Description

       Here you have a very, very rare WWII National Fire Service (NFS) commemorative Jerkin. The is the only one, having belonged J.C. Howden who was a member of the North East England contingent of the No. 4 Column of the NFS. It maps their engagement from Tilbury to Ostend and then around Europe following the American 12th Army. There are signatures of 12th Army and Column Veterans and others he met on the way. 

There were no specific medals struck for members of the Fire Service during World War II, but all of those who served for the qualifying period were eligible to be awarded The Defence Medal.  Unusually, members of one specific fire service group, the ‘Overseas Contingent’, were awarded the France and Germany Campaign Star, which was issued in the main to military personnel who saw action in this particular theatre of war.  The ‘Overseas Contingent’ was created to provide specially trained members of the National Fire Service (NFS) formed up into columns to follow military units as they progressed into Germany after D Day.  Only one of the 5 Columns originally formed was actually mobilised and they did eventually travel as far as Berlin.  A total of 443 France and Germany Stars were awarded to members of the ‘No 4 Column’ together with 441 1939-1945 War Medals (2 members did not complete the qualifying period).  It is also recorded that one fire officer, Divisional Officer T Goodman, who was sent as an adviser to Malta was awarded the Italy Star. He was later also awarded the KPFSM for gallantry for his actions in dealing with a ship fire in the North sea. There may be other single secondments of this type that qualified for a Campaign Star.

This is a museum piece and will remain that way. You can learn more about this arm of the British War Effort here

http://www.wwiifire.co.uk/history.htm