Bootle Fire Brigade

[Frank948]

I remember going to the Job from Westminster Rd Station on what we called a Make up .Assistance to other Brigades.Watching the tar barrels blowing up in to air about 100 feet.Pumping water from canal.I also went to a fire in 1987 when i was Crosby Fire Station .Look at it now all gone Its TESCO.

[Elaine Goulding]

Joe, amazing pictures...keep posting!!!
Elaine

[joefirebobby]

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Photographs copyright MFRS .

[joefirebobby]

Lord Street Liverpool during the May Blitz , notice on the right hand side , the fire engine from Blackpool .

[lily8]

Hi Joe et al I enjoy all the pictures and stories of the Fire Brigade particularly of wartime. I understand that a lot of men and women? joined the Auxillary Fire Service in WW2, does anyone know if records were kept on this?? Also were any medals issued to the 'Firies' ( other than the defence medal and civilian awards) for the very vital work they did in the war years????

Thanks

Updated: forget the first question I did a check myself and see that the records were destroyed what a shame from a genealogical perspective.

Auxiliary Fire Service and National Fire Services, World War Two

National Fire Service personnel files would probably have been passed to the local fire brigades and later routinely destroyed, in line with standard practice.

The service cards for the National Fire Service were not preserved. These records held information about pay rates but did not give details of individuals’ names, addresses etc. The records had been rejected by a number of organisations on the grounds that the amount of information contained was insufficient to justify the expense incurred in their preservation.

There are no surviving personnel records for the Air Raid Precautions (ARP).

Both the Auxiliary Fire Service and National Fire Services are long since defunct so it is improbable that any current government department would be holding further records for either of them.

[joefirebobby]

Hi Lily
There are some records of the AFS and NFS that have survived .
If you have some specific questions please send me a private message and I will make some enquires .

I think medals were only awarded for acts of bravery , in my opinion , the firemen and others who were trying to put fires out and assist trapped people , and at the same time bombs were raining on them , they all deserved much more than a medal .

I read a book about Wartime Britain recently , and there is a great tale about a Liverpool housewife who wrote to her soldier husband serving in the Western Desert , she called her hubby " a coward hiding in the desert while those brave firemen were getting bombed in the streets " , and she was deadly serious , the book sadly , does'nt give her husband's reply .

[joefirebobby]

Fire at Callows , opposite Aintree Racecourse in the 1970's .

[joefirebobby]

Fire in Gladstone Dock 1949 .

[joefirebobby]

Sadly , when the Empress of Canada caught fire in 1953 , the fireboat was in dry dock undergoing repair .

[joefirebobby]

Fire engines from Hatton Garden Liverpool turning out in the 1960's .



Turning out in the 1900's from the same station on a Merryweather Fire King fire engine .

[joefirebobby]

Coburg Dock Fire Station in the 1960's .





Turn out from Coburg Dock .

[joefirebobby]

The crew of Westminister Road Fire Station in the 1930's when Liverpool Fire Brigade was part of the Police , hence the term " Firebobbies " when referring to firemen .

[joefirebobby]

Large crowds gathered to watch the fire that destroyed the Philharmonic Hall in 1933 .

[joefirebobby]

[joefirebobby]

Derby Lane Old Swan crew in the 1940's .

[joefirebobby]

A fire in Shaw Street in the late 1960's where a woman was killed , Frank Mullen attended this fire , I will let him tell the story of this terrible tragedy .

[joefirebobby]

A photograph from the Blitz in Liverpool city centre .

[joefirebobby]

Fire in the early 1960's with the Anglican Cathedral in the background , exact location unknown .

[lily8]

Thanks again Joe for some wonderful pics and info, I remember watching the engines at Hatton Gardens when I used to visit my Great Aunt who lived in the City, nice memories

[Frank948]

I remember this Fire .It was early evening about 5 30 pm.I was driving a Fire appliance ( Pump ) bassed at Hatton garden.The Fire call came into our Control room at Hatton garden.3 fire appliances were sent to the fire,The pump i was driving was second in line when we got at top hatton gardens turned right to go up the Chuchill way fly over but as it was rush hour the first appliance went on the fly over and got stuck in the rush hour traffic .I went down towards the tunnel and Hunter St.Pushing our way through the traffic to Islington and Shaw St.As we turned into Shaw St we saw the building on fire .In F B terms going well.I was pushing the appliance for all its worth.About 100 or so yrds from the address a lady fell from the 3 floor window.When i stopped other appliances arrived and we got ladders off and water on the fire.Sorry to say the lady passed away.

[joefirebobby]

Henderson's Department Store Fire , Church Street June 1960 .





The fire , as seen from Hardman Street .

[lily8]

Hi Joe here are a couple of vids some of you ex Firebobbies may watch re Hendersons fire.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpKrvHaSoKQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fotsDZWx5g4

[Frank948]

I was in Liverpool AFS in 1960 .The day of the fire 10 AFs men reported for duty at our H Q fire station Belvidere Rd Liverpool 8 .At 4 pm on the day we went with 2 fire pumps and 2 Full time officers to the fire.All though the fire was getting under control we were detailed to do some tasks like making up hose . and other equipment we stayed till 10 pm.The unusual thing was i went to work in Hendersons when it reopened in late 1961 as store fire officer .Till i left to join the Fire Service full time in 1965.

[joefirebobby]

Thanks Lily .

[joefirebobby]

1950's Bootle FB Pump Escape .

[joefirebobby]

Turning out from Central Fire Station Strand Road many years ago .

[joefirebobby]

Woman being assisted down turntable ladder at a fire off Old Hall Street in about 1961 .

[joefirebobby]

Bootle FB Pump Escape .

[joefirebobby]

Turning out to a firecall at the then newly opened Bankhall Fire Station in Derby Road in 1969 .

[john j connell]

Joe, have noticed that some extensions are taking place at the headquarters on Bridle Rd, anything to do with accommodation for the Fire service museum. JJC.

[joefirebobby]

John

The museum is getting an extension , I believe the funding has come from a charitable trust .
Also a new Fire / Police Control Centre is being built plus a new cark park .

[Kathy John Moorcroft]

Some great old pics there firebobby.

Kathy,

[joefirebobby]

Fire in the early 1960's in Lydia Ann Street in the city centre .

[Frank948]

Bridle road extention and building work is expected to take 12 months or so.


We are hoping to get some more appliances and more equipment its exciting time for all of us all at the Heritage and education centre.Frank.

[Sheady 2]

Love this topic,,, some really interesting stuff here, Thanks to all those who have put pics and their story's on.
Please Has anyone got any pics or information on the Auxiliary fire service during the war years?
My dad was serving with the Auxiliary fire service during the war in Bootle.
He attended a bombing at a church/ hall sadly found his mum and 2 sisters dead in there,,, there bodies were taken to the slipper baths which was also sadly bombed the next night,,, they are named on bootle cemetery memorial.

My dad never talked about it but I am trying to find out more about his time in the Auxillerys through those terrible war years...
Any pics or information would be very much appreciated.

Thank you all for your interesting story's keep them coming please
Grace