Hosepipe Collection (#7)

Old fire engine and other equipment in a museum: an ancient fly wheel manual fire engine from Windsor Castle, built by Merryweathers predecessors, Hadley & Simpkin, in 1735; fire apparatus of 1666

Old fire engine in a museum
An old fire engine in a museum, on loan from the Weston Super Mare Fire Brigade

Mr Attlee attending hosepipe tests at Wimbledon, WW2
Mr Clement Attlee (Lord Privy Seal in Winston Churchills wartime coalition government, later Deputy Prime Minister 1942-1945 and Prime Minister 1945-1951)

Incendiary bomb attack on Great Scotland Yard, WW2
Blitz in London -- LFB tackling a blaze following an incendiary bomb attack on Great Scotland Yard on 13th September 1940, next to the LCC-MFB Scotland Yard Fire Station. Date: 1940

Firefighters in action, Calders Wharf, East London
Firefighters in action at a fire in Calders Wharf, East London, 21 May 1955. Seen here with hosepipes, cooling down barrels of collodion cotton and boxes of paint

Fire at GPO Stores, Tabernacle Street, London
Fire at GPO Stores, Tabernacle Street, City of London, 28 March 1955. Showing a firefighter in action with a hosepipe at the top of a turntable ladder. Date: 1955

Metropolitan Fire Brigade horse-drawn steamer
A Metropolitan Fire Brigade horse-drawn steamer with driver-operator

Engraving of a steamer in action during a fire, with panic on the street

Self-propelled fire engine at LFB Southwark HQ
A self-propelled fire engine at LFB Southwark Headquarters, with firemen training. Date: 1910

Large Dennis trailer water pump

Trailer water pump at Dulwich Fire Station, WW2
The latest trailer water pump, presented in September 1940, seen here at Dulwich Fire Station, south London. Date: 1940

Scammell 45 gallon water pump, WW2
A Scammell 45 gallon water pump in position on a trolley during the Second World War (17 September 1942). Date: 1942

London firefighters at work in Hampstead High Street
London firefighters at work outside a Woolworths building in Hampstead High Street, north-west London (11 May 1946). General aerial view of the front of the premises after the fire has been

London firefighters at work in Dingley Road, WW2
London firefighters at work with hosepipes and ladders in Dingley Road, City of London, during the Second World War (30 June 1940). Date: 1940

London firefighters at work on staircase, Carron Wharf
London firefighters at work on an adjoining external staircase during a fire at Carron Wharf, Upper Thames Street, on 28 June 1939. Date: 1939

Blitz in London -- firefighters at work, Blackfriars, WW2
Blitz in London -- firefighters at work with hosepipes at the Blackfriars Goods Depot on 16 October 1940. Date: 1940

Firefighters wearing breathing equipment on the street, one of them drinking a mug of tea

London firefighters at work with hosepipes

London Fire Brigade cinematographer at work
London Fire Brigade fireman-cinematographer at work, filming a fierce fire at the warehouse of Messrs Cameron and Co, Upper Thames Street, City of London, 28 June 1939. Date: 1939

London firefighters with hosepipes
London firefighters with their hosepipes trained on a building, with a fire engine and water supply on the street below

Firefighter training, LFB HQ, Lambeth
Firefighter training at the London Fire Brigade HQ in Lambeth, with a man operating a hose at the top of the turntable ladder. Aerial view, probably taken from the top of the drill tower

British soldiers taking in water, Western Front, WW1
British soldiers taking in water for their train transport on their way up to the trenches on the Western Front during World War One. Date: circa 1916

LFB recruits taking part in hosepipe training at HQ

Illustration of filling barel with water using hosepipe

The Times, Plate I, 1762 (engraving)
XJF400616 The Times, Plate I, 1762 (engraving) by Hogarth, William (1697-1764); Private Collection; (add.info.: a city on fire)

Kent - Dartford Paper Mills fire which burnt for three days - 3 March 1949 eTopFoto

Fire at the Darford Paper Mills in Kent which burnt for three days - 3 March 1949 eTopFoto

Picture No. 10866222
Gardening - Woman gardener watering small tree using spray head on yellow hosepipe. Date:

Picture No. 10866223
Gardening - watering small shrub using spray head on yellow hosepipe Date:

Picture No. 10770284
Dog - labrador playing in sprinkler Date:

