Fire Engines Photos

All red painted pre-war appliances were eventually painted grey when the local fire brigades were combined with the AFS in to the NFS early in WWII. I don't think you will find any pre 1944 machinesin service during WWII, which were not mutilated like this.

Added by Rob Johnson on 10 February 2011.

All red painted prewar appliances were eventually painted grey when the local fire brigades were combined with the AFS in to the NFS early in WWII. I don't think you will find any pre 1944 machinesin service during WWII, which were not mutilated like this.

Added by Rob Johnson on 10 February 2011.

Now that is lovely, any chance of a rear pic please?

Mike

Added by Mike Cotton on 11 February 2011.

Rob

Sorry to disagree many CFO's refused to paint their beloved appliances grey and merely fixed the NFS designations to the appliance covering over the brigades name with paint - this brought about the term 'red riders' relating to the appliances that remained red ! its true many were painted grey but many were not !

Added by Rick Loudon on 11 February 2011.

Reading Wheels of Fire I get the feeling stuff was mainly repainted only if necessary.

Added by Neal Glover on 12 February 2011.

It's well known in Denbighshire that the Captain of the Abergele Fire Brigade refused flatly to have his Leyland Cub BUN 699 painted Battleship Gray. It got to a point that the whole brigade threatened to resign if the repainting went ahead. As as Rick say's, the Fire Force Commander, Mr King relented and gave them NFS legends to place over the town crest.

Added by Andrew Middleton on 13 February 2011.

Does anybody know why the WW II AFS and - now I know - some NFS machines, were painted that awful grey? Or, for that matter, why the post war Green Godesses were painted army green? Fire engine red is, after all, the proper colour for fire engines!

Added by Rob Johnson on 14 February 2011.

Rob, the colour grey was used during the war because it would make emergency vehicles more conspicuous to attack from enemy aircraft.
The post-war Auxiliary Fire Service(AFS)was part of Britains civil defence system and was established in 1949.Although the AFS was part of local authority fire brigades, it should be noted they were not employed to provide fire cover in peacetime, the AFS was established as a deterrent following the end of WW11 because of the increasing development of the atomic and hydrogen bomb that could cause devastation with major damage and great casualty loss to the country.
The colour bronze green was used by the AFS so it made the appliance again more conspicuous and selected to lessen the risk of identification by hostile aircraft.All new vehicles actually being introduced for the AFS from 1952/53 had the bronze green livery, also the older wartime vehicles still in use also being re-liveried.

Added by Pete Matten on 14 February 2011.

Pete,

Do you mean 'less conspicuous' ?

Added by Rick Loudon on 14 February 2011.

Thankyou Rick, 'less conspicuous'yea, that's what I mean, it makes them not look like a fire engine.

Added by Pete Matten on 14 February 2011.

So it had nothing to do with there being a surplus of battleship gray paint then!

Added by Wayne Davies on 14 February 2011.

National Fire Service Instruction 34/1941
3. States Peacetime appliances should not be repainted until their condition renders it necessary, standard grey should then be used. This was in line with vehicles previously issued by the Home Office to local authority brigades. The grey was probably chosen to stop Home Office appliances being appropriated by LA brigades. Also dark battleship grey was readily available. It did of course offer low conspicuity. The same consierations applied equally when the new AFS vehicles arrived in the 50s

Added by Neal Glover on 14 February 2011.

I do know some CFOs were browbeaten into "going grey", but I can't believe the colour made much difference to enemy pilots. Funnily enough, the two German WW II national fire services (Yes, they had two!) used grey and green instead of red for their appliances. Warum?

Added by Rob Johnson on 14 February 2011.

Wow I never know my brief comment would start such a discussion, and I have learnt a bit more about my appliance. She is all tucked up for winter at the moment so when we wake her up and clean her up again I will post some more pics of her from other angles. We are planning on attending the Enfield pagent for the first show this year, if you would like to see her yourself.

Added by Steve Mouser on 15 February 2011.

I think you will find that the appliance here is actually first registered to Malvern, Urban and district council, befour it was changed and amalgamated to the wocester city and county brigade.
The actual fire station she was stationed in is now a carpet shop and this appliance was taken off the fleet list in the early sixties. Active service would have finished earlier. Hope this sets the record straight.

Added by A N Other on 04 May 2011.

I cannot see any mention of the registration of this appliance, but it looks like WP2649 and if so it was first delivered to Malvern Urban District Council Fire Brigade in October of 1932.

Added by Pete Matten on 05 May 2011.

Hi Rob! The green color was painted on the vehicles used by the Feuer Lösch Polizie, (Fire Police).And I think, that the grey was for the armed forces, Bundersheer, Luftwaffe, Marine, (Army, Airforce, Navy).

Anders F.Sweden.

Added by Anders Fallström on 17 August 2014.

Jawohl! (Sorry, editor). Fire protection was split between the police (under Himmler) and the Air Force (under Goering). These two were of course great rivals. No wonder they did not co-ordinate their activities very well.

Added by Rob Johnson on 31 August 2014.

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