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Here's an interesting film Britain's Fire Service at War 1939-1945. Including 400 Canadian Voluntary Fireman who served in Britain from 1942-1945.

Here's another film the Auxiliary Fire Service 1930s

I fixed the link on your film Jack, here's another interesting film and although not NFS it is related being Civil Defense it's the first time I've seen the Civil Defense helmets being worn in a film.

Here's photo's of the AFS and NFS cap badges and helmets used by both services. The Auxiliary Fire Service was formed in 1938 and was organised by town or city they wore a cloth badge on their breast pocket which also had the name of the town or city under the letters AFS, the metal cap badge had no ( Kings Crown ). In August 1941 the AFS amalgamated with regional forces to form the National Fire Service. The new NFS was organised by numbered Fire Forces within the Civil Defence Regions, a circular cloth badge with number was worn on the breast pocket. The metal cap badge worn did have a Kings Crown and was in use from 1941 to 1948. Here is a photo taken in 1939 of Granny Chilvers on her bike wearing her AFS cap and coat she died in 1942 but it shows her cap badge had no Kings Crown. The only AFS badges with the Kings Crown on are button hole versions worn on the lapel.

Hello all, I’ve found some old photos and postcards from some of my relatives time in the millitary, many will appear on here at some point as there are some interesting ones and some I have questions about. However this is one of the later, could anyone date the picture from this postcard? also what are the chances that this was a personal picture put on card or is it just a generic one? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, Jack

There is no date on the card but there is stamp on the envelope with a very faint 17 so possibly 1917. They are signed Bob and the medals I have are initialled R so I'm thinking his name was Robert. Regards, Jack

Thanks for all the help, I believe one of them men could be my great granddad, I have his medals from the first world war that have R.H.A on them and my thinking was that it stood for Royal Horse Artillery, so upon seeing the cap badge thought that if this was from the right period then one could be him. I shall have to look into accessing his war records or keep looking and see if I can find a named photo somewhere. Thanks again, Jack Edit: Turns out I didn't read R.H.A. off a medal but rather off one of the record office forms that accompanied one. And it turns out the full text was actually R.H. & R.F.A. So it appears that I can't read. He was in the field artillery and I have found his record online in various places but you have to pay to see it. Are some sites better than others in terms of information given or are they all the same? Sorry for the mistake, Regards, Jack

Hi Jack, yes these were personal portraits so one of the soldiers is probably a relative of yours or maybe both if they are brothers, I agree, early war probably 1914 or 15.

They are certainly from the Royal Artillery, the bandeliers and riding breeches indicate that they are the horse-drawn field artillery, and still wearing the stiff top peaked cap as worn at the beginning of the war before the soft cap was introduced, former was still worn as an off duty headdress.

Thanks, I believe she lived in Cricklewood, north west London, on the side of the truck in the photo there is NFS badge and below it two lines of writing, I think the number 34 is the start of the uppermost line. So from the chart you posted above could be for Ealing. Although it could just be part of a larger number and not related to the area code, so I'm just about to look and see if i can find any pictures of NFS trucks to see what is written on the sides. Regards, Jack I have found a film on the NFS but cannot view it as I don't have the right player but hopefully the link will copy okay below

Portrait photo Jack WW1 period no way to date it without a post date stamp.

Very interesting Jack, nice collection of cards.

Very nice jack, these silks are quite expensive to buy these days, is there a date on the card.

Here's two interesting helmets. 1st is a NFS helmet marked district No 38 ( Wimbledon/London ) looks like this member was attached to the "Lines Bros Ltd" factory ( Fire Brigade ). Lines Bros Ltd were a Pre War Toy Company ( Who Operated under the Tri-ang brand name ). During WW2 the factory was converted to weapons manufacture producing the ( Sten MKIII submachine gun), the helmet is maker marked ( F&L and dated 1/1939 ) with a MKI liner marked JCS&W Ltd size 7 and dated 1/1939. 2nd is a Red G.E.C Works Fire Brigade helmet ( General Electric Company ) with no visible maker marks, with a MKI liner marked Vero size 7 and dated 1/1939. G.E.C made bakolite radio's.

Here's a list of NFS, Fire Force Regional Numbers of WW2.. England and Wales. 1. Gosforth. 2. Middlesborough. 3. Rotherham. 4. Leeds. 5. Bradford. 6. Hessle. 7. Derby. 8. Nottingham. 9. Leicester. 10. Louth. 11. Southend. 12. Stevenage. 13. Hethersett. 14. Durley. 15. Taplow. 16. Lyndhurst. 17. Bristol. 18. Exeter. 19. Yelverton. 20. LLanishen. 21. Sketty. 22. Colwyn Bay. 23. Worcester. 24. Birmingham. 25. Stone. 26. Liverpool. 27. Cheadle. 28. Bolton. 29. Preston. 30. Maidstone. 31. Brighton. 32. Woking. 33. London ( Administrative ). 34 London ( Ealing ). 35. London ( Highgate ). 36. London ( Ilford ). 37. London ( Eltham ). 38. London ( Wimbledon ). 39. Swindon. 40. Wolverhampton. 41. Warrington. 42. Stalybridge. 43. Kendal. Scotland. 1. Glasgow ( Western No1 ). 2. Paisley. ( Western No2 ). 3. Edinburgh ( South Eastern ) 4. Dundee. ( Eastern ). 5. Aberdeen. ( North Eastern ). 6. Inverness. ( Northern ). Hope this list is of some use.