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Fire Brigade Information

Station Officer William Mosedale's life story, including his actions in the Birmingham Blitz has been told in full for the first time in Come if ye Dare, the story of the 11 Civil Defence George Cross receipients.

It is available direct from the author for £12.50. Please PM me with an email address and a flyer will folllow.

Terry

Now that takes me back !

I remember many moons ago reading, in a book I'd borrowed from Kings Heath library, about Mr Mosedale.
The name rang a bell so I checked with my dad and confirmed that William's brother (Arthur, I think) lived across the road from us.
 
Sorry if I'm being dozy,but is the book still available?My Dad was an Auxillary Fireman during WW2,he died when I was 7 and I know little of this time, what I do know is he had two breakdowns after the war.I suspect because of what he saw.He was based at Central .
Barb
 
Carolina,
That film takes me back to the stories my Gramp used to tell me about the problems with the fire engine at Bartley green, he was the fire chief of the area and the lanes were very rough with pot holes, on one or two occasions the support bar which the ladder rests on broke and he ended up driving with the weight of the ladders resting on his shoulders.
Dave Edwards
 
s from Bill and Lily.jpg

This is a photo of William Thomas Walker who was stationed at Lingard St, Central and Sparkhill Fire Stations between 1903 and 1929. He is shown with his 20 year service medal. I would like to thank John Agar from the Heritage Department of West Midlands Fire Service for all the information that he has passed on to me.
 
001.jpgHere's another photo of Central Firemen, Dad looks quite young on this one so perhaps early 1940s. i do not know about this incident i'm afraid,but worthy of a photo in the Birmingham Gazette. Perhaps you may recognise some one?
 
My great grandfather, James Hoban, was a fireman at the Central Fire Station in Kenyon street, my grandmother was born at the same station. She used to tell me stories of how the horses were trained to put their heads in the harnesses when they heard the alarm sound. We have a picture of A Tozer, but not one of my relative. Is there anyway of finding out any further information about my relative?
 
Jenny, have you seen the photo's of the Aston Fire Brigade which has been put on "Aston fire Brigade turn of the century" our friend "Two" has put them on. The photo you are thinking of has my Grandfather standing on the right of the photo watching Snowey and Blacky putting their heads through the Halters themselves, they did this when the fire bell rang.
Dave
 
HI JENNY;
Here is a short list of a couple of fire men listed in the roll of honour
1; S VILLERS ; B2577 429 VICTORIA RD ASTON ; DATE ;9,4,1941
2; U S KENDRICK; B13176 255 ASTON CHURCH RD WASHWOOD HEATH DATE 25;10;1940
3 ; E W PAYNE ; B 6827 ; 9/23 MALT HOUSE LANE WASHWOOD HEATH 25;10;1940
4; A H LOWE ; B 4004 213 ROCKY LANE PERRY BARR 14; 11 1940
Extracted From :: squirt ; The journal of the birmingham Auxiliary Fire service
B;ham Ref Libary;
Notes; Equipped with a siver Identification disc they were able to roam t will in the black out [ 1940 ]
Station 5/4 was grantham rd ;
15th Birmingham [ AFS ] Battalion Home guard c/o H A SALE M,C ;
FEB 1941 ; M,B,E, To Chief officier F WINTERINGTON ,
A.L WESTCOMBE
Eddie ;many thanks for informing us of a photo ; which i have not seen myself will try and look ;
i learnt the other day from my friend whom is a serving fireman that the central fire station of birmingamis no loner in existance so what will become of that beatiful building
of such stature and full of history and surely its a grade listed building which would at one time been the nerve point for training all of our great brave men of yester years
does any body know if the fire service brass band are still playing and active as i know it came from the central station or have they disbanded the junior band
have a niceday every body ; best wishes Astonian; Alan;;;;;;;
 
Hi Dave,
Thank you for pointing me in the direction of the pictures, so interesting. We know that my great grandfather was at the Central Fire Station in Kenyon St in 1892. Would you be able to tell me where I could find out more about his service record or if they would have existed then?
 
Jenny have you got any photo's of your Great grandfather at all. I know it's a long tim ago but I have some from 1909 of a party of firemen at a picnic and maybe he is on there, although they are from the Aston station.

