The National and Auxiliary Fire Service

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"People don't realize that Redditch crews went to some of the worst blitzes. The town fire engines and crews were not used all that much by Redditch we were normally sent to Birmingham, often to No 22 station in Kings Norton where we were most needed.


'There were a variety of auxiliary stations all round the town who worked to a roster. At one time there were four substations, one in the Lamb and Flag on Unicorn Hill (their equipment was kept in a garage at the bottom of the hill). There was a crew at Hollywood, a third crew in Isomer Road in the Drill Hall and a fourth in a newly built auxiliary fire station on the Birmingham Road. Originally it was only a couple of Nissan huts but later became the main the station. All the auxiliary crews used trailer pumps, either Coventry Climax or the Tang pumps made in Birmingham.

Remembered by Maurice Clarke

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