Fire Float

[Dennis Maccoy]

The South Shields fire float was usually moored off the South Shields auxiliary fire station and training centre, a short distance up river from the Marine College's present-day seamanship training centre. In all my years of river watching the only occasion on which I saw it underway was on 31 August 1971 – shown here. Also based at the auxiliary fire station were two “Green Goddesses” that were always in immaculate condition.

[Rivoldini]

Hi Dennis. That was not an auxiliary station. It was River Drive Sub Station of the County Borough of South Shields Fire Brigade. They had a conventional AEC pump escape manned by a crew of five men who dual manned the fire boat. In other words the crew took one or the other. If they had to skull over to the fire boat then the pump escape was put "off the run". Most of the calls for the fire engine were to standby at the headquarters station at Keppel Street. The Green Goddesses were manned by volunteers who reported for training one evening per week and at weekends. Otherwise they were stored.

The boat, "Porpoise" is a war time Office of Works Estuarial type of boat built for service in the Thames and Mersey estuaries. By the time they were completed the main threat of air raids was over so the boats were distributed throughout the countries major ports. The South Shields boat was financed by the other riparian fire authorities and a government grant on behalf of the Auxiliary Fire Service. If the other fire authorities, Northumberland, Durham and Newcastle & Gateshead refused to contribute to the boats upkeep then they were prohibited from using it. There was an identical boat based at WIncomblee and operated by Newcastle & Gateshead Joint Fire Service until 1956.

On 1st April 1974 the boat passed to the newly formed Tyne & Wear Metropolitan Fire Brigade which promptly closed the riverside station, moving the fire engine to Keppel Street and the fire boat to Tyne Dock. The last time it was used was at the Baltic Flour Mills fire.

Let me see what photos I have here.

Thanks for the happy memories.

R.

[Dennis Maccoy]

Thanks for that Rivoldini – I didn’t appreciate that the station was fully operational. However, your first picture, showing the station doors open, stirred memories of Sunday morning strolls along Wapping Street with my Dad, in the fifties, when those doors were often open, with the equipment inside visible, and, indeed, I do remember a bright red “conventional” tender in addition to the Green Goddess. The memory sometimes needs a bit of a push nowadays. I have later memories of the site, having taken a two or three day course there in about 1980 – it’s probably appropriate that the first off-site training course that I was sent on after becoming involved in shipbuilding management was marine fire-fighting!

[Rivoldini]

Glad to oblige. I have some colour photos of the place if you want but naturally don't want to turn the site into a fire engine site.
Ron

[Whickham]

But nothing wrong with a little diversion, is there?

[Rivoldini]

OK Here goes, thank you.
River Drive fire station land appliance, a 1952 AEC Regent. The brigades reserve appliance. South Shields was the first north east fire brigade to buy diesel powered fire engines.

[Rivoldini]

The regular appliance at River Drive. A Maudslay Merlin 2.

[magoonigal]

A splendid Diversion.......thanks Ron.