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Fire Guards performed an extremely important role throughout the war years. Keeping an eye out all night for potential fires, they spent many boring hours waiting. This picture shows an all female Fire Guard section atop the Bank of England. All wear the Zuckerman helmet and one-piece overalls with "FIRE" armbands.  Fire Guard drill taking place atop the Bank of England.
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This is a photo of Mary Lock. She survived the Coventry Blitz of 14 November, 1940 and later joined the Fire Guard service becoming the only female instructor in the Coventry area. Her uniform features the special Fire Guard / CD breast badge for Coventry - based on the city's coat of arms of an elephant carrying a tower with the watchful cat on top. I cannot quite make out what her shoulder titles say - possibly starts with Fire Guard on the top (but there is no border to the badge which usually denotes the higher ranks). You can see her Instructor badge on the left pocket of her Pattern 71 tunic with a few service chevrons on her lower left sleeve. A remarkable lady. Read about Mary Lock  Mary Lock - survivor of the Coventry Blitz and later a Fire Guard instructor (Coventry Telegraph). I was reviewing the Fire Guard rank system and I asked the FB group for assistance. Owen was very kind to share the attached scan of a document that belonged to a Mrs Mitchell - who became the Deputy Fire Guard Officer for the whole of Liverpool (she was the only female senior rank). The document is undated but given the rank structure post 1943. The document clearly shows the hierarchy of the city's Fire Guard organisation. The highest rank being the Fire Guard Officer and then descending to the Inspectors. The whole time paid roles were: Fire Guard Officer, Senior Deputy Fire Guard Officer, Deputy Fire Guard Officers, Assistant Fire Guard Officers, Inspectors, Area Officers and Reserve Centre Superintendents. The unpaid positions were: Assistant Fire Guard Officer, several part time Assistant FG Officers, Area Captains, Sector Captains and Street Fire Parties. Mrs Mitchell was initially organising WVS for ARP from January 1939, and then became the Evacuation Officer for Lancashire. In August 1943 she is appointed Senior Deputy Fire Guard Officer for the whole of Liverpool at a salary of £400 per year. (It is interesting to note how she marks in red on a document how many officers are male; in her letter of application she talks about "the vexed question of Women Fireguards".)  WW2 City of Liverpool - Fire Guard Organisation Chart. Manufactured by Constructors Ltd at their Nickel Works in Erdington near Birmingham the Consol Portable Shelter was an armoured mini air raid shelter. Constructed from bullet-proof steel plate bolted to a concrete base it would protect those inside against bomb blast, falling debris and flying splinters, glass and shrapnel. An integral lifting eye on the roof allowed the shelter to be easily moved. Some accounts call the shelters "Fire Watchers' Bell".
Supplied in three sizes for 1 (3' diameter/9 cwt (457kg)), 2 (4' diameter/10 cwt (508 kg)) or 4 (4' 9"/14 cwt (711 kg)) people. Princes started at £57 (equivalent to £3, 600 pounds in 2018). Consol shelters used in factories to provide shelter for fire guards and also used by ARP wardens and the police. Throughout the second world war a number of artists captured portraits of men and women in uniform. These four portraits are of Civil Defence personnel. |
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