Fire Engines Photos

hi pete,
nice to see this ECU with Coventry Climax heavy trailer pump, but I especially liked the quote from ------ I'd love to know who the author is. I was a Dispatch Rider with the NFS based at 16B1Z--I wonder if you know where that would be!!!! We had the Ford Thames ECU version without the Barton pump
We also had the Ford Heavy Unit GJJ5 with Tangye pump which was sometimes referred to as a Self Propelled Pump.
Bob Graham,
Richmond, California

Added by Bob Graham on 11 April 2008.

Bob, good to hear from you.The Poem attached to the photo's of the war period
appliances I'm sending in at the moment is called-'A TRIBUTE TO OUR WAR DEAD' and was written by me(Peter Matten)back in 1995 when I was working on a book.
I don't know why the Author of this site has'nt mensioned the title, or who
actually wrote it?, might be because it might affend somebody.
No, I really don't know what area 16-B-1Z was, I know someone though who has
far more knowledge then me on the war era and maybe would know.


Added by Pete Matten on 11 April 2008.

Hi pete,
thanks for the information of the most meaningful words; I sent the nfs station designation as a joke, thinking you might be one of those who have studied and mastered a particular endeavor and know all that is available about it as you know, all place names were eliminated during the war, even signposts removed, so we never referred to places just the designation given for a particular fire force. 16b1z was simply 16th fire force=hampshire, b division northern hampshire, and the subdivision 1 was winchester, while the z was actually main station winchester as there were several non-manned appliances scattered around the area staffed by afs plus smaller towns nearby. only sub divisons or higher had dispatch riders who substituted for radio communikcatio ns which were not allowed. in large incidents mobile telephone vsns were called in and used by control.
thanks again for the posting.
bob graham

Added by Bob Graham on 11 April 2008.

hi pete for your info my family used to own that vehicle and im am sitting in the back behind the driver in the photo. we brought it in 1988 in a poor condition where it was kept in a bus museum in liverpool, and low loaded it down to essex, where we rebuilt a lot of the body and put it back into the grey livery, it was red when purchased. The appliance didnt have a towbar at first but we found one on a dead motor in yorkshire, it has a special extending one to clear the escape wheels. the trailer in pic is actually a box trailer not a pump version. we displayed her for a number of years even appearing in the 1995 royal tournament in london. we then sold her to get an ATV and 1938 dennis trailer pump(glc 793), last i heard gxa 788 was at station x bletchley park in there collection. hope this is of help.

Added by Kevin Brown on 23 August 2008.

Thanks for the info Kevin.The photo was actually taken at Duxford back in 1991
and it states in the old programme that it was owned by a P Brown.I didn't know
this one was still around, I've not seen it for many years.Thanks Pete.

Added by Pete Matten on 23 August 2008.

Pete & other contributors:

Keep up the good work, with the pictures and informed comment, on these wonderful old war-time fire apparatus and their operations.

The Fire Services, their machines and crews, were all born of an unimaginable contingency - a total war, where day-after-day, the calls were far exceeding the Services' Response capabilities.

These gray-painted apparatus represent ingenuity, resourcefulness and adaptation - very much K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid) - whilst under a terrible strain; and a lot of professionals and volunteers rising to an awful challenge.

Both my parents lived through the London Blitz, the V1 Doodlebugs ["cruise missiles" and V-2 Rockets ["SCUD missiles"]. My Grand-Mother drove an ambulance during the Day-Time Raids in South of England.

I am a member of a rural Volunteer Fire Department, with a low annual call-volume. Keeping our skills up is a little difficult because we do not get many calls - and that is really great, when you think about it; and then look at these gray-painted war-time apparatus.

We don't ever want to be repeating the times that these Apparatus, and their crews, were working in.

Off my soap-box.

Regards, from Canada,
Pat_R-B

Added by Pat Rivers-Bowerman on 25 August 2008.

P Brown is my dad and that duxford rally was one of the first we did in the appliance after the rebuild.As far as i am aware there is only one other surviving version of the austin built K4 ECU's GXA 750 which is in red post war delivery. There were only 100 ever built on the austin chassis during the war, and i feel privalaged to keep the memory of the brave men and women of the services in the public eye.

Added by Kevin Brown on 25 August 2008.

Thank's for your support and comments regarding this period in British
firefighting history, which although I know really very little about only
from the research I've done over the years, I do feel should not be forgot.
When I joined the fire service back in 1969, many of these appliances dating
from the war-period were still in some places still in use, so its a tribute
today to see so many are still around and lovingly cared for by enthusiasts.



Added by Pete Matten on 25 August 2008.

Kevin, I've sent in picture to the site of the other 1943 Austin K4 ECU
that is still around today and I think it should be included to this
fire engine website.I'm surprised no one has'nt posted this already
to the site concidering it maybe one of only 2 in presevation today.

Added by Pete Matten on 25 August 2008.

It's great top read the comments concerning numbers of the specials built for the NFS during WW11. Kevin feels only a couple of the Austin K4 ECUs have been preserved but Pete suggests the number is larger--same goes for the HUs and the EHUS, Bedfords, Fords and Austin. I have visited several ralies and fairs over the years in England and think that there are several rather than one or two. Is it possible that someone or some group--like your Fire Brigade Society-- could undertake the challenge to compile a list or maybe concerned individuals through this site. Glad to receive comments.
Bob Graham (ex-NFS Dispatch Rider 16B1Z)

Added by Bob Graham on 25 August 2008.

In reference to above, I've been informed there is at least another three of
these Austin K4 ECU's still around.GXA 745 and GXM 142 and one other in the
Fire Service Museum.I've actually found an old picture I took back in 1991
of GXM 142, brilliant conversion, will send in.Pete.

Added by Pete Matten on 28 August 2008.

Just in case anyone is interested, 16-B1-Z was North Walls, Winchester.

Added by Ian Moore on 29 August 2008.

Ian, my knowledge of the area's and codes of the war-period is nil like so many other people, so yes any information added to a picture has got to be of some interest to the many people who still have interest in this period.Thankyou.


Added by Pete Matten on 29 August 2008.

Kevin, can you or your father answer any of the questions coming through on my third picture (picture #10491) of an Austin K4 ECU (reg GMX 142 )now on site.I also now have pictures of the vehicle that was at the Fire Service Museum awaiting restoration, but never was. Its now been re-sold. More info as it comes in. Pete.

Added by Pete Matten on 01 September 2008.

I've just noticed a typing error to the above in one of my comments, that being the registration of another picture on the site regarding an Austin K4 ECU.
The registration should be GMX 142 (not GXM 142-photo 10491).

Added by Pete Matten on 01 September 2008.

HI all, I am now the proud of GXA 788 and will soon start to tidy her up after a few years of neglect. Does any body know what kit she would have carried or any other information i would be interested.

Added by Gideon Watt on 23 April 2010.

Gideon,its really good to know this Austin K4 ECU is still around today.It would be nice to see a picture of her in the condition she's in now,then later a picture of her when you've finished restoring her.
I'll make enquiries on exactly what a typical WW2 vehicle carried and hopefully get back to you at sometime soon.But,this means doing it the old way by letter writing so hopefully I'll get back to you as soon as the information comes available to me from a friend.Pete.

Added by Pete Matten on 23 April 2010.

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