Dave
 
matchless4.jpgmatchless4.jpgI am the owner of a Matchless G3 LS which was one of 189 matchless's purchased by the home office in early 1960 , reg no's starting XYM 501 0n, mine is XYM 509 and was issued to Smethwick fire station and i believe painted red by factory, the Matchless owners club say that all home office bikes where green but i think that maybe the fire brigade/AFS had mine painted red ??, Thanks Dave
 
My brother-in-law bought one of those Gorgi motor bikes that were dropped with the parachute troops, looked like an old type vacuum cleaner with a saddle on the end of quite a long saddle stem. He was stationed at Central Fire Station, but he and his wife were allocated a flat at Cotteridge Fire Station. He rebuilt the machine to commute on and it was painted Fire Engine Red, at no cost to himself (wink wink)
Cheers Tim
 
Hi
Pip one
Albert mosedal . Is an old friend of mine that being the younger of the two his grand son young Albert ,we lived and played together
In there big yard and it worked out that his wife is also a very close old friend to my old dutches the wife Teresa,
If you wanted the load down we could. E,Mail you his E,Mail and you could contact him Albert mosedale I am pretty sure he would give you all the info.
On his grand father and his own father whom was is brother the chiefs fire officer
Best wishes Astonian,,,,
 
Thanks Jean afraid its only one bike er same pic twice, I am trying to find info on bike but fire brigade dont seem interested, I have offered to take bike to their open day/events but still no reply
 
I know once a year they have vintage cars and motor bikes on the cricket pitch and village green in Lower Arley. Many more things go on at the same time too. Will find out the date for next year if you like?. They have tractors and steam engines too. :peach:
 
47229_426592008610_5957894_n.jpg
This was taken last year.
 
I know once a year they have vintage cars and motor bikes on the cricket pitch and village green in Lower Arley. Many more things go on at the same time too. Will find out the date for next year if you like?. They have tractors and steam engines too. :peach:
Thanks again Jean i look forward to getting some dates for next years calender and hopefully i can bring the bike down to Smethwick, by the way i live in Crewe
 
my mothers first husband was a fire man at henry street station his name was harry gwilliam he left to go to the first world war and got killed at ypes in belgian is there any where that keeps records of these men if so oes any one know how to access them we lived in geat brook street at the time
 
i lived next door to pru and albert mosedale i cope street ladywood their son went to follet osler school with my son we lived there till we were all rehoused and then lost touch
 
Hi ABC
Just read your thread on the fireman
I am just wondering whom you may be if you lived in cope. Street as you said and knowing pru and Albert
Albert is an old friend of mine that being young Albert ,
And I used to play football and games in the big yard with them plus with the Jinks boys and a girl named Rosie and joy
From the corner shop whom parents ran the shop I am not allowed to mention the name on here but you will know her name
We all we t to the same school do recall wally watkings family
Albert married my wife's best friend from years ago and we are in touch and we have there e,mail and number
Coinicidene that being friends with Albert and my wife being old friends whom she went to school with as is wife
She also is in contact with my wife I lived around the corner in kingedwards red at that time
We all live in Worcestershire now and have done so for many years
If you would like to contact me by Email I could give you a contact number to you for you to bet in touch
Its a small world ABC,, best wishes Alan,,,Astonian,,,
 
we moved into cope street in 1957/8 my childrens names were john brenda janet and elaine john went to follet osler street school with albert im sure if you ask him he will remember the judge family and if he wants to keep in touch we can arrange it .best wishes abc
 
ABC,
I will send him an email tonight and mention to him and asked him if he wants to get in touch I am sure he will say yes
He may very well come through here on this forum if I tell him as he is or was a member at one time
Regarding your name judge I emedciatly got a Buzz it rings a tone with me from cope you must remember the film they made around there
Up through the nic nacs and charlie from the news agent and cough man was the two leading rolls
Also your john would have k own wholly and the memory family. All from the block but your judge name did sound A alarm with me
Edmediatly I will keep you posted Asap reply from Albert,best wishes Astonian,,,,,
 
john remembers a few names one being floyd and the truemans and butcher we used to have bonfires in the big yard and i worked at the coloral factory that street holds a lot of good memories for me thanks for sending albert a message allthe best abc
 
The only fire station I can think of in that area would have been Albion Street, having another in Kenyon Street would have put two in very close proximity to each other, but there again anything is possible.
 
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