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Tozer Family.

postie

The buck stops here
Staff member
I was skimming through the Birmingham Year Book for 1933, and came across this snippet from the Fire Brigade pages.


BIRMINGHAM FIRE BRIGADE

Chief Officer -- A.R. Tozer, O.B.E.
Second Officer-- C.W. Tozer
Third Officer-- A.R. Tozer, Junr.

Have we got any members related to these brave men.? O0
 
Ppstie I'm pretty sure I've read somewhere that one of the Tozers was awarded a medal, maybe the George Cross for bravery rescuing people in the war. I also vaguely recollect a family of Tozers living in Webster Street, Aston, in the 1940s, don't know whether they are related, but it is an unusual surname.
 
I have a Tozer line in my loose lineage. Very unlikely to be connected for these are back in the 1860's in Devon where there was a predominance of the name.
 
Birmingham Fire Brigade and the Tozer family

Here are a couple of pictures of Birmingham Fire Brigade, dating from the 1920s.

The chap in the car is Bob Tozer. I understand that the Tozer family were very influential with regard to the Fire Brigade up to the outbreak of WW2. Bob was a good friend of my father and, in the custom of the age, tended to have himself photographed from time to time. I have portraits of him in Fire Brigade uniform (1916 and 1919) and in Army, possibly Officer Cadet, uniform (1919). I can post these if anyone is interested.

Can anyone tell me more about the Tozers and their role in the Birmingham Fire Brigade, please?

Chris
 

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In my 1933 Birmingham Yearbook it states the following.

BIRMINGHAM FIRE BRIGADE

Chief Officer--- A.R. TOZER, O.B.E.
Second Officer---C.W. TOZER.
Third Officer-- A.R. TOZER, Junr.

So, as you can see they were indded a famous family.
 
Thanks, John - yes, I had looked at the previous thread and I'm hoping for additional information.

The 1933 Year Book entry (and thanks also for that, postied) is interesting and demonstrates the remarkable dynasty which the Tozer family seems to have established within the Birmingham Fire Brigade, starting in the Victorian era, through the Edwardian and right up until the 1930s/early 1940s. So in 1933 the three most senior people are all related, father and two sons perhaps?

I suspect that Third Officer A.R. Tozer may be "my Bob", possibly the son of the boss, also A.R. Tozer but I am having to guess.

The second Officer, C.W. Tozer is also of interest. (Son or brother of the senior A.R., I wonder). This must surely be the same man as C.W.L. Tozer, a patrol leader in the Aston Home Guard who won the George Medal for conspicuous bravery during an air raid on 26th October 1940. (I have started a separate thread on that https://forum.birminghamhistory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=10187 ).

It's difficult to envisage a senior officer of one civil defence organisation, the Fire Brigade, being involved in voluntary duties in another, the Home Guard. But perhaps he really did do it in his spare time; or perhaps he had left the Birmingham Fire Brigade by then. The latter was of course wholly reorganised into the National Fire Service early in the war and that probably brought an end to the Tozer influence.

What appears to be the remarkable involvement of the Tozer family in the Fire Brigade must surely have already been researched and written up. Or has it? I can't get to the Reference Library to find out.

(The Tozer influence stretched even further. On 1st January 1943 there was awarded the King's Police and Fire Services Medal - for gallantry - to Wilfred Alfred Tozer, Chief Officer, Rangoon Fire Brigade and Director, Fire Services, Burma. Birmingham was clearly not big enough for them all!)

Any further thoughts would be very welcome.

Chris
 
In another year book it states.

In 1879 Mr Alfred Robert Tozer, of the BRISTOL FIRE BRIGADE was appointed as Superintendent of the Birmingham Fire Brigade.
 
In 1879 Mr Alfred Robert Tozer...........

So it looks as though one of the family traditions, in addition to running the Fire Service, was to use the same initials, father to son. That has to be three generations, at least.

This is the youngest of the line in 1919.

Chris
 

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Interesting topic, and great pictures ChrisM. I like that helmet he's wearing--lots of attention to detail in those days.
Do you have names for the other firemen in the picture? i.e. Langford?

