Fire Engines

Sawbridgeworth Fire Brigade - Fire Engines

Page last updated: 14 July 2007

'The' Steam Fire Engine on show. (#)

Clearly this fire engine was destined for Sawbridgeworth but it creates some confusion. The photograph is obviously a publicity document or even a 'plated' board as it seems to include a seal of some kind as well as having the wording at the bottom "Merryweather London". The confusion is that my Father always talked of the the Steam Fire Engine as a Shand Mason! The only reference I can find to Shand Mason is in the Minute Book of the Brigade for the general meeting of the 19th June 1903 where the Secretary was directed to enquire of Shand Mason whether they could provide a man for Drill Instruction. This seems to indicate that Sawbridgeworth had two different Steam Fire Engines, presumably the Merryweather replacing the Shand Mason in 1912. The cost of the Steam Fire Engine purchased by the Council in 1912 is unknown, but the Brigade contributed £40. 15. 9d from their funds. The Fire Engine was eventually "disposed of" with a bad condition boiler in or around October 1937.

'The' Steam Fire Engine, Wheeled Escape & Manual Pump (#)

This 'group' picture taken on the fair Green in Sawbridgeworth is assumed to be around 1913-1925 related to those that can be recognised. It is the only evidence available that shows that the town had a Manual Fire Pump for fire fighting. According to the Minute Book, this Fire Engine was 'disposed of' to the Government for the sum of £35. 0. 0d in February / March 1918. Much later on the Brigade had another Manual built in 1844 which was used well into the late 1940's purely for 'exhibition' demonstrations at Fetes etc. I believe this latter one was originally the Leaden Roding Fire Engine.

'The' Steam Fire Engine again, at Hatfield Heath.

This is a photocopy of the original photograph because the original is so faded!

Dennis Motor Fire Engine [ More Information ]

There is very little known about this appliance other than, as can be seen in this picture (when enlarged), that it was a solid tyre vehicle. Records show that it was purchased second hand by the Urban District Council in 1928 for £210.0.0d of which the Brigade contributed £50.0.0d. From the available photographs its registration number was RN LH 8642. It was involved in a road traffic accident with a lorry at the junction of Bell Street and London Road on the 6th February 1934 at around 11pm while on a call to a fire at Exnalls Farm Much Hadham. None of the crew were injured but the front axle was damaged and the appliance put out of action. According to a newspaper cutting of the time the Sawbridgeworth Steamer was then brought back into action and used at the fire. Back in August 1929 the Dennis was pumping for 48 hours continuously at the H. A. & D. Taylors R7 Malting fire.

1935 Leyland Cub

This appliance was purchased new by Sawbridgeworth Urban District Council in 1935. It replaced the Dennis mentioned above and was soon to be absorbed into the NFS and subsequently to be taken over by the Hertforshire County Council in 1948. The ladder was an Ajax 35ft wire reinforced two section extending ladder. The appliance was fitted with a 500 gallons per minute prop-shaft driven on board centrifugal water pump and had two 2¾" hose outlet connections at the rear. It also had a 50 gallon centrally mounted water tank and a ¾" hose reel which is visible in the picture. The vehicle registration number was ARO 480. It remained in service at Sawbridgeworth until the 16th September 1954 having done only something like 5,000 miles in 19 years. As with most appliances of the era it was well embellished with brass but was always spotless, having had many hours of care, even right to the end. Television and long distance travel had not yet taken over people's lives after the normal days work!

The photograph was taken by S.E. Mardon of Bishop's Stortford and is believed to be on the Fair Green, Sawbridgeworth soon after the new appliance was supplied. The photograph is repeated in the Photo Gallery page of the Web Site where information is provided on the Firemen themselves.

