Auxiliary Fire Service chic - October 2010 Document of the Month
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The spirit of austerity that characterised World War Two seems to have been no excuse for a slip in standards when it came to dressing smartly, as October's Document of the Month reveals.
The first two images shown come from an information booklet produced in December 1939 for the Auxiliary Fire Service by the Home Office, entitled Uniforms and Equipment: Specifications, Badges and Purchasing Arrangements.
The Auxiliary Fire Service was set up in 1938, in anticipation of the need for additional emergency services personnel during wartime. It was initially made up of unpaid, part-time volunteers, many of whom became full-time, paid personnel when the war began.
The images highlight how all elements of British society were mobilised to support the war effort - women took over jobs formerly performed by men, principally as drivers, and boys took on the role of messengers. Each of these positions had a distinct uniform.
The third image is of a letter from Roger Morris of Cherry & Son, Blandford to the Auxiliary Fire Service discussing requirements for AFS uniforms, specifically helmets. Morris warns that "Steel helmets must not be tight fitting on the head or the wearer becomes afflicted with bad headaches". He also notes that it can be difficult to estimate sizes for many uniforms, citing the Home Guard as an example where "men whose advancing years have placed girth where Army uniform Contractors least expect it."
These records were recently discovered by staff working on listing the uncatalogued Blandford Forum borough archive (DC/BFB, box 6A/105).
