Like to try re-enacting? Interested in NFS history? Like vintage vehicles? Interested in WW2 events? Like to have a go? Then why not join us? Have a look at ‘About Us’, and get in touch. Email: info@nfs-afs.org.uk

Recent videos of us in action: Rufford Air Raid (2013) and by Ian Beck,  Lowdham Floods 2012, Crich Tramway Museum 2012.  newsreel of the air raid at Rufford by Ian Beck. James Walker made this video at Rufford 2012 using a tiny camera attached to his person whilst he went up the ladder! Our current leaflet is here: NFS Vehicles Group 2017 events, and has the events list on the back.

You can contact us at info@nfs-afs.org.uk or call David on 0115 9664938.

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The NFS Overseas Contingent and D-Day

The story of the NFS Overseas Contingent is little known and rarely told. Members of the NFS and AFS Vehicles Group are portraying the Overseas Contingent by taking two representative vehicles and a pump to Normandy for the 75th Anniversary of D-Day.

From the early months of 1943, the southern counties of England started to be used as temporary billeting and storage areas for the massive numbers of troops and their equipment, ammunition and fuel needed for the invasion of Normandy. This meant that the fire load in counties such as Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset increased very significantly and the NFS had to react to this. These areas of increased risk were designated as BLUE ZONE and fire crews and pumps from NFS regions of lower risk were temporarily moved into the zone to reinforce the firefighting resources normally there. By all accounts, this worked very successfully and many fires that threatened to destroy ammunition, fuel and military vehicles were dealt with efficiently by the NFS without them reaching disastrous proportions.

Then, in March 1944, a call went out throughout the NFS for volunteers to join a new unit designated OVERSEAS CONTINGENT. As its name implied, this new NFS contingent was being formed to cross the Channel following up the advancing troops in Normandy and providing a fire fighting and fire prevention service to the Allied Military. Women were barred from applying and male applicants had to be between the ages of 19 and 41. Applicants came forward in large numbers but the selection process was rigorous and many failed it, resulting in another appeal for volunteers in May 1944. 

The fire fighters that were successfully recruited into the new contingent were undoubtedly an elite unit and they were issued with shoulder flashes bearing the words ‘Overseas Contingent’ together with other variations from standard NFS uniform such as a beret, a brown webbing belt, army boots with gaiters. 

The special training given to members of the ‘Overseas Contingent’ was aimed at bringing them to a high level of physical fitness. In many ways it mimicked the training given to soldiers attached to ‘commando’ units except, of course, that no weapon training was given to the firemen. The training even included sessions in foreign languages. The advanced element of the training involved the NFS men being instructed in how to embark their pumps and other vehicles on landing craft and disembark them in France. 

In Whitehall there was much thought having to be given to the legal status of the Overseas Contingent if elements of it were ever deployed alongside or right behind the fighting forces. What would happen to NFS men that might be captured by the enemy? In the end, it was decided to give the Overseas Contingent the status of persons accompanying or following the fighting forces as defined in the Army Act. It was hoped that should any NFS men fall into the hands of the Nazis they would not be shot but treated as prisoners of war. 

Operation Blazer – the NFS Overseas Contingent in training in Essex. Photos from George Wilden, with thanks to the Stowmarket History Group

The contingent was organised into ‘columns’ with each mobile column being equipped to be as self-sufficient as possible. It seems likely that the planning that went into producing the post-war Auxiliary Fire Service mobile columns probably leant heavily on the experience gained from the Overseas Contingent mobile columns.

Operation Blazer – the NFS Overseas Contingent in training in Essex

Gradually the manpower of the contingent was brought up to full strength but only after the ban on recruiting volunteers from London, Merseyside and the Midlands was lifted. This ban was imposed so as not to seriously deplete the NFS in these high fire risk areas of the country. However, it was later realised that it was within these areas that lay the greatest experience in dealing with fires caused by enemy action and so blitz-hardened firemen were welcomed into the Overseas Contingent.

Operation Blazer – Loading a Dennis Large 500 Gal/min pump into Landing Craft

The D-Day landings did, of course, take place on 6th June 1944 and a decision then had to be made on whether or not to deploy one or more columns of the NFS Overseas Contingent to support the invasion forces. The top brass of the British Army soon made their feelings known that they did not want the responsibility of looking after the NFS as the liberation of France, Belgium and the Netherlands gathered pace. As a result, on 17th October 1944, four of the five columns were stood down, but to the disappointment of the men, leaving just Column No 4, which we represent. (No 4 Column continued to train, and saw active service between D-Day and January 1945 at V2 rocket incident in London.) However, the Americans took an opposing view and stated that they would welcome NFS support. In January 1945, one column of the Overseas Contingent under the command of Divisional Officer J.M. Kelly was sent to France. The column was attached to the Twelfth (US) Army Group and contemporary reports show that the NFS and US Army personnel soon struck up a very cordial and effective working relationship. 

