRE MUSEUM . The Fire Service in Wartime Essex.

Before 1937 there were more than 60 Fire Brigades in the County of Essex. The standard of these brigades varied widely, from the professional ‘Metropolitan’ brigades such as Walthamstow, Ilford, Leytonstone, Barking and Dagenham and the large towns such as Colchester, down to the tiny rural brigades of villages like Finchingfield, Mersea Island and Thaxted. The Air Raid Precautions Act of 1937 required all local authorities from Parishes to County Councils to make provision for properly organised Fire Brigades for their areas and for the formation of a Government sponsored Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) attached to the local authority brigades. New or more modern fire appliances were purchased by many of the smaller brigades and recruiting for the AFS began in 1938. Equipment for the AFS was provided by the Government, this included uniforms, pumps, ladders, hoses and branches. What was not included was the provision for vehicles to tow the many trailer pumps issued and this resulted in many fire brigades acquiring an amazing variety of cars and lorries for conversion into towing vehicles and fire appliances.

Rayleigh’s Auxiliary Fire Service in 1939 Initial training for the auxiliaries varied greatly from brigade to brigade until a training manual was produced in 1939 by the Home Office with the intention of standardising training. Women were recruited to operate the fire control rooms, to be administrative staff, station cooks and also to drive both cars and supply lorries. They were often in the thick of the action. The so called ‘Phoney War’ period from autumn 1939 into the early part of 1940 did not leave the fire fighters of Essex with nothing to do. With several vital RAF airfields in the county there were many aircraft crashes to attend to. This involved many of the more rural brigades. Also more fire appliances were issued by the Home Office, including self propelled heavy duty pumping appliances to the more vulnerable industrialised towns situated along the Thames.

Thurrock Auxiliary firemen with their Bedford ‘Extra Heavy Pumping Unit’ in 1940 In May 1940 the enemy air force attacked many of the Essex airfields. Both high explosive and incendiary bombs were used. More and more of the Auxiliaries, led by both professional and more experienced part time fire fighters of the pre war Brigades, attended major fires and bombing incidents. The main offensive came on the 7th September 1940, when a major air attack on the Thameshaven Oil Refinery at Stanford Le Hope heralded an even heavier attack on the London Docks. The ‘blitz’ had started. Fire crews from all over the county, reinforced by 50 pumps from London, fought the massive oil fire that ensued.

Fire fighters tackle part of the huge blaze at Thameshaven, September 1940. (By kind permission of the London Fire Brigade). From that day onwards, heavy air raids occurred on most nights, right through into 1941. Many Essex crews were drafted into London to help fight the major fires that raged as a result of the air raids. On many occasions heavy attacks developed in the towns alongside the Thames. Thurrock, including Tilbury and Grays were badly damaged, as were Dagenham and Barking (both within the County of Essex until 1965). In 1941, as a result of the sustained heavy bombing and the difficulties of co-ordinating the efforts of so many different fire brigades throughout the country, the whole of the United Kingdom’s fire service was amalgamated to form the National Fire Service (NFS). Essex, with the exception of the Metropolitan Boroughs close to London, became Number 11 Fire Force of the National Fire Service. The ‘London’ Boroughs became part of Number 36 Fire Force. The formation of the NFS alleviated many problems within the fire service. Equipment, especially hose couplings, uniforms and vehicles, was standardised throughout the country. Exhausted fire fighters from London ‘swapped’ stations with those in rural areas to have a bit of rest and recuperation. One of these arrangements saw the exchange of personnel between Witham in Essex and one of south London’s busiest stations, New Cross. How this arrangement worked out would be very interesting to know! The formation of the NFS coincided with an easing of the air raids. Although heavy raids continued to occur, they were few and far between. As part of the Allied Invasion of Europe in June 1944, a plan was made to send four ‘Columns’ of NFS fire fighters into France and the Low Countries behind the advancing Allied Troops. These fire fighters were to be fully equipped with vehicles and the necessary equipment to tackle fires and other incidents caused by enemy action. Many Essex NFS personnel volunteered for this task and made up a large part of No4 Column of the ‘Overseas Contingent’ of the NFS. As luck would have it, the only column called to France was No4. The crews followed the Allied forces up through France and Belgium and finally into Germany, providing fire cover for many of the cities that had been severely damaged by the retreating enemy forces.

Members of No4 Column at the Liege (Belgium) Central Fire Station 1945 From June 1944 right through to April 1945, south eastern England was subjected to bombardment by unguided missiles. At first there were the V1 ‘flying bombs’, small rocket powered, pilot-less aircraft with high explosive warheads. Know as ‘doodlebugs’, these weapons were launched against London in their thousands, although a great many were shot down by anti aircraft guns or fighters. Unfortunately this, along with defective guidance systems, caused a large number to fall within Essex. Many landed in open country, but when they landed in populated areas they caused massive damage and many casualties. Mobile columns of rescue workers, including the NFS, were sent to these incidents to provide the urgent help required. Later a second type of weapon came into use called the V2. These were highly dangerous rockets carrying similar sized warheads to the V1s. They caused tremendous damage and casualties wherever they struck. Unlike the V1s, there was no possible defence against them until their launching sites on the continent were captured or over run. The population in south eastern England just had to hope one didn’t land near them! For camouflage purposes, during the Second World War, most fire appliances were painted grey. This was very unpopular with the fire fighters who preferred their gleaming red appliances and shining brass work. All personnel were issued with steel helmets to replace their glossy leather or cork helmets. With the end of hostilities in 1945, the NFS was greatly reduced in size, with many of its vehicles placed in storage. Eventually in 1948 the NFS was disbanded and fire brigades were returned to the care of local authorities. In Essex this was the County Council and the Essex County Fire Brigade was formed.

Chelmsford’s NFS fire fighters with their Austin K4 Pump Escape at the end of the war, 1945.

M.Beale