| One of the most famous and numerous fire services ever established anywhere in the world, Britain's Auxillary Fire Service (the AFS) was a necessity during the dark days of World War II. Initially envisaged as part of the Air Raid Precautions Programme in February 1937, the home office issued a manual entitled Emergency Fire Brigade Organisation to one thousand fire authorities asking them to consider the problem of war-time risks. By 1941, the resulting AFS organisation had more than 20,000 mobile pumps and more than 3,000 miles of canvas delivery hose, but the biggest change ever to take place in the history of the British fire service occurred on the 18th august 1941 when the 1,440 individual fire authorities in Great Britain were Nationalised. In the aftermath of World War II, a new threat loomed in the shape of the atom bomb, and to respond to any attacks on Britain during the ‘Cold War', the Civil Defence Act was passed in 1948. A Major part of this act was the re-formation of the AFS, which would have a force of around 55,000 volunteer personnel. The new AFS would span a period of 20-years before being disbanded in 1968, and employ the most famous of all fire engines, ‘The Green Goddess'. In this book Ron Henderson tells the fascinating story of this massive organisation and the appliances it used. Contents:
- Introduction
- Foundation
- Nationalisation & Re-Birth
- Training & Development
- Colour Files
- AFS Vehicles
- Disbandment
- Acknowledgements
Continent: Europe
Country: UK |
