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Several of the various insignia badges for ranks within the Fire Guard Organisation are listed on the website. The chart below shows original insignia and the very rare "Reserve Centre F.G. Superintendent." I have this listed as the lowest position in the ranking structure. Fire Guard Reserve Centre Superintendents wore a grey Zuckerman (colour as issued) with one narrow (½") black band. However, it would appear that the lowest uniformed Fire Guard was a Sector Captain, so I'm unsure where this badge would be worn.  Fire Guard Organisation Rank Insignia
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I am indebted to Mat Thomas for the photograph shared below. Mat's grandmother was Joan Thomas (there's a separate blog post on her), an ambulance driver at the bottom right of the photo. Interestingly, most of the volunteers in the front row are wearing white dress gloves. It's hard to date the photo as no war service chevrons are in evidence, so it was probably taken from mid- to late-1941 through to 1944. On the night of 29/30 April 1941, Cwmparc was bombed by the Luftwaffe, and Joan Thomas ferried the dead and injured from Cwmparc to Pentwyn Hospital in Treorchy. There were many casualties, with some 27 dead, three of whom were evacuees, all members of the same family. The evacuees were all buried in the same grave in Treorchy Cemetery. The event was the largest loss of life that the Rhondda suffered in a single night of wartime bombing.  Cwmparc Civil Defence Group Photo  Ambulance driver Joan Thomas Becoming more and more collectable are the appointment cards issued to members of the various Civil Defence Services. Below is a card issued by the Borough of Torquay to a member of its Fire Guard Organisation. The owner was a Deputy Sector Captain.  Borough of Torquay Fire Guard Appointment Card Not seen anything like this cap badge before. I assume it could be for a First Aid Post or a First Aid Party Leader to wear. Or, the FAP letters are for something entirely else.
The London Ambulance Service has released a fantastic set of photographs showing members of the London Auxiliary Ambulance Service (LAAS). There are some great shots of the uniform and insignia. There is a separate blog entry on the British Empire Medal winners. Read more about Women on the frontline of the ambulance service – a history of saving lives.  Members of the London Auxiliary Ambulance Service on parade  Ann Armitage and Betty Leverton received the British Empire Medal for bravery and exceptional service  Women learning ambulance maintenance skills in London |
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