Home Secretary Herbert Morrison inspecting the NFS Overseas Contingent at Tatton, May 1944

The serious impact that loss of fuel and ammunition through fire could have on the allied campaign was very much understood by the Americans and the potential for disastrous fires was massive. For example, one fuel depot dealt with the decanting of petrol into jerry cans and a total of 1.5 million gallons was handled every day. Remarkably, German prisoners of war were often placed on the nozzles of the petrol pipes from whence the jerry cans were being filled.  Ammo dumps ranged in size from a small railhead to 25 square miles. The risk of explosion and fire must have been enormous and so it is little wonder that the US Army was so glad to have the Overseas Contingent working with them at such sites.

Operation Blazer – The NFS Overseas Contingent in training in Essex, loading a Ford Mobile Dam into a landing craft

Divisional Officer Kelly soon found that his resources were severely stretched with his pumps and crews being scattered over an area of 30,000 square miles. By the time the column was sent home, the most northern element of the NFS was stationed at Wegberg actually inside Germany and the most southern was at Verdun in France. So much useful work for the Overseas Contingent was found that it raises doubts about the decision to only send one column overseas. Hundreds of major incidents were dealt with by the Overseas Contingent and the number of fires they prevented is incalculable. 

The relationship between the US Army and the Overseas Contingent grew so close that the NFS men were issued with American working rig uniform and they temporarily adopted US Army ranks to avoid confusion. So, for example, a NFS Section Leader was referred to as ‘Sergeant’ and Leading Fireman was known as ‘Corporal’. 

After seven months of hectic activity the Column was withdrawn on 15th July 1945 and returned to England. The Home Secretary wrote to the returning NFS men a letter containing the following:

I have had reports of the hardships you endured and the zeal and efficiency with which you carried out the duties entrusted to you…. I congratulate you and welcome you back to your homes and friends.

By John Craig,

From the Wiltshire Retired Firefighters’ Association newsletter, ‘The Branch’ of June 2014.

Photos Getty Images, and Stowmarket History Group – George Wilden

Adapted by David Moore, June 2019.

Our Vehicles and their Markings

Vehicles for the NFS Overseas Contingent had a number of extra markings in addition to the yellow triangle on the front left wing, and the circular NFS logo. A white triangle identified the vehicle.

At the top was the Column Number, which is ‘4’ in our case, because Column 4 was the only one that went overseas. The others were stood down. Below that were two letters and a number. We have chosen Company ‘C’, Section ‘N’ consisting of 5 vehicles.

The vehicles also had the Allied White Star in the White Circle on the bonnet and roof, an Army serial number on the RH front mudguard, and a 3” x 1” white stripe on the offside mudguard to indicate that the engine had not been waterproofed.

Each Column consisted of an HQ company and 5 companies, each of which had two sections, ‘X’ and ‘Y’, making a total of 522 officers and men.

The column consisted of:

  • 1   Foam Unit (Column HQ)
  • 2   Column Lorries (Column HQ)
  • 1   Column Car (Column HQ)
  • 5   Mobile Kitchens (1 per company)
  • 5   Hose Carrying Lorries (1 per company)
  • 5   General Purpose Lorries (1 per company)
  • 50 Towing Vehicles (10 per company)
  • 10 Mobile Dams (2 per company)
  • 61 Large Trailer Pumps (12 per company, 1 HQ)
  • 27 Motorcycles (5 per company, 3 HQ)
Operation Blazer – a Mobile Dam towing a Dennis Large pump

We are representing part of a Section, which would have 5 towing vehicles and a mobile dam, with all of them towing a large 500 gall per minute (approx. 2400 litres per minute), and a 350cc Royal Enfield motorcycle. For reasons of space, we had to leave the second Large Pump at home!

The Dodge Mobile Dam that we have today is exactly like the ones used by the Overseas Contingent, although they also had Ford versions. It is rated as 4/6 tons, meaning 4 tons fully equipped with crew, and 6 tons when you add 500 gallons of water (2 tons).

The towing vehicles would have been Ford WOT3 (War Office Transport) vehicles with a canvas tilt. However, our Austin K2 is of similar age and size, and was used by the NFS earlier in the war. It would have spent most of the war towing a large Dennis pump.

Operation Blazer – a Ford WOT3 truck towing a Dennis Large Pump

References:

The NFS and AFS Vehicles Group is now recruiting.

