Story Sixty-Nine: Canadian Firefighters in Britain

Source: http://www.firemuseumcanada.com/fire-fighters-overseas.html

Canadian Fightfighters in England

A total of 422 men volunteered from across Canada to form the Corps of Canadian Fire Fighters under the direction of G.E. Huff of Brantford, Ontario.

The Corps arrived in Britain in May, 1942, and manned six stations.

• London – HQ
• Southhampton – 2
• Portsmouth – 2
• Plymouth – 1
• Bristol – 1

In a 2 1/2 year period, Corps members worked countless times at risk in perilous conditions to effect rescues and battle fires started by bombing.

422 men volunteered for the Corps. Only half of these volunteers were professional firefighters; the other half had no experience.

The volunteer firemen received $1.30 pay per day from the Canadian government. They received no training other than what the Veteran firefighters could teach them.

There were 11 casualties, including three deaths, in the Corps of Canadian Firefighters overseas.

Listen to a BBC broadcast about firefighters by Herbert Morrison in 1940

1940-12-31_herbertmorrison_messagetofiremen

Website

http://www.firemuseumcanada.com/fire-fighters-overseas.html

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