An armband for a member of a Rescue & Demolition squad. These squads, mainly comprised of builders and carpenters, would later be reorganised into Rescue Squads and then further divided into Light Rescue and Heavy Rescue teams (the latter here more in line with the shoring and demolition of buildings).
A similar design of armband in blue has been noted for an "Assistant To Controller" (see the bottom of this page).
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The common Civil Defence rainbow armband introduced in the summer of 1940 appears with a number of additions - for example, Rest Centre, Controller, Surveyor etc. The below example is for the leader of a rescue, shoring and demolition squad.
Image courtesy of Steve Taylor ARP Pattern 39 armlets featuring FIRE GUARD in gold/yellow lettering on dark blue cotton were introduced in August 1941. 1.8 million were ordered, as well as 1 million patches for sewing over the existing SFP armlets worn by Street Fire Parties.
The yellow script versions appear in two styles, one screen printed on cotton similar to the Civil Defence 'rainbow' armband, and the other on a cotton twill fabric that bleeds FIRE GUARD through the material. The white lettering version appeared in 1943, on a light cotton twill fabric, which also bleeds through the fabric. Using the old gimmick of putting a fake item together with an original to create some sort of provenance, one of the usual shysters on eBay is currently hawking this tat--a fake Scout ARP armband with a real, but grotty, leather scout belt. The armband has previously been for sale on the tat bazaar but buyers appear to have twigged it was a copy. Alas, a number are falling for the job lot sale.
Update: someone wasted nearly £290 on this garbage... A number of the armbands issued by Warwickshire's local authorities have been listed on this blog previously, but I have not seen this dark blue "ARP ROAD REPAIR SERVICE" before. It is listed amongst a number of Civil Defence badges including a red chevron. Of all the badges issued during the war some of the hardest to find and to be quite certain about are the early red chevrons issued to rescue and decontamination squad leaders.
The below armband, badges and insignia are currently on eBay and generating quite a bit of interest. |
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