FIRE BRIGADE DEPARTMENT: AUXILARY FIRE SERVICE

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: MCC/FB/CD
Held at	: London Metropolitan Archives   Click here to find out how to view this collection at https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma ›
Full title	: FIRE BRIGADE DEPARTMENT: AUXILARY FIRE SERVICE
Date(s)	: 1948 -1965
Level of description	: Collection
Extent	: 2.08 linear metres
Name of creator(s)	: MCC | Middlesex County Council x Middlesex County Council

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

The Middlesex Fire Brigade was established in 1948, under the terms of the Fire Services Act 1947. The auxiliary branch of the fire service was re-established in 1949 under Home Office directives under the terms of the Civil Defence Act 1948 which again made the County Council a civil defence authority. This branch was set up to organise an emergency fire service which would come into operation in the event of a war. The Auxiliary Fire Service (or Civil Defence Corps) was trained by members of the regular fire service. Enrolment was open to women who worked as radio operators, despatch riders and control room staff. The men performed regular periods of duty as a backup to the regular service. There were 5 divisions consisting of approximately 30,000 volunteers in the Corps.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Records of the Middlesex County Council Fire Brigade Department Auxiliary Fire Service, 1948-1965, including policy and administration files relating to: civil defence, planning, repair depots, personnel management, staff regulations, conditions of service, minutes of meetings of officers, tactical studies, tactical instructors, competitions, recreational facilities, and liaison with other authorities.

Files relating to recruitment and training including: recruitment policy, recruitment publicity including films, courses at civil defence training schools, rescue training, training films, exercises, promotions, women's section, allowances and expenses, medical examinations and long service medals.

Files relating to appliances and equipment including housing of vehicles and appliances, motor cycles, Bedford self propelled pumps, equipment for water relaying, stores and provisions, extension ladders, and training pamphlets.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

The archives have been arranged into the following series: MCC/FB/CD/1 Policy and general; MCC/FB/CD/2 Recruitment and training; MCC/FB/CD/3 Equipment and appliances.

Conditions governing access:

Available for general access.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright to these records rests with the Corporation of London.

Finding aids:

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Archival Information

Archival history:

The departmental files were preserved prior to 1965 in the Fire Brigade's registry. Here every file was allocated a running number on arrival. Files were kept in numerical order although there were no indices to these numbers. Nearly every file the department produced found its way into the registry.

Immediate source of acquisition:

Acquired with the records of its parent authority, the Middlesex County Council, and with successor authorities.

Allied Materials

Related material:

For more records of the Fire Service see MCC/CL/FB and MCC/CL/L/FB. For London wide fire services see London Fire Engine Establishment (LFE) and London Fire and Civil Defence Authority (LFCDA).

Publication note:

For further information on the history of the Middlesex County Council please see Middlesex by Sir Clifford Radcliffe (2 editions, 1939 and 1953), LMA Library reference 97.09 MID; and The County Council of the Administrative County of Middlesex: 76 years of local government, 1 April 1889 to 31 March 1965, by Middlesex County Council (1965), LMA library reference S97.09 MID.

Description Notes

Archivist's note:

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
April to June 2009