Pageant Pictures

I write regarding Derek Turner’s letter in the Summer issue about his mother writing a pageant for the Girls’ Life Brigade Jubilee at the Royal Albert Hall.

Last week I was given an old photo album belonging to my late aunt containing a photograph of the pageant, and also one of my aunt and mother with one of their friends in their costumes (below). I think that the date would be about 1952 – they belonged to the Girls’ Life Brigade in Balsall Heath, Birmingham. I know my mother really enjoyed the experience, and I wish we had talked more about it.

Andrea Fitter, by email

EDITOR REPLIES: Thank you Andrea. We have passed the photographs on, and Derek is delighted!

I am a retired firefighter, and have studied the history of the fire service for many years, so feel that I must correct some things in Felix Rowe’s otherwise excellent article ‘Fighting fire’ (July).

The First World War did not result in the creation of volunteer services. Most brigades, except in major cities, were volunteer long beforehand. However, it did strain both professional and volunteer brigades because firemen were not exempt from conscription.

Also, Mr Rowe omits the most significant change to UK fire services, the 1938 Fire Brigades Act. For the first time in the UK, local authorities were required by law to establish brigades. While many towns already had fire brigades, or financially supported a volunteer brigade, many rural local authorities did not. Many even refused to contribute to the cost of the nearest town brigade, so they would not attend fires in the rural area. Prior to the 1938 Act, brigades would send an invoice to the property owner for the cost of their services at a fire, although insurance companies would usually cover this cost. After the 1938 Act councils could no longer charge for firefighting.

In addition, despite some unsubstantiated anecdotes I have found no evidence that women in the Auxiliary Fire Service or National Fire Service fought fires or drove fire engines to fires. They were recruited to staff control rooms, for administration, as messengers, and to move supplies about.

Finally, when the NFS was disbanded in 1948, the responsibility for providing brigades did not return to the local authorities who had been responsible under the 1938 Act. It was returned to county borough councils, specifically the larger county councils.

Tony Morris, by email

EDITOR REPLIES: Thanks Tony, although, as our Star Letter shows, women were also involved in training.