Saturday, September 6, 2008

The Cookham & District Fire Brigade Early Years.


The first Cookham Fire engine and equipment was housed at Holy Trinity Church. Then through the efforts of the then Brigade Captain Mr. Pinder-Brown it was located here in Terry's Lane in the spot marked with an X.



First Officer Eric Jordan, Captain William T. G. Hatch and First Officer Fred Robinson were made officers of the reorganized Cookham and District Fire Brigade in 1932. First Officer Jordan broke his neck while the Brigade demonstrating their skills, and became one of the first patients to use a Plaster of Paris body cast.

For many years the village fire brigade had kept their equipment at Holy Trinity Church, and in 1895 the Parish Council ‘respectfully declined’ to take on the cost of supporting and maintaining it.

By 1910, Mr. Pinder-Brown the then Captain of the brigade took out a lease on a building in Terry’s Lane (shown on attached Google map) to house their equipment, which by 1919 included a ‘Shannon Mason Manual Engine, An Acetylene Motor Lamp, Two Hand Lamps, Double Set of Harness (complete), An Extension Ladder, Two Stand Pipes, Six Nozzles, and about 900 feet of Hose, plus Uniforms, Helmets, Belts, Boots, and Axes etc’
They remained there until they relocated in a purpose built building behind “The Crown” in Berries Road. They then became part of the Auxiliary Fire Service, which eventually was reformed into the National Fire Service.


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