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Auxiliary Fire Service at Railway Station

c. 1941 , Ipswich (Suffolk)

Cat no. 822

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Members of the Auxiliary Fire Service in World War II leave Ipswich on a steam train.

Amongst the loaded luggage barrows at the station, a long line of uniformed Auxiliary Fire Service members stand on the edge of the platform. A view of the station sign, then the steam train arrives and the men shake hands. After the railway signals allow the train to proceed, the train crew wave as they pass by. The AFS men wave from the carriage windows.

Keywords

Fire services

Background Information

The Auxiliary Fire Service was formed from volunteers at the outbreak of war, to assist the regular fire brigades. Initially many wrongly saw firemen as dodging the forces, but when the bombing began their value was realised. Fire was a huge threat to the British people, emergency firewater tanks were installed in many towns and where a large water supply such as a river was available pipes were laid to provide water for fire fighting. Many of the ranks were made up of women, in March 1943 there were 32,200 women serving with the National Fire Service. For the part time fire fighters, men were on duty every fourth night and women every sixth night. The name was changed to The National Fire Service in August 1941 when the regional regular Fire Brigades and the AFS were merged. After the war the Fire Brigades were split and one again were organised on a regional basis. (Source: www.wartimememories.co.uk)

Manifestations

Auxiliary Fire Service at Railway Station

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