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Just turned out of the Canteen 1931

bigjohnuk said:
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Three Fireman. 1931 as written on the back of the photo. I know the man on the left as William Cheshire. Fire station unknown. He was active in the Second World War as a fireman with his wife Lily working on the switchboard for the service.
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could be just me but those hats do not look real...looks like they have been added to the original photo

lyn
 
Two said:
Pretty Sure that the Picture was taken outside Aston Fire Station, Ettington Rd.
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The pillar detail to the left side of the group certainly looks the same as Aston Fire Station's pillars. Obviously, the doors are altered. The station was built in 1923, 8 years before the B&W photo.

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I thought they might be either a fireman's dress uniform or more likely 'borrowed'. It's almost as though they are wearing them for a joke, especially as they're worn at a jaunty angle. It crossed my mind that they might be ambulance caps, or if the white part of the cap was a white cover of some sort. Raises lots of questions for me. Any caps experts out there ?
 
Radiorails said:
I had reservations about the caps, Lyn. I always associate white cars, albeit of a different style, with the the USA.
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yes they are just to sharp and white for my liking alan..ive had photos like this before and even if they are the correct firemans caps i still reckon they have been added..its easily done these days

lyn
 
I think they are possibly wearing the caps as a joke. Apparently, in the UK fire brigade, white covers for peaked caps were primarily worn by senior officers or station officers to denote rank c1930s-1960s.

Maybe someone can tell if the men were senior officers by the rest of their uniform. I suspect not, hence why I suggest they are 'masquerading' as senior officers in the photo. And if the caps were someone else's and 'borrowed', they might not have fitted the individuals, making them look odd.

Big John - why the title "Just turned out of the canteen..." Is that part of the photo inscription (and possibly humorous) ? Or are they your words?
 
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Hi, thank you for your comments. First off photo 110% original with no adding of caps. My Grandfather I suspect would not have been an office and I take on the point of them doing it as a joke, which would confirm the way they look, ie the guy on the right looks as if he had a few, the picture taken because they are fooling around.
 
Astoness said:
could be just me but those hats do not look real...looks like they have been added to the original photo

lyn
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The white hat covers are real they also had black covers, we have both types in the WMFS Museum at Ettington Road.
I'm not sure that the station in the photo is Ettington Road if you look at the photo you will see the back windows through the front ones, to the best of my knowledge you have never been able to see the back windows.
 
Nozzle24 said:
The white hat covers are real they also had black covers, we have both types in the WMFS Museum at Ettington Road.
I'm not sure that the station in the photo is Ettington Road if you look at the photo you will see the back windows through the front ones, to the best of my knowledge you have never been able to see the back windows.
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Many thanks any clue to the station would be fab. Also do know who may have firemen service records?
 
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