WW2 Fire Guards & Fire Watchers Insignia, Armbands, Lapel Badges & Helmets

As the Battle of Britain drew to a close in the late Summer of 1940, the Luftwaffe began to move away from military targets to bombing cities. To combat the impending "blitz" on cities, a Fire Watchers Order was issued in September 1940. This called for businesses of a certain size to organise volunteers from their workforce to patrol through the evening to detect and put out small fires using stirrup pumps and sand buckets or call the fire services when required. The order was poorly organised (especially within smaller companies), and many businesses were woefully underprepared for the coming bombing attacks.

Following the blitz on London on Sunday, 29 December 1940, it was found that many factories, warehouses, offices and buildings had been left completely unattended. Many devastating fires could have been dealt with if a Fire Watcher had been on duty.

To rectify this situation a Fire Watchers Scheme was instigated in January 1941. This new decree meant that buildings within certain designated areas had to have a fire watcher present 24 hours a day. They were to deal with incendiaries as best they could and call on the assistance of the fire and rescue parties as required.

For some businesses finding cover for their buildings was difficult and so the Government implemented a compulsory scheme of fire watching. Fire Guards (men (aged 16-30) and women (aged 20-45) were to be called up for duty and volunteers were also accepted (men up to age 70 and women to the age of 60). Generally, the duties of watching buildings were tedious, with long, boring nights, and the requirement proved highly unpopular.

Staged photo of two Fire Guards on duty during second world war. They are wearing the Zuckerman helmet, Fire Guard armband and have civilian respirators gas masks.

Fire Guards did not receive any official uniform but generally wore civilian clothes or a boiler suit. They would be issued with a helmet, armband, torch and a means of dealing with small fires (a stirrup pump) and a scoop for picking up incendiaries and a bucket of sand to put them out.

The organisation of Fire Guard can be split into four periods:
1. Fire Watchers Order was issued in September 1940
2. Fire Watchers Scheme was instigated in January 1941
3. Fire Guard Organisation, managed by the Wardens' Service, August 1941
4. Fire Guard Plan from February 1943, managed by the local authority, to stand down in May 1945.

Read a history of Fire Watchers and Fire Guard

WW2 Fire Watcher Badges

A large variety of Fire Watcher badges were manufactured and issued by companies to people undertaking fire watching duties.

WW2 Fire Watcher lapel badges.

Supplementary Fire Parties / Street Fire Parties - SFP Armbands / Armlets

In the summer of 1940, Supplementary Fire Parties were organised by local fire brigades to assist in dealing with the outbreak of fires caused during air raids (from incendiaries mainly). They wore a dark blue cotton armband with screen printed red SFP letters (listed as "Armband Street Fire Party - ARP 38 - Red Screen Printed on Dark Blue". From August 1940, these armbands were then issued to the Street Fire Parties that were organised by the Wardens' Service. Also listed in Post Office archive is "Armband Fire Observer - ARP 38 - Red Screen Printed on White".

There were also armbands with the word FIRE screen-printed in red on bluette issued but for which no ARP pattern number is currently known.

Members of a Supplementary Fire Party - homemade SFP armband, whistles and torches shown

Both Supplementary and Street Fire Parties were reorganised within the Fire Guard Organisation. Existing SFP armbands were updated with a FIRE GUARD patch sewn over the SPF letters. The patches are quite hard to come by these days.

WW2 SFP (Supplementary Fire Parties / Street Fire Parties) Armband.

WW2 SFP armband overlaid with Fire Guard patch.

Street Fire Party (SFP) receiving instruction

WW2 Fire Guard Armbands / Armlets

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 armlets worn by Street Fire Parties. White lettering on dark blue cotton was introduced during 1943 reorganisation to differentiate itself from the Wardens' Service. From March 1944 members of the Fire Guard were officially allowed to add war service chevrons to their armbands. The chevrons were to be placed to the left of the writing when viewed by another person. Additionally, wound stripes could be sewn to the right of the FIRE GUARD lettering; if both gold and red wound stripes had been awarded just a single red was allowed placed to the right of any old gold ones.