NFS Austin K2 and Beresford pump attend fires in an air raid at the Severn Valley Railway

We are a display group that re-enact the work of the Wartime and postwar fire services.

We attend 1940s weekends and some other shows, mostly in the Midlands.

No previous experience is necessary – we can provide training. All you need is an interest in the firefighting of the 1940s and 1950s.  We have some uniform for loan.

Dodge Mobile Dam with crew and display at Black Country Living Museum

We have an Austin K2 towing vehicle, several wartime trailer pumps of varying sizes, an Austin K4 Turntable Ladder, Fordson Escape Carrier and a Dodge Mobile Dam.

Get away for a weekend and step back in time to the Blitz.

All welcome! In our bigger displays, we work with a lot of other reenactors, such as ARP, Police, WVS, First Aid, Home Guard and civilian casualties. If you would like to take part, please see nfs-afs.org.uk/about/join-us and get in touch.

Firemen, wardens and Police working together – Robert Blincow

2019 Events

We start the season with a static display at the Papplewick Pumping Station Vintage Vehicle Rally on the Sunday of the May Bank Holiday, 5th May. Who knows, we may test some pumps or ladders!

Firemen testing pumps and hoses at Papplewick

The next day, we are at Lowdham Village Hall May (6th May), and Grantham Carnival in June (15th-16th June).

Sunday 26th May, we will be at Hoveringham Vintage Vehicle Rally, where we will be doing a display in the arena

Our big event this year will be the 75th anniversary of D-Day, and we will be taking the Dodge and K2, with a Dennis pump, to Normandy for a week. We will wear the uniform of the NFS Overseas Contingent, and plan to do demos at a number of locations including Creully Camp.

We are back again at the Severn Valley Railway Wartime Weekends, 29th / 30th June and 6th / 7th July. Again, a major air raid at Kidderminster Station. This was a major success, last year, so look out to see if the NFS can save the local fuel and explosives dump from the Nazi bombers (all four days).

NFS Fremen tackling a fire at an Air Raid on Severn Valley Railway

12th-14th July we are at the Black Country Living Museum with a training demonstration, and a bit of pumping, as they have a canal with an unlimited supply of water!

Newstead Abbey have their wartime event on 21st / 22nd September, and given a lake, I am sure we will do some pumping and training.

And after a successful first year under new management, Rufford Abbey is back the next weekend, 28th / 29th September. Plans are afoot for a major air raid.

Papplewick Pumping Station have their end-of-season 1940s event on 19th / 20th October, where we will do our usual training and demo using the lake.

The last main 1940s event of the season is at Newark Air Museum on 26th / 27th October, where we hope to demonstrate tackling an aircraft fire using foam.

Although we intend to go to all these events, please check on facebook.com/nfs.and.afs before travelling to avoid disappointment.

If you are interested, please call David Moore on 0115 9664938 or 07718 077584, or email info@nfs-afs.org.uk.

This information can be downloaded as a printable 8-page PDF (which will print as a 2-sheet booklet) here: NFS-Overseas-Contingent-John-Craig-A5.pdf

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NFS Overseas Contingent going to Normandy

To remember the NFS Overseas Columns, we are planning to head for the Normandy Beaches for the D-Day 75th anniversary. A group of twelve of us, eight NFS firemen and four partners are taking the Dodge Mobile Dam, the Austin K2 and a Dennis Trailer Pump for the first week of June this year.

Austin K2 and Dodge Mobile Dam
The Austin K2 and Dennis pump

These vehicles are very similar to those taken to France a few months after D-Day between January and July 1945 by Column No 4 of the NFS Overseas Contingent – specially trained to fight fires caused by the invasion fighting.

We are putting together the uniforms used by the Overseas Contingent, which were similar to that used by the regular NFS. The same tunic and trousers, respirator bag and tin helmet. But there the similarities ended. They had webbing and backpack, lace-up ammo boots rather than gumboots, gaiters, beret rather than cap, and a water bottle.

We aim to catch the ferry from Poole to Cherbourg on Monday 3rd June and camp near Omaha beach until Thursday 6th, and near Bayeux until Sunday 7th, catching a ferry home on the Monday morning.

We are hoping to do pumping displays and foam displays at the re-enacting camps:

  • Mon 3rd June, Travel to Normandy.

    Tues 4th. Morning display at Normandy Victory Museum, Carentan.

    Wed 5th. Morning display at Normandy Victory Museum, Carentan.
    Afternoon display at Utah Memory Field (TBC)

    Thurs 5th. Day off. (Visit to Bayeux, move campsite)

    Fri 6th. 6pm display at Creully Camp.

