The Blitz

When we think of the Second World War and the Blitz, generally we think of London and it’s 57 nights of continuous bombing. Throughout these nights, raids would bring huge land mines, incendiaries or parachute mines. High explosives would literally rain from the sky without warning. Many times the Fire Service was stretched to breaking point, and although pushed to the point of exhaustion, the firefighters managed to cope. What is not so well understood is that numerous other cities and towns throughout Britain were to suffer a similar fate

So how did the Blitz affect Gloucestershire?

The main target was Bristol Docks, although many bombs were dropped in Gloucestershire. By bombing Bristol and other seaports, the Germans believed they could stop the supply of food to Britain and win the war. It almost worked.

For a personal view of a firefighter’s war I would like you to meet Jim Wyatt, he was born in 1924 in the Forest of Dean . . . . .

At the outbreak of war Jim tried to join the Fire Service but was too young and his job on the farm considered too important. However, not easily deterred, he found that the Gloster Aircraft Company in Brockworth had a ‘private’ fire service to protect its huge factory and airfield. Jim applied and was accepted. His firefighting days had begun, and in 1942, Jim was officially enlisted into the National Fire Service and was to serve with them until after the war when he would return to the Gloster Aircraft Company.

Ever adaptable, in 1964, Jim joined the Gloucestershire Fire Service control room where he was responsible for mobilising fire engines to emergencies. And, as if his life had not been interesting enough, Jim then joined the Ambulance Service with whom he served until his retirement in 1989. Even then, he has remained active joining in with many Fire Service and Ambulance activities. Today he can still be found travelling around the county relating his experiences to many an interested school audience.

“They were extraordinary times,” says Jim. “I still remember being sent to Bristol docks during the Blitz. When we arrived the bombs were still falling around us. You just ignored them as best as you could and carried on putting the fires out. It seemed that as soon as one fire was out another would start, but it was important to save the docks.”

During the war quite a number of German pilots were freed from their aircraft after they were shot down. Often trapped inside burning wreckage that contained live ammunition and sometimes even bombs. Many a German pilot owes his life to an intrepid rescuer, and in some cases, the same firefighter that he’d been dropping his bombs on earlier!

Gloucester Firefighter
Jim Wyatt pictured
during the war...

... and during his work for the Ambulance Service

“Once I remember being asked why firefighters would bother risking their lives to help rescue German pilots. Weren’t they the enemy? Hadn’t they been dropping bombs on us? To be honest I hadn’t given it much thought, it hadn’t crossed my mind, they were just people in trouble who needed help, and firefighters help people in trouble don’t they? Anyway, I’d like to think that German firefighters repaid the compliment and helped our pilots when they crashed in Germany.”

“they were just people in trouble who needed help, and firefighters help people in trouble”

Jim Wyatt - Fomer Member, National Fire Service.

Jim and colleagues, Jim is pictured front row, second from left.

Firefighting is always hard at the best of times. During the Blitz it was even worse. Most of the time you found yourself ducking from falling bombs and yet still trying to control fires. Often the water passing through the hoses would make them feel so cold that you thought your hands were being frozen to them. Your arms and legs would ache from trying to control the hose for hours on end. Often we’d be fighting fires from dusk till dawn. If we ever found ourselves relieved we would rest immediately and if detailed for standby duties this meant we could sleep, providing the bells didn’t go down. I wouldn’t say it was fun but I must admit it made you feel alive.

Jim continues... “Our uniform was totally different to the modern uniforms of today. We wore a metal helmet, the same as the soldiers wore, only ours were painted black and we had a ‘curtain’ hanging from the back to protect our neck and hair from fire. Our fire jacket and trousers weren’t fire proof. They were made of thick wool and very heavy. Unfortunately, they would soak up water very easily and get even heavier. Our boots were made of leather and annoyingly in the wet they would become very slippy and you would find yourself falling all over the place. At the time we didn’t have any breathing apparatus to help us in the smoke although we always carried gas masks as it was thought that gas bombs might be dropped. In fact, they never were.

Sometimes funny things can happen alongside the seriousness of war. I remember when I’d been away for some time. We’d been moving from place to place quite quickly and my mother’s letters hadn’t managed to catch up with me. When I finally managed to get home to Gloucester I found my mother and fathers house empty. It was where I used to live - but they had moved!

The neighbours told me where they had gone and I eventually found them. We all laughed about it later. People tell jokes about their parents leaving home when they’re away… Well, in my case, it actually happened!

"most of the time you found yourself ducking from falling bombs and yet still trying to control fires... Often we'd be fighting fires from dusk till dawn"

Jim Wyatt - Fomer Member, National Fire Service

"...I was lucky during the war. I survived it without a scratch, unfortunately, many firefighters didn’t. I would like to think no one would ever have to go through all that again. The world’s a far better place at peace”.

Jim continues...“People forget that during the war ‘normal’ fires still happened. Just because we weren’t being bombed that night didn’t mean we would spend it in bed asleep, far from it. Because of the blackout, people would be using candles and lamps far more than usual and of course everyone had open fires. There was no such thing as central heating in those days and all these things meant there were far more accidents. One of our main concerns was chimney fires. Very importantly we had to put them out as soon as possible. If not, they could act as guiding beacons for the German bombers.

"I was lucky during the war, I survived it without a scratch, unfortunately, many firefighters didn't... The world's a far better place at peace"

Jim Wyatt - Former Member, National Fire Service

It was extraordinary to see the lengths everyone went to in order to fool the German bombers. For instance, the Gloster Aircraft Factory had hundreds of oil drums filled with oily cloths and wood scattered around their property, if a German aircraft approached, the oil drums would be lit producing huge dark clouds of thick black smoke that would drift over the buildings hiding them. Also cars, lorries and buses would be parked in lines on the parts of the airfield that hadn’t been hidden with camouflage. From the air, this would give the impression that it was just a large car park and not a factory area and airfield. What's more, from what I understood, at the height of the Blitz, open fields were sometimes deliberately set on fire to distract the German bombers. It was hoped they would see the fires and think they’d already reached their target and drop their bombs harmlessly in the open countryside. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. Really, if things hadn’t been so serious at the time it would have all seemed like a game.”

Mr Wyatt is still available to relate his experiences to schools and other interested groups.

During the war, women were positively encouraged to join the Fire Service. They not only staffed the watchrooms but many became dispatch riders. This was an exciting but very dangerous job. During the blitz they would ride motorcycles from fire to fire passing messages between the fire crews. One such Firewoman was awarded a George Medal for her bravery.

By the time the war had ended over 1,000 firefighters had been killed and thousands of others injured. It had been a very close run affair. Germany had intended to destroy all our docks and factories and at the same time, by destroying our towns and cities, they thought they might lessen our resolve to fight on. They failed. We can be justifiably proud of the part the British firefighters played. In total, 38 George Medals and 1 George Cross were awarded for bravery during the Blitz. When war was declared in September 1939 no one could have imagined what the firefighters would have to face during the next six years.

The George Medal