The National Fire Service
The National Fire Service came into being on the 18th of August 1941 as a result of the Fire Services (Emergency Provisions) Act which got Royal Assent on the 22nd of May 1941. Scotland was the No. 11 Region of the National Fire Service and there were six Fire Areas in Scotland as follows :-
No. 11 (Scotland) Region.
| Headquarters | St. Andrews House, Edinburgh, 1. |
| Principal Fire Staff Officer | A. B. Craig, M.I.F.E. |
| Fire Staff Officers & Inspectors, Grade I | P. Dunn, O.B.E. G.I.F.E. |
| W. J. Patterson M.I.F.E. | |
| Fire Staff Officers & Inspectors, Grade II, III. | G. S. Draffen |
| J. McIntyre (Glasgow) | |
| A. H. A. Murray (Welfare Inspector) | |
| R. B. Veitch | |
| R. E. Smith, (Transport Inspector) | |
| A. I. Greig, (Assistant Architect) | |
| J. McNicol, G.I.F.E. (Glasgow) | |
| A. Hunter, (Fire Prevention) | |
| W. E. Craig, (Fire Prevention Glasgow) | |
| W. E. Pinkerton, (Fire Prevention Glasgow) | |
| Woman Inspector | Mrs. May |
| WESTERN No. 1 | with H.Q. in Glasgow | No.1 Fire Force |
| WESTERN No. 2 | with H.Q. in Paisley | No.2 Fire Force |
| SOUTH EASTERN | with H.Q. in Edinburgh | No.3 Fire Force |
| EASTERN | with H.Q. in Dundee | No.4 Fire Force |
| NORTH EASTERN | with H.Q. in Aberdeen | No.5 Fire Force |
| NORTHERN | with H.Q. in Inverness | No.6 Fire Force |
| INSPECTOR IN CHIEF Commander Aylmer Firebrace | |
| CHIEF OF FIRE STAFF | |
| ASSISTANT CHIEF OF FIRE STAFF | |
| CHIEF REGIONAL FIRE OFFICER (PRINCIPAL FIRE STAFF OFFICER in SCOTLAND) | |
| Each FIRE AREA had a FIRE FORCE | FIRE FORCE COMMANDER |
| ASSISTANT FIRE FORCE COMMANDER | |
| A DIVISION comprised of 100 PUMPS | DIVISIONAL OFFICER (1 per Division) |
| A COLUMN comprised of 50 PUMPS | COLUMN OFFICER (2 per Division) |
| SENIOR COMPANY OFFICER (where necessary) | |
| A COMPANY comprised of 10 PUMPS | COMPANY OFFICER (10 per Division) |
| A SECTION comprised of 5 PUMPS | SECTION LEADER (20 per Division) |
| LEADING FIREMAN (1 per Pump) | |
| FIREMAN |
PUMPS
| HEAVY PUMP | 700/900 gpm 100lbs pressure |
| LARGE TRAILER PUMP | 300/350 gpm 100lbs pressure |
| MEDIUM TRAILER PUMP | 250/350 gpm Dropped |
| LIGHT TRAILER PUMP | 120/150 gpm 80lbs pressure |
| EXTRA HEAVY PUMP | 1100/1400 gpm Later on |
| MANUAL PUMPS | 2 Men |
| HAND PUMPS | 1 Person |
NFS HELMET RANK MARKINGS
| Chief Regional Fire Officer | White Helmet | Broad Red circular band and broad red bar inscribed Chief Regional Fire Officer |
| Fire Force Commander | White Helmet | Broad Red circular band and broad red bar inscribed Fire Force Commander |
| Assistant Fire Force Commander | White Helmet | Broad Red band |
| Divisional Officer | White Helmet | 2 Narrow Red bands |
| Column Officer | White Helmet | 1 Narrow Red band |
| Senior Company Officer | Khaki Helmet | 1 Narrow Red band over 1 Broad Red band |
| Company Officer | Khaki Helmet | 1 Broad Red band |
| Section Officer | Khaki Helmet | 2 Narrow Red bands |
| Leading Fireman | Khaki Helmet | 1 Narrow Red band |
| Fireman | Khaki Helmet |
STATION and APPLIANCE NUMBERING
Each Fire Area (or Fire Force) had INITIALS
Each Division in an Area had a LETTER
Each Sub Division a NUMBER
Each Station a LETTER
Each Appliance a NUMBER
Typical SE-C
Is South Eastern Fire Force, Division C, Sub Division 1, Station X, Appliance
6.
1X6
The Stirrup Pump must rank with the civilian gas mask as one of the chief protective instruments evolved for the use of British civilians in the Second World War. In 1938 Treasurary approval was given for the purchase of 50,000 stirrup pumps and by the June 1940 Local authorities had received 86,000 stirrup pumps.
The Standard Drill Book was issued in February 1942.
Part-time firemen could not be required to serve, without their consent, outside their former Fire Brigade Area.
CLYDESIDE's ORDEAL BY FIRE by M. Chadwick.
NOTES
In 1942 the National Fire Service requisitioned Duntrune House, five miles
outside Dundee, for use as a training college. A four-storey brick tower was
constructed, lawns concreted and a garage built to standard N.F.S. design to
house the fire appliances.
By 1945 the property was on a care and maintenance basis and was
de-requisitioned by the N.F.S. in 1946.
Good to see the garages are still being put to good use some seventy years after
they were built, although the doors are not original. The tower seems to have
been demolished and Duntrune House itself seems to be unused.
(From Adey Allison, January 2013.)