Kevin
 
Thank you, Kevin - but no, unfortunately, the group photo I have is not annotated.

I'm beginning to believe I jumped to the wrong conclusion about the identity of the C.W.L. Tozer who won the George Medal. The 1901 Census suggests that the A.R. (I'll call him A.R.2) and C.W. (Chief and First Officers in the 1933 listing) were the first and second sons of the earlier A.R. (1) who was Superintendent at the turn of the century. The newly born A.R. (3 - "my Bob") was almost certainly the son of A.R (2) and grandson of A.R. (1). He seems to have become the Third Officer by 1933. If anyone who is interested in this thread and subscribes to one of the genealogy sites could check addresses and so on to confirm this theory I should be very grateful.

C.W. who was Second Officer and C.W.L. who won the George Medal are however a different matter. The Second officer in 1933 seems to have been Charles Wright Tozer, born ca. 1879. But the George Medal recipient is identified as Charles William Lovelace Tozer. In the parallel thread about the George Medal incident a description by the man himself says that he was a skilled man preventing from joining up in 1939/40. This obviously precludes the older C.W. and probably means that C.W.L. was not a member of the Fire Brigade either. Whether he was C.W.'s son (following the tradition of giving sons their father's initials) or a close family member such as the son of A.R.(3), or whether the similarity of names, and the type of exploit, are nothing more than an incredible coincidence, I don't know.

Are you as confused as I am?!

Chris
 
Postied

I came across this today, it must be the A.R. Tozer that you mentioned A.R.Tozer Superindendant of Birmingham Fire Service 1879-1906

Phil

ARTozerSuperintendantBirminghamFireBrigade.jpg
 
Thanks for that, pmc1947.

It certainly looks most likely to be A. R. (1) born ca. 1853 rather than A. R. (2) ca. 1874 or - obviously - A. R. (3) ca 1899.

Chris
 
Although I have contacted you with this info already I thought I should respond to this thread for the benefit of other interested parties. Must say that this is not a full family tree, but it does give an insight into how this family dominated the fire service.

Robert Tozer


He was a fireman with the Hand in Hand Brigade in London in 1833,


he was promoted to Engineer at Baker Street Fire Station.





Alfred Tozer (born 1832)


Son of Robert Tozer joined his fathers Brigade in 1850, promoted to


Engineer and then Braidwood’s Chief Clerk at Watling Street H/Q.


In 1854 he left the Brigade to take a pump to Scutari to protect the hospitals during the Crimean War. On his return he was placed in charge of Tooley Street Fire Station, appointed as Chief Officer in Manchester in 1861 until 1892 when he retired.





Alfred Robert Tozer (born 1854)


Son of Alfred Tozer, was born at Watling Street Fire Station. He served an engineering apprenticeship and joined Manchester Fire Brigade, he was appointed as the Superintendent of Bristol Fire Brigade in 1877, and then Chief Officer of the Birmingham Brigade in 1879 taking over from Superintendent George Tiviotdale, until his death in 1906.



His children were;
(1) Alfred Robert (born 1875) Chief Officer of the Birmingham Brigade 1906–1941
(2) Charles Wright (born 1880) Deputy Chief Officer / Second Officer of the Birmingham Brigade
(3) Frederick (born 1889) Station Officer in the Manchester Brigade
(4) William (born 1879) Engineer at Handsworth & Chief West B’wich.1900–1938 (died 1950)
Joseph (born1882)
Arthur (born 1887)
Emily (born 1886)

(1) His son was A. R. Tozer Jnr. (born 1900) Third Officer, then Second Officer Birmingham Brigade
(2) His son was C. W. Tozer (born in 1909) became a Police Officer in Portsmouth
(3)
(4) Had two sons;
(5) William Alfred Tozer Chief Fire Officer of Madras and then Rangoon Fire Brigades
Charles Tozer West B’wich Brigade 1918, DCFO Durham Fire Brigade & CFO of Finchley

(5) Had a son called William Tozer born in Worcester, an AFS messenger, joined Durham Brigade. Stn. Officer at Bishop Auckland, Deputy Chief Fire Officer 1971 of Durham Fire Brigade. Retired in 1984 died 2005 aged 78.

