Fire Watcher Badge

From the Collection: A badge from a London Fire Watcher in the Second World War

Here we have a small lapel badge, about the size of a US penny. It consists of a rope around a red enamel center, with a cone of fire above emblazoned with the all-seeing-eye. The title in the center, “Fire Watcher” indicates that the owner was a member of an extension of the British Civil Defense Service in the Second World War, specifically a scheme to ensure that the wide urban expanses maintained a standing force to identify and contain fires during the anticipated German air raids.

Firefighters battle the inferno on a London street during the Blitz

The Fire Watcher Service was created in 1940, when orders were issued for various neighborhoods and businesses to form small units to monitor their areas for fires. These groups were additionally trained in the use of small “stirrup pumps” to combat small fires as well as on procedures for summoning additional services to prevent larger conflagrations. With the Blitz in full swing by the end of the year, this would lead to a very busy job.

A Fire Guard on a rooftop with her stirrup pump
Imperial War Museum

In January of 1941 the Fire Watcher Service became compulsory for both men and women, and operated 24 hours a day. These units were organized more formally into Fire Guard services in late 1941, although the term “Fire Watch” remained in the common vernacular. In addition to the pumps and badges, armbands were issued, as were steel helmets of a specific type known as the Zuckerman, which was similar to the military issue “Tin Hat”. Other equipment often included torches (hand held flashlights), first aid kits and the standard issue civilian gas masks.

The Fire Guard Service was partially stood down in June of 1944, as the advance of the Allied armies into Western Europe continued to deprive the Luftwaffe of bases from which to launch raids on Britain, as well as the aircraft to operate from such bases. The assault on the cities by the German V-Weapons continued, but at a much lighter pace than earlier manned raids, with the last series of major concentrated raids being Operation Steinbock (the “Baby Blitz”) in the spring of 1944. Civil Defense operations continued to wind down over the next year, and were fully stood down on VE Day, May 2, 1945.