The Cleator & Trumpet Terrace Fire Wardens
(Top): The Volunteer Fire Wardens, Cleator (1941)
(Trumpet Terrace & Brookside)
[Courtesy of 'The Whitehaven News']
(Bottom): Fire bucket filled with sand
(One means of putting out a fire in WW2)
posted by ritsonvaljos at 10:07 pm
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Additional information
The Voluntary Firemen of Cleator, Cumberland in WW2
Thirteen of the voluntary fire watchers, plus two messengers, from Trumpet Terrace & Brookside, Cleator can be seen in Photograph No. 1 (above) along with their home-made mini 'fire engine'. This photograph appeared in 'The Whitehaven News' on Thursday, 14 August 1941. The fire watchers seen in the photograph are as follows:
Voluntary Fire Wardens (L - R): G. Cromwell, P. Pascoe, T. Jewell, J. Woods, S. Stables, A. Holmes, P. Maguire, H. Wilson, W. Johnston, E. O'Neill, J. Lupton, N. Thwaites, J. McCabe.
The two young boys in the photograph are 'messengers': C. Wilson and K. Johnston.
The small 'fire engine' was made by the men to supplement the official fire-fighting arrangements made by the council. As can be seen from the photograph it bore the name of this gallant band: "Trumpet Terrace & Brookside Volunteer Fire Watchers".
The volunteer fire watchers made the 'fire engine' along trailer pump lines with a wooden frame and body and the wheels from an old baby's pram. In addition, the group gathered together a drum (which was an old cheese drum), stirrup pumps, four fire buckets and bags of sand in which to put any incendiaries that may be found.
An example how one of these fire buckets filled with sand would have looked can be seen in Photograph No. 2. All the equipment was coloured red like the old fire bucket in the photograph. With the help of the local council, all the householders covered by the Trumpet Terrace & Brookside, Cleator fire watch district were supplied with sand and trained how to deal with an incendiary.
As can be deduced, the villagers of Trumpet Terrace & Brookside, Cleator were well prepared in the event of German aerial incendiary attack. Fortunately, Cleator was one part of the country that was spared this terror and the plans never had to be implemented.
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Acknowledgements:
Cumbria County Archives & Local Studies Centre
(Whitehaven Records Office)
'The Whitehaven News'
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