Fire Guard armband - yellow lettering on dark blue cotton.

WW2 Fire Guard armband - a patch has been sewn over a SFP armband.

WW2 Fire Guard armband - white lettering.

Details about the issue of Fire Guard armlets in ARP Training Bulletin 7, 1942

Fire Guard wearing the patch above a SFP armband

More information about Fire Guard Instructors' Badges.

Fire Guard Helmets - Civilian Protective Helmet (Zuckerman) & Mk. II Helmet

Many Fire Guards were issued with the Civilian Protective Helmet (known as the Zuckerman). This helmet, with a high dome to crumple when impacted by falling debris, was relatively cheap to manufacture and used a mild steel of a much lower quality than that in the typical Mk. II helmet.

It featured a simple leather lining that was attached with a bootlace string through holes in the helmet. Helmets were marked M & L (Medium and Large), six different liner sizes and two loops for a chinstrap but none was included (though private purchase chinstraps could be bought). A makers stamp and date of manufacture appear on the majority of examples.

A number of helmets were issued with SFP (for Street or Supplementary Fire Party) but were replaced with FG from August 1941. However, many examples of SFP continued to be used throughout the rest of the war. Seniority within the Fire Guard service was denoted by black bands around the helmet. There is photographic evidence of some Fire Guard personal with the Mk.II helmet and "W/FG" for "Warden/Fire Guard".

Read a detailed overview about the Zuckerman helmet on the blog.

A 1941 publicity photo detailing the introduction of the Civilian Protective Helmet (Zuckerman)

Two Fire Guards wearing the Zuckerman helmet and Fire Guard armlets (IWM).

Pressed Steel Company logo and date (June '41) on a Zuckerman helmet. The helmets thin metal shown by how the stamp imprints.

Supplementary Fire Party SFP Zuckerman Helmet

Street Fire Party SFP Zuckerman Helmet

Fire Guard Officer Zuckerman Helmet with single black band.

A Warden/Fire Guard helmet.

Fire Guard Area Officers (three black ½" bands on white helmet) and SFP fire guards in Zuckerman helmets.

Street Party Leaders, Captains, Senior & Head Fire Guards and Staff Officer

Street Fire Party Leader – in charge of approx. 150 yards of street or 30 houses and between 10 and 30 individual Fire Guards (organised into Stirrup Pump Teams of three people). They were not a member of an individual team.
Fire Guard Street Captain – in charge of no more than six Street Fire Party Leaders and about 50 to 150 Fire Guards.
Senior Fire Guard – in charge of no more than six Fire Guard Street Captains or about 500 Fire Guards (with around 75 on duty at any one time).
Head Fire Guard – in London there would be a Head Fire Guard for every District Warden in charge of no more than six Senior Fire Guards or about 2,500 Fire Guards. Outside London, a Head Fire Guard would be in charge of approx. six to eight Senior Fire Guards.
Fire Guard Staff Officer – responsible to the Chief Warden for the efficiency of the local authority’s Fire Guard Organisation. Inspects Head and Senior Fire Guards to ensure compliance.

With the implementation of the Fire Guard Plan from February 1943, the Fire Guard Organisation moved from being overseen by the Wardens' Service (the Chief Warden being the head) to being a separate Civil Defence entity. As such, a number of roles were abolished such as Fire Guard Staff Officer and replaced by a local authority-run position of Fire Guard Officer. Depending on the size of the local authority, the Fire Guard Officer would have a number of Deputy and Assistant Fire Guard Officers.

1943 Fire Guard Plan Ranks & Helmet Markings

This rank structure was introduced with the Fire Guard Plan of February 1943, when the Fire Guard Organisation moved from being managed by the Wardens' Service to being overseen by the local authority. Fire Guards still liaised with the Wardens' Service.