Your ‘Bob’ is indeed A.R. Tozer Jnr. Who was the second officer in 1941. As for the reason behind them being removed from office it stemmed from the arrangements that were put in place due to the war. As you know the AFS was formed, however there was a lack of training for these volunteers, the Chief Officer Mr. Tozer was not in favour of this scheme and refused to integrate ‘His’ full time professional fire service with untrained volunteers. This disagreement was evident to all personnel especially with the outspoken differences of opinion with the Regional Commissioner. The situation became intolerable when the Chief refused to give leadership to fire fighting operations leaving the fire crews to sort out things for themselves. This put the lives of the firemen and civilians in danger. In November an inspection was carried out of the service by Mr. Herbert Morrison, the Minister for Home Security, Home Office. November 22nd was one of the worst nights for heavy bombing, but still the Chief refused to shift his stance as such the crews on the fire ground had to fend for themselves the best they could. As a result the CFO and his son were removed from office, he sent out a general order stating that he was retiring at the age of 66 all though everyone knew better, his son the second officer was assigned to special duties with a Mr. Killey of the Home Office, in effect moved out of the way. Captain B.A. Westbrook then took over temporary in command. This in effect ended the Tozer dynasty within the fire service. It was after this that the fire service was nationalised i.e. NFS.

I hope this is useful, there are obviously some gaps but it might help.
 
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.... the Tozer family had once effectively run the Birmingham Fire Brigade until early in the war when its efficiency was found wanting. The A.R. Tozer who was dismissed was the son of the original Superintendent; in the 1930s, his brother was Second Officer and his son, another A.R., was Third Officer. This last man ("Bob") had been a close schoolboy friend of my father's. I assume that all were still serving in 1940. (This subject is also covered in a parallel thread on this forum)..................

As quoted above, Bob Tozer, Second Officer, did leave the Fire Service in 1941. The National Fire Service was formed then and when all Ranks were re-appraised, he was given that of Section Leader, roughly equivalent to being in charge of one Appliance. His salary was protected and I was told that he was the highest paid man of that new rank in the Country.
His Widow was still alive in 1974 and was invited to attend the opening of the Centenary of the Birmingham Fire Brigade/Birmingham Fire and Ambulance Service Exhibition which was arranged by the Keeper of Archaeology, Ethnography and Local History, assisted by a Senior Officer of the Fire Service, and held in Lower Ground Gallery ( Gt Charles Street Entrance) of the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
Birmingham Fire Brigade was founded in March 1874, then under control of the Chief of Police. Following the fatal Digbeth Fire in 1878, after which many things were found to be wrong, such as Escape Ladders would not work, The first Tozer was appointed as Chief Fire Offiicer.
The Tozer family then maintained that Rank until 1941, Nepotism??
Birmingham Fire and Ambulance Service transferred to West Midlands Fire Service on 1st April 1974 due to Local Government re-organisation and therefore the Birmingham Fire Brigade/National Fire Service/Birmingham Fire and Ambulance Service lasted for 100 years and 3 days.
 
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Thank you very much, John. You and pipone, with the help of this forum, have taught me more about this in a few days than I have found out in sixty years! What a disaster to have befallen the family who must have had immense pride in their continuing service - but from what I have now heard the changes were clearly necessary and possibly overdue.

And how good to see that the Birmingham Fire Brigade, by accident or design, just managed to achieve its Centenary.

Has much been written about the Brigade's role - and that of the AFS and NFS - in the Birmingham Blitz?

Chris
 
Hi all. I'm in the process of researching my family tree. Pretty interesting to see you guys discussing it!
I have a pretty detailed news article from 1935 listing the numerous Tozer fireman and their exploits but the 1941 incident is news to me.
I don't suppose anyone has any details of wives or none firefighting children?
Any questions I may be able to help with, just let me know.

Rob
 
Re: Birmingham Fire Brigade and the Tozer family

Here are a couple of pictures of Birmingham Fire Brigade, dating from the 1920s.The chap in the car is Bob Tozer..........


Hi Chris. Do you have any other pictures that you haven't yet posted?
 
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