Croydon Fire Brigade

The first recorded fire station in Croydon was the Surrey Street fire station created in 1745, housing three hand-transported fire pumps.[1]

By 1866, Croydon had a paid fire brigade of 18 men with a single fire engine and a fire escape ladder vehicle, paid for by the rates, plus two brigades set up by the local health board totalling 35 volunteers with two engines, part-financed from the rates. In addition, there was a brigade established by tradesmen, independent of the board. This comprised 24 volunteers and one professional with a single engine, paid for by voluntary subscriptions.[3]

The Croydon Fire Brigade was formed in 1867 as the result of the amalgamation of the rival board and independent fire brigades. At the time, Croydon was a parish of Surrey. In 1889, Croydon gained county borough status and control of the brigade passed to the county borough corporation.[1]

The brigade purchased their first steam engine in 1897, and by 1914 the entire fleet was motorised upon the purchase of a motor ambulance.

In January 1898, several members of Croydon's Fire Brigade Committee called for the dismissal of the Superintendent, Thompson, for allowing lax procedure and discipline. It was cited that brigade members visited licensed houses in contravention of formal rules, with the Superintendent's full knowledge and consent. In the event, the committee recommended the Superintendent be severely censured and that two members of the brigade be discharged.[4]

After attending a large timber conflagration on 8 May 1905, Croydon Fire Brigade was criticised by the head of the London Salvage Corps, Colonel Fox, who considered it "20 years behind the times for a prompt turn-out on a call of fire in a town of over 100,000 inhabitants."[5]

In 1911 a short, silent, black and white cine film was made demonstrating the duties carried out by the Croydon Fire Brigade. Footage includes extinguishing fires, the fireman's lift and catching a person jumping from a tower on to a safety sheet held by firemen.[6] Three years later during a drill, a member of the brigade was killed when a rope snapped while he was descending from a tower. Examination of the rope found it to be in excellent condition, other than the part that broke which had been weakened by acid. The coroner's jury announced a verdict of accidental death and apportioned no blame.[7]

The Great War saw reservist firefighters called up to serve. Replacement volunteers were provided from the workforce of local department stores, Grants, Kennards and Allders. On 13 October 1915, a Zeppelin airship dropped 18 bombs over Croydon. No fires broke out but the fire brigade was involved in rescue efforts and the recovery of bodies from the many damaged buildings.[8]

In the years following the appointment of Chief Fire Officer Frederick Delve, the brigade became the first in Britain to fit radio communications to headquarters in all appliances.[9]

The brigade formed an Auxiliary Fire Service in 1938 in preparation for the outbreak of World War II, and the main brigade was amalgamated into the National Fire Service in 1941, until being reformed in 1948 following the enactment of the Fire Services Act 1947. The AFS was reformed in 1949 as part of the Civil Defence Corps, intended to respond to a nuclear attack; two stations - Woodside and Old Town - were home to AFS units, and these remained until the brigade's dissolution.[1]

Throughout World War II, the brigade fought 2,542 major fires caused by bombing.

The brigade ceased to exist on 1 April 1965 upon the formation of the London Borough of Croydon. All stations were passed over to the London Fire Brigade, as well as the stations of Sanderstead and Purley of the Surrey Fire Brigade located in the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District which merged with the county borough to form the new London borough. The Old Town fire station became the headquarters of the LFB's southern command, and the Croydon Fire Brigade's last Chief Fire Officer, R.R Lloyd, became the commander of the southern command of the LFB, holding the rank of Assistant Chief Fire Officer.[1]

• Surrey Street Fire Station (1745-?) - This was the first fire station in Croydon; it was home to three fire pumps moved by humans, operated by the Parish council.
• South Norwood Fire Station (1864-1912) - The station moved from St John's Road to 26a High Street in 1865. It was the headquarters of the South Norwood Volunteer Fire Brigade up until 1887, when it was passed to the Croydon Fire Brigade and moved to South Norwood Hill.
• Katharine Street Fire Station (1869-1906) - This was the headquarters of the Croydon Fire Brigade from 1869 to 1906, when the Park Lane headquarters was built.
• Thornton Heath Fire Station (1885-c.1970) - This station moved from Beulah Road to Brigstock Road in 1914. The London Fire Brigade continued to run this station from amalgamation to around 1970, following the opening of Norbury fire station.
• Park Lane Fire Station (1906-1961) - This was the headquarters of the Croydon Fire Brigade from 1906 to 1961, when the Old Town headquarters was built.
• Woodside Fire Station (1932-Present) - Located at 2 Lodge Lane, the London Fire Brigade took over this station in 1965 and continues to operate it.
• New Addington Fire Station (1960-Present) - Located at 197 Lodge Lane, the London Fire Brigade took over this station in 1965 and continues to operate it.
• Old Town Fire Station (1961-Present) - From 1961, this was the headquarters of the Croydon Fire Brigade. A building in the right of the station courtyard (now a training centre) was home to the Auxiliary Fire Service. This station was transferred to the London Fire Brigade in 1965, who continue to use the station as the headquarters for the Croydon group.[10]
  

  A line-up of vehicles outside the Old Town fire station.

The brigade responded to many notable incidents during its time, including the following:[1]

• South Croydon air crash, 1924 - An Imperial Airways DH-34 departing from Croydon Airport crashed on 24 December, killing all 7 occupants. This led to the UK's first public inquiry into an air disaster.[11]
• Motor body works fire, 1924 - A motor body works factory in East Croydon caught fire on 18 April. The ensuing fire lasted from 10pm on the Friday until 8am the following morning.
• Crystal Palace fire, 1936 - On 30 November, the Crystal Palace in Penge Common was burnt to the ground by a major fire. The Croydon Fire Brigade sent many pumps to the scene, alongside the Penge and London brigades.[12]
• Waddon air raid, 1940 - An attempted air raid by the Luftwaffe on Croydon Airport (then RAF Croydon) led to several bombs landing on homes and factories in the Waddon area, killing 74 people.
• South Croydon rail crash, 1947 - Due to a mistake by a signalman, a train from Tattenham Corner crashed into the rear of a train from Haywards Heath just south of South Croydon railway station, killing 32 and injuring 60.
• Savoy Cinema fire, 1953 - On 30 March, a major fire at the Savoy Cinema in West Croydon was fought by firefighters from the Croydon, London, Surrey, and Kent brigades.
• Mundetts Cork factory fire, 1955 - On 29 October, a major fire at the Mundetts Cork Products Ltd factory on Vicarage Road destroyed 75% of the building and threatened a nearby railway line.
• Goodyear Tyre factory fire, 1960 - On 8 June, the Goodyear Tyre Co. Ltd factory on Vulcan Way in New Addington caught fire, attended by 10 pumps from Croydon, London, Surrey, and Kent.