Although this armband came with no provenance, there exist a number of period WW2 photos showing similar armbands being worn. It is well-made example consisting of a very heavy duty red cotton canvas with the individual 'FIRE' letters sewn onto the armband. It is three inches high and has the integral tightening loop seen on other wartime armbands (especially those issued by the  Bristol Aeroplane Co. Ltd.).

​This example sold on eBay for £31 (including shipping) in October 2025.

UPDATE: it appears there has been some previous discussions online regarding the dating of similar FIRE armbands. The consensus is that they are post-war armbands issued by the British Army (with veterans claiming to have worn them in the late 1960s). The heavy duty nature of the material does lend itself more to military use than war issue.

A very rare window sign for a "WVS Civil Defence House". According to the WVS Report on Ten Years Work, WVS Aid Houses were, when requested by the authorities, earmarked for the emergency reception and treatment for casualties, and staffed by WVS under qualified supervision. There were a large number of such houses in the coastal towns. The last sentence suggests they were needed in those coastal towns which suffered "tip and run" raids where lone or small groups of Luftwaffe fighter bombers attacked British towns.

I am indebted to a long-time contributor for the details above.