1949 - 1954 Ford Water Tender (Lorry Conversion)

This Water Tender was the first 'appliance' supplied following the transfer of responsibility for fire brigades from NFS to Hertfordshire County Council and replaced the wartime Austin Towing Vehicle (TV) that can be seen in the picture of 1948 at the disbanding of the NFS [Photo Gallery]. With enlargement a little more detail is visible - this was a very basic ford lorry chassis probably with a loading capacity of about 5 tons. The bell on the front was manually operated by the Officer in Charge in the passenger seat via a lever projecting into the cab - like a swing handle. Immediately behind the front cab was another cab facing the rear and open - inside it had hinged boxes for basic equipment (ropes etc.) and on top, seating for the crew. Behind this and centrally mounted was a 400 gallon water tank and immediately behind that a small two wheeled self contained 150 Gallon Per Minute (GPM) Coventry Climax pump, clamped to the vehicle floor. This could be demounted and lifted to the ground by two men but was normally 'permanently' connected to the water tank to supply a standard ¾" hose reel mounted on the rear hose box. At the very rear there was a vehicle-wide hose box with two rows of 2¾" canvas hose (some 2½" rubber lined by this time), one above the other enclosed with a top hinged door. The vehicle towed a standard Coventry Climax 250 GPM trailer pump and carried a 30' wood extension ladder. Just behind the rear wheels were mounted 2 gallon cans of foam - these can be seen in the picture. The whole vehicle was a bit unstable and had to be cornered carefully as it had a heavy tail end and the 400 gallons of water being mounted so high close to the centre of the chassis!

The original photograph (just 60mm x 60mm) was taken at the front of Gilston Park hotel (later being purchased by Smith & Nephew for offices) by a friend of the two ladies that can be seen to the left. Being a hotel it had a predetermined attendance of two pumps, hence both Sawbridgeworth appliances in attendance. The back of the photograph is endorsed "From Mrs. E. Jermin & Mrs. F. Archer" and was taken during the response to a fire call, around 8am, that I believe related to an incident in one of the kitchens. The photograph was addressed to Sub Officer Frank Wright at the Fire Station with a short covering letter that congratulated the brigade on a very prompt response. Frank Wright is standing to the right of the Water Tender, hands on hips, and just behind him, L/Fm Len Read. Others in the picture cannot be identified. It was obviously Spring time as daffodils can be seen in the grass area.

	Bedford Water Tender (#) Note. A slight variation of this picture with the crew names, is in the Photo Gallery. Although this picture (left) was taken, again on the fair Green, in 1971 this appliance was delivered to Sawbridgeworth in around 1956 as the first Coach Built Fire Engine since the the Leyland in 1935. It was equipped with two electric bells and 'blinking' double orange lights mounted centrally above the windscreen. Quite soon after it was equipped with twin horns, the sound of which became familiar for emergency services generally.
Sometime later still (around early 1962) it was fitted with a revolving blue light mounted on top of the cab. The first fire that was attended with the blue light was at Woolworth's Store in Harlow Town Centre - the only appliance carrying it and causing considerable 'interest' from the Essex brigades in attendance. The lamp can just be seen in the photograph (right) which was taken in May 1962 while parked outside of the Playing Fields at the Whitsun Carnival -Fete. This time the appliance had to remain on radio call under the rules laid down by Head Quarters and outside of the actual field. The appliance had a prop-shaft driven main Dennis pump which was always primed by the supply from the 400 gallon centrally mounted tank. This was a very stable vehicle to drive in comparison with the previous ford lorry adaption. It had two hose reels, one either side and, as can be seen in the picture, hose lockers also either side. I believe it was fitted with the same 35ft Ajax Ladder that originally belonged to the Leyland, but I cannot be sure! Mounted centrally on the back, above the main pump, was a Coventry Climax wheeled light pump. This could be taken off the appliance using two steel ramps. At the same time as the delivery of this appliance the Brigade were issued with Compressed Air Breathing Apparatus of which two sets were carried. These replaced the previous somewhat cumbersome and uncomfortable to wear Seibe Gorman Oxygen sets.