Picture No. 10770283
Dog - labrador playing in sprinkler held by young girl Date:

Blitz in London -- turntable ladder in operation, WW2
Blitz in London -- turntable ladder in operation, with firefighter and hose

Farmer washing Vaderstad Rapid A 600S seed drill with pressure washer, Upplands Vasby, Sweden, may

LFB light alloy hose ramps, marked DEAD SLOW -- one pair of four-foot end sections assembled to bridge two lines of 2.75 inch hose

Shand Mason fire appliance in a steam museum
Shand Mason fire appliance (marked First Grand Prize) on display in a steam museum, August 1938

Bolling Air Force Base, Washington DC, USA
Airmen and boys at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington DC, on Fathers Day, 18 June 1950

Blitz in City of London -- Bonhill Street
Blitz in the City of London -- fire damage due to an incendiary bomb in Bonhill Street, 15 October 1940, with firefighters in action with a hosepipe

Three fire engines and crews, Hamburg, Germany
Three fire engines and their crews (Haupt Feuerwache), Hamburg, Germany, with a group of children on the right

Firefighters in action, Fanshaw Street, London N1
Firefighters in action with turntable ladders and hosepipes at a building in Fanshaw Street, London N1, 28 February 1956. The fire had gone through the roof before the first appliance arrived

Blitz in City of London - Watling Street, WW2
Blitz in City of London - firefighters in action with hosepipes in Watling Street following a bombing raid on 16 September 1940

B Division training exercise, London Docks
B Division training exercise at London Docks, 6 February 1955

Firefighters in action after air raid, WW2
Firefighters in action with hosepipes and foam after an air raid

Blitz in London - firefighters in action, WW2
Blitz in London - firefighters in action with hosepipes at a blaze in South London, 12 September 1940

Firefighters in action, Victory Place, SE17
Firefighters in action with hosepipes during a fire at a warehouse in Victory Place, Southwark, SE17, on 27 April 1958

Blitz in London -- Chambers Wharf, Bermondsey, WW2
Blitz in London -- firefighters in action with fire engines and hosepipes at Chambers Wharf, Bermondsey Wall, on 12 August 1944

Steam-operated fire pump, Paris
Steam-operated fire pump, as used by the Paris fire brigade. It was built by A Thirion and photographed by Berthaud

LFB-AFS Bikini raft fully inflated
LFB-AFS fully inflated Bikini raft, with water being delivered through four hosepipes. The two-man crew are wearing life jackets

Incendiary bomb attack on Great Scotland Yard, WW2
Blitz in London -- LFB tackling a blaze following an incendiary bomb attack on Great Scotland Yard on 13th September 1940, next to the LCC-MFB Scotland Yard Fire Station

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"Hosepipe: The Lifeline in the Hands of Heroes" In moments of peril, a hosepipe becomes more than just a tool; it transforms into a lifeline that connects bravery and hope. Picture this: a heroic fireman fearlessly charging through billowing flames to rescue a young girl trapped inside. With unwavering determination, he battles the inferno, his trusty hosepipe an extension of his courage. Firefighters in action on Eagle Street, London WC1 during World War II's Blitz. Amidst chaos and destruction, these brave souls fought tirelessly to protect lives and preserve their city's spirit. Their hoses became symbols of resilience as they battled against relentless fires that threatened to consume everything in their path. St Andrews Parish Church in Plymouth bore witness to the horrors of war during the Blitz. Yet amidst the rubble and devastation stood firefighters armed with their hoses, ready to combat the flames that sought to destroy history itself. London's St Bride Street and Farringdon Street were once battlegrounds during World War II's Blitz. But amid darkness and despair emerged rays of light as courageous firefighters maneuvered turntable ladders fitted with powerful hoses. These heroes defied danger, extinguishing fires that threatened cherished landmarks. Even across borders, hosepipes united heroes in their quest for safety. In Nuremberg, Germany, Henry Simonis & Co fire appliances roared into action when disaster struck. Firefighters valiantly wielded hoses against raging flames - proof that unity knows no boundaries when it comes to saving lives. The streets of London witnessed countless tales etched within its history books – one being 298 Old Brompton Road where fire ravaged buildings but not spirits. Here too was where fearless firefighters climbed ladders with precision while dousing towering infernos with water from their trusted ally - the hosepipe. Training drills honed firefighter skills as they mastered every aspect of handling this vital tool for saving lives.