Fire Guard Officers replaced Fire Guard Staff Officers.
Area Fire Guards Officers/Captains replaced Head Fire Guards.
Sector Captains replaced Senior Fire Guards.

Rank	Helmet colour/type	Helmet marking
Fire Guard Officer	White - Mk. II	1 broad (1") band under 2 narrow (½") bands
Deputy Fire Guard Officer	White - Mk. II	1 broad (1") band under 1 narrow (½") band
Assistant Fire Guard Officer	White - Mk. II	1 broad (1") band
Fire Guard Area Officer	White - Mk. II	3 narrow (½") bands
Fire Guard Area Captain	White - Mk. II	3 narrow (½") bands
Sector Captain (lowest uniformed FG rank)	White - Zuckerman/Mk. II	2 narrow (½") bands
Fire Guard Area Instructor	White - Zuckerman/Mk. II	2 narrow (½") bands
Fire Guard Block Leader*	White - Zuckerman	1 narrow (½") band
Fire Guard Street Party Leader*	White - Zuckerman	1 narrow (½") band
Fire Guard Inspector	Grey - Zuckerman (as issued)	2 narrow (½") bands
Fire Guard Reserve Centre Superintendent	Grey - Zuckerman (as issued)	1 narrow (½") band

* Block Leaders in the main oversaw business premises. Street Leaders oversaw residential street.

High ranking member in the Warden/Fire Guard (W/FG) organisation

Fire Guard Battledress Blouse Uniform Insignia

As members of the Wardens' Service, all ranking Fire Guard officers (for example Head and Senior Fire Guards) were entitled to wear the same dark blue battledress and trousers seen worn by other Civil Defence services. To signify their role within the Fire Guard service distinct insignia was available; these included specific shoulder titles, rank badges (three chevrons for Head Fire Guards, two chevrons for Senior).

When the Fire Guard Service was reorganised in 1943, new shoulder titles - white lettering on blue (but a lot of old gold yellow versions were also produced) - replaced (or were added in addition to) the use of the Warden title.

Fire Guard Breast Badge

Although no official documentation has come to light for the use of a Fire Guard 'FG' breast badge, a number of period photos do see see it being worn. A smaller size badge was also made for the beret/side cap.

Fire Guard breast badge for wear on battledress

Wartime photo of the Fire Guard breast badge

Warden / Fire Guard Shoulder Titles

Printed FG (Fire Guard) insignia often worn below the Warden shoulder titles.

Embroidered Warden (F.G.) Fire Guard shoulder title.

WW2 Fire Guard Shoulder Titles

The old gold colour of shoulder title is most likely the first pattern introduced with the Fire Guard reorganisation in August 1941. The white lettering is probably a second pattern introduced with the Fire Guard Plan in February 1943 (this would tally with the white rank badges). To date, the red is not definitively identified. Note that the Civil Defence Corps also had a Fire Guard within the Industrial Civil Defence Service and the shoulder titles appear as two distinct words rather than the joined versions found during the war.

Old Gold Fire Guard shoulder title

White Fire Guard shoulder title

Red Fire Guard shoulder title

Fire Guard Organisation - August 1941 to February 1943

Fire Guard Staff Officer shoulder title

Head Fire Guard Shoulder Title (variation)

Head Fire Guard Shoulder Title

Senior Fire Guard Shoulder Title (variation)

Senior Fire Guard Shoulder Title

Fire Guard Plan Ranks - From February 1943

Fire Guard Officer shoulder title

Assistant Fire Guard Officer shoulder title

Area Fire Guard Captain shoulder title

Fire Guard Sector Captain shoulder title

Deputy Fire Guard Officer shoulder title

Area Fire Guard Officer shoulder title

Fire Guard Sector Captain shoulder title

Fire Guard Instructor shoulder title

WW2 Fire Guard Identity Warrant Cards

As the role of Fire Guards allowed them to enter premises to deal with fires, they received identity warrant cards for the purpose. Similar to the cards issued to ARP wardens these cards usually carried the holders name, the local authority and the measures that individual could undertake.