The Yorkshire Film Archive collects, preserves, and shows film made in, or about Yorkshire. Our collections are non-fiction, dating from the 1890s to the present day, and providing a rich and visually compelling record of all aspects of lives, cultures, landscape, industries, major events and everyday activities, many of which are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
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Morley Fire Brigade
In the shadow of the blitz, Morley Fire Services show that they are prepared for the worst, practising their routines for dealing with fires, fire victims and incendiary bombs.
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Overview
A great behind the scenes look at Morley Fire Brigade in 1940, seen here relaxing with a game of snooker and doing keep fit exercises as well as their fire drill. They are joined in these by their sister Home Front services the ARP (Air Raid Precautions, usually called wardens) and the AFS (Auxiliary Fire Service), with the apparently mandatory schoolboy always looking on.
This film was made by Mr Williamson who served in the First World War and trained air cadets in the Second. He made a sizeable collection of films from 1940 onwards, including also filming the 108 Squadron and the Air Training Corps during the war. The First World War had already introduced the notion of a 'Home Front', the mobilisation of civilians in support of the war effort. The idea was re-activated in 1938 during the Munich crisis, when the Air Ministry predicted 65,000 casualties a week. At the outbreak of the war the British government ordered a million coffins. Fortunately Morley wasn’t bombed during the war, although several other West Yorkshire towns and cities were.
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