    Sat 7th. 2pm-5pm. Road Run from Creully Camp.
    6pm display at Creully Camp.
NFS at Air Raid on SVR
N.F.S. Dennis Trailer Pump.

Also, we would welcome further opportunities to show our equipment in operation at any other gatherings of re-enactors, town centres or fire stations.

There is a good article about the Overseas Contingent here, and some fascinating period photos of the Overseas Contingent in training here. There is information about the D-Day commemorations here.

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NFS Overseas Contingent in Training

These photos are a rare view of the NFS Overseas Contingent training to take vehicles, pumps, and a Mobile Kitchen in landing craft over the channel to support the troops just following D-Day.

The photos are by George Wilden of Stowmarket. He was a man with many strings to his bow. He had a newsagency shop in the town, he was a reserve fireman and a semi-professional photographer. In 1944 he was allowed to record a Combined Operations exercise involving the National Fire Service and various military units to stage a mock attack involving incendary devices and how to deal with these types of fires. One such exercise was called ‘Operation Blazer’ and took place between Clacton and Mersea over a three day period Monday to Wednesday 18th – 20th Sept 1944.

The photos were first shared on Facebook by Steve Williams, in the group “Old Colchester and District in pictures”. Steve writes: “I am a Local Historian living in Stowmarket in Suffolk. I am also the archivist for the Stowmarket Local History Group and a few years ago we were given a couple of old 35mm Negative albums that had been taken by George Wilden of Stowmarket.” He saved two albums of these slides from George’s widow, but sadly she had already destroyed four more albums as she thought no-one would be interested in them. How wrong she was!

These photos may be shared, but please would you always acknowledge the fact that they are from the George Wilden Collection – Courtesy of the Stowmarket Local History Group (SLHG) as and when they are used either if they are printed off for a display or used digitally. Thank you.

Operation_Blazer_1_Preparation_(1)

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Air Raids at the Severn Valley Railway

Two enemy bombers made a daring raid on Kidderminster Station on the Severn Valley Railway of the GWR. Luckily no-one was injured, but a fuel dump caught fire. A shed with a quantity of black market sausages and other goods got hit by an incendiary, and was completely destroyed before the NFS arrived. However the bulk of the valuable fuel was saved for the war effort.

The police rumbled the criminal gang, and last Sunday, the whole lot were arrested just after the firemen put out the fire, and discovered the remains of the black market goods.

NFS at Air Raid on SVR

NFS at Air Raid on SVR

NFS at Air Raid on SVR

Thanks to Adam Bull and Robert Matthews for some of the photos and video.

NFS at Air Raid on SVR

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Air Raid on the Great Central Railway

Over the weekend of  2nd and 3rd June, a lone enemy bomber attacked a train in a remote railway yard to target the consignment of explosives and tanker of petrol arriving by train.

Railway workers, and the wife of the station yard foreman, were injured by shrapnel, and were taken to a nearby village hall where the WVS were able to look after them.

The NFS arrived with a mobile dam and used foam to put out the petrol fire, and water to cool down the nearby tanker.

By a happy coincidence, King George VI, Mr Winston Churchill and ‘Bomber’ Harris were in the area and came to inspect the brave workers, and to offer their support and encouragement.

Air Raid at Quorn Station

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Thank you to John Coates for the excellent photographs.

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Winter Maintenance – Replacing the cable on the TL

A few weeks ago, we had the Turntable Ladder inspected according to LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations). These regulations cover any equipment used to lift a person into the air at work. Although we are not strictly ‘at work’ we still need our equipment to be safe.

An inspector came, and gave the TL a clean bill of health except for one thing – the cables that extend the ladder were more than 5 years old and should be replaced, even though they were not in any way unsafe.

So we removed the cables, and took them to Wire Rope Assemblies in Retford who made a replacement pair for under £70! As we removed the cable, we had to remove each of the pulleys, and found a couple of worn pins and bushes, which we replaced.  some were just oiled, rather than greased, so we fitted grease nipple. It was actually quite easy – the most difficult bit was getting the split pins out!

We have just got it all back together, we just need to put the split pins back, and grease all round and adjust the secondary cable so that both ladders click over the ratchet pawls at the same time.

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Training day, 24th February

We plan to do a broad range of training, from basic hose and branch work for those who need it, through to pump drill, Turntable Ladder drill, and 6-inch hose laying from the RL truck, and pumping with the Green Goddess.

Given that we are planning to do Green Goddess relay pumping in the summer to commemorate the stand-down of the AFS, this will be really useful, and should be a lot of fun as well.

Bring warm clothing, boots, gloves. We will provide soup and bread, and unlimited tea.

Please let us know if you would like to come, and we will send directions and further details nearer the time.

