Alexander HBT

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content Count

    4

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Alexander HBT

  1. Auxiliary fire stations around Nottingham during WWII

    in pre 50's Nottingham

    Posted

    On 7/12/2021 at 3:47 PM, letsavagoo said:

    My father failed the medical for the regular services in WW2 as he’d had serious bronchitis as a younger man so he served in the AFS throughout the war. He was based on Triumph road near the gasometer and I have photographs of a large group of firemen in front of their station and of another of the equipment and men (tenders, pumps etc) parading on the open ground alongside Triumph Road. He was injured a couple of times, thankfully not seriously the worse being when a bomb blast ‘bounced’ a heavy pump trailer onto his hand as he lay flat. He was left with a crooked finger and weak hand. I used to play with his cap when I was a child but that’s long gone but have his cap badge and AFS tin hat. Being the youngest member of the group it was his job to be at the top of the ladder with the hose which left him terrified of heights. He spoke little of his time although said when his group was sent to support either Derby or Coventry during the severe bombing, I forget which, could have been both, it was a dreadful experience. I do recall as a boy him going up a ladder to paint a window and he froze. One of the neighbours had to help him down and he never went near a ladder again. 

    Thankyou for sharing this :)