yeovil at war
afs alternative fire station
Mudford Road
In 1938, as the
Government
prepared for
what appeared to
be inevitable
conflict and
that such
conflict would
almost certainly
involve the use
of bombing from
the air, each
Fire Authority
was required to
form an
Auxiliary Fire
Service (AFS),
under the
direction of the
local Chief Fire
Officer, but
whose role was
solely to
prepare for the
eventuality of
war and for
dealing with
fires that would
follow an air
raid.
To overcome some
of the earlier
problems the
fire service was
again
re-organised
into the
National Fire
Service (NFS)
bringing
together the
16,000-plus fire
brigades within
the country.
This force came
into existence
on the 18th
August 1941 and
all brigade and
AFS personnel
were transferred
into it. The
service was
responsible,
through regions,
to the Home
Office directly
which meant that
the chain of
command was much
simpler and the
standardisation
of training and
equipment could
be more
efficient.
This Second
World War
Alternative Fire
Station, in
Mudford Road
very close to
the bend by
Hundred Stone, is of
brick
construction
with a tiled
roof and
additional post
war extensions
at both ends. On
the northern
side of the
building there
are a number of
wooden sliding
doors, which
appear to be the
original
entrance to the
building. There
is a large open
yard on the
north side and
in front of the
building.
Immediately
north of the
yard an
emergency water
tank was
located during
the Second World
War as an
emergency water
supply in case
the water mains
were destroyed
by bombing.
|
See also |
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Fire
Watchers
and Fire
Guards |
Gallery
At the centre of
this photograph
is an 11,500
gallon circular
emergency water
tank, 7m in
diameter, on the
bend in Mudford
Road close to
Hundredstone
Corner. Just
below and to the
right is the
Auxilliary Fire
Service's Fire
Station.
Courtesy of
Nigel Vine
A crew of Yeovil's Auxiliary Fire Service personnel, circa 1940. This photograph must date to before May 1941 as the men are all wearing AFS badges. At the extreme right is Leading Fireman Wilfred Jenvey, who was stationed in Yeovil throughout the war. Since he lived at 118 Mudford Road, this photo may have been taken in the Hundredstone AFS Station.
This photograph
features in my
book "A-Z
of Yeovil"
and
"Yeovil,
the Home
Front,
1939-1945"
Auxiliary Fire
Service
Alternative Fire
Station, Mudford
Road.
Photographed
2013.
Auxiliary
Fire Service
Alternative Fire
Station, Mudford
Road.
Photographed
2013.