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Commemorating the Auxiliary Fire Service – 50 years on

The AFS was formed in 1949 and served until disbanded, along with the rest of the Civil Defence movement, on 1st April 1968. The NFS and AFS Vehicles Group are planning to commemorate this with two significant events this summer.

We will be at both Wicksteed At War, a big annual show run by the Military Vehicles Trust on 8th-10th June, and at The 50th Anniversary Show of the Fire Services Preservation Group at the Motor Museum at Gaydon on 21st-22nd July.

Secondly, we will do what we can to recreate the Mobile Column, and drive the vehicles round the area. OK, so we don’t have 100 vehicles, but we hope to have representatives of motorbikes, a Land Rover, Control Unit, Hose Layer, Pipe Carrier, Petrol Carrier, General Purpose RLs, and of course, Green Goddesses. We plan then to lay some 6-inch hose at speed from the Hose Layer, and show how the Goddess is connected into the hose line.

So how can you get involved? I would love to have one or two people at each event who remember the AFS, and could help me with the commentary. Although I can say what the vehicles we used for, and what a Mobile Column could achieve, it would be lovely to have personal experiences and reminiscences about the training and exercises.

We would also like people to ride in all the vehicles, especially if you have a period helmet and melton tunic! If you would like to be involved in the action, we will be having training sessions in Nottinghamshire in the next few months. If you own an AFS vehicle, and would like to bring it to either event, please let me know.

For more information, please see our website www.nfs-afs.org.uk

Wicksteed Park is near Kettering. See www.wicksteedatwar.co.uk

Gaydon is about 10 miles South of Royal Leamington Spa. www.fireservicepreservationgroup.org

David Moore, NFS and AFS Vehicles Group. info@nfs-afs.org.uk or 07718077584

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Major Fire Display at Gaydon, 21-22 July 2018

How do we commemorate the end of the AFS, which was disbanded in 1968, 50 years ago?


I have recently had a long conversation with Dean Bloxham, who is on the organising committee for the Gaydon show this summer. It is being run by the Fire Services Preservation Group (FSPG) to commemorate the Group’s 50th birthday, and to remember the 50th anniversary of the disbanding of the AFS.

They have chosen ‘Firefighting Through the Ages‘ as the theme for the show, and plan to have arena displays of:

  • Manual pumping
  • Steam pumps – not just one, but several, preferably horse-drawn, and crewed by firemen in appropriate brass helmets
  • Inter-War – early red motorised appliances
  • Wartime – AFS and NFS in grey
  • Postwar AFS – a mobile column with Green Goddesses and RLs
  • Red post-war, Appliances with those lovely curved roofs
  • Turntable Ladders – can we get ten, yes ten TLs raised at the same time?
  • And I suppose there will be a few modern things as well.

Essentially, Dean said that he wants the show to be as interesting and fun as possible, whilst being safe, and as historically authentic as possible.

So where do we fit in?

A spectacular Green AFS display

Welland Steam Rally 2011

This event has the potential to be a really good ‘Green’ event. Let’s get together as many AFS motorbikes, Land Rovers, Gypsies, Control Units, Wreckers, GP RLs, Petrol Carriers, Pipe Carriers, Hose Layers and of course Green Goddesses as we can. Let’s see if we can run a permanent 6-inch hose from one lake to the other, and run a short pumping demo every few hours, including the pipe bridge. Lets see if we can run a representation of a Mobile Column round the arena, and possibly take part in a road run.

A Great Wartime Display

Dean would like to see an air raid at this event, involving a good selection of other wartime reenactors, not just NFS firemen. He would like ARP, Police, WVS, Army or Home Guard, Ambulance Service, Rescue and civilian casualties. to be involved. He recognises that, not being a core 1940s event, people may not initially be attracted, but he has the idea for an area of the show to be a ‘1940s village’ with the NFS, and ARP post, and other features to keep interest going. We could do some Firemen’s Training in a small enclosed area.

And of course, there is the fantastic Motor Museum there, where you can easily spend all weekend!

If you would like to be involved either with a vehicle, or as crew, please get in touch in the usual ways.

We will need lots of crew, and as many 1940s reenactors as possible!

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Standard Gwynne ‘Chariot’ restoration

We have been doing a lot of work on the Standard Gwynne ‘Chariot’ trailer. (Well, actually, paying others to do a lot of it…).

It is rather a rare trailer, and so beautiful that it is worth spending some money on.

We dismantled it, had it caustic-dipped, painted the smaller parts, and had the main part welded. Still to come is to make a new side panel (with the complex rolled curved top), then paint it all. Hope it will be ready for the coming season.

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