Auxiliary Collection

Firefighters on a tea break after fire St Katherines Dock
London firefighters (with cork helmets) and Auxiliary Fire Service firefighters (with tin hats and AFS badges on their tunics)

Recruitment poster for the WaC and WRNS
First World War recruitment poster for the WaC (Womens Army Auxiliary Corps) and WRNS (Womens Royal Naval Service). circa 1917

WW2 - Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps erect Nissen Huts
WW2 - Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps in France - erecting Nissen Huts in preparation for the arrival of the main body of the army - the caption notes that many men in the pioneer Corps fought in

SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, 1900
Photograph of the North German Lloyd Liner Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse at sea, 1900. This liner was built by the Vulcan Shipyards at Stettin with the aim of winning the Blue Riband

AFS women training, Highgate, London, WW2
AFS (Auxiliary Fire Service) women training in Highgate, North London, in July 1942

AFS despatch rider and messenger, WW2
An AFS (Auxiliary Fire Service) despatch rider and messenger on a motorbike at an LFS sub-station during the Second World War

Blitz in London -- Regulars and Auxiliaries side by side
Regular London firefighters side by side with their Auxiliary (AFS) counterparts at Tottenham fire station. The building next door is Tottenham Town Hall

Blitz in London - AFS firefighter, WW2
Blitz in London - a smiling AFS firefighter, a former Smithfield meat porter named Eddie

LCC-LFB Woolwich fire station, SE London
The crew of Woolwich fire station, Sunbury Street, on parade on the station forecourt. WW2 is pending and an Auxiliary Fire Service fire engine is standing in the station next to the LFB pump escape

Sub-station with taxis and crews, WW2
A typical London Fire Brigade sub-station watch and their equipment. Taxis were used as makeshift fire engines which towed trailer pumps

LFB wartime emergency appliance and trailer pump, WW2
A Fordson Unit and trailer pump at the London Fire Brigade headquarters, Lambeth. These were just some of the 2000 adapted vehicles utilised as AFS fire appliances

Westland Wapiti 1 aeroplane
Westland Wapiti 1 of No. 601 (County of London) Squadron, Auxiliary Air Force. 1940s

Waac Poster / Wwi
Recruitment poster for the Womens Army Auxiliary Corps during the First World War, stating that " every fit woman can release a fit man" for service

Esperanto / Zamenhof
ESPERANTO Dr Ludwig L Zamenhof, German linguist, inventor of Esperanto which he hopes will become an international auxiliary language

Women working during the First World War. Above: in a weapons factory, filling shells with explosives. Below: an outdoor scene with a woman bus conductor

Aerial image of Housesteads Roman Fort of Vercovicium, an auxiliary fort on Hadrians Wall, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Northumberland, England, United Kingdom, Europe

WW2 - Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps at work in France
WW2 - Men of the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps at work in France. Date: 1940s

Winston Churchill and daughter, Mary Soames 1943
Winston Churchill and his daughter, Mary Soames in 1943. Churchill was on his way to receive the Freedom of the City of London. Mary is in ATS uniform. Date: 1943

WW2 Poster -- Women of Britain Come Forward Now
Women of Britain -- These scientific instruments demand nimble fingers and quick brains. Come Forward Now. Recruitment poster, Auxiliary Territorial Service

WW2 Poster -- You are wanted too! Join the ATS
You Are Wanted Too! Join The ATS. Recruitment poster, Auxiliary Territorial Service. Colour photolithograph by unknown artist, published by HMSO

Womens uniforms and badges, WW2
Badges and uniforms of women serving in the Second World War, including WRENS, ATS and WaF. Date: 1940

American and British members of the Air Transport Auxiliary in front of a Hawker Hurricane. From left: Virginia Farr, New Jersey; Louise Dutch Schuuman, New York; Helen Ritchie

Blitz in London -- Auxiliary towing vehicle and trailer, WW2
An example of an Auxiliary towing vehicle and its trailer pump, used during the London Blitz. Such units would have been allocated to sub-stations (under the control of a regular fire station)

LCC-LFB Wandsworth Fire Station appliance room
The newly opened fire station at Wandsworth, West Hill, with the stations appliances plus an Auxiliary Fire Service pump lined up in the appliance room

Auxiliary Military Hospital, Keighley, West Yorkshire
The Keighley Union workhouse infirmary during its First World War role as an Auxiliary Military Hospital. The building was erected in 1871 on Fell Lane, Keighley, West Yorkshire

NFS - Home Office hose tests at Wimbledon, WW2
London Region NFS/AFS firefighters assisting in Home Office trials to improve water delivery systems to emergency dams and onto fires after the fire service was nationalised in August 1941

The auxiliary sailing ship Sunbeam, 1911. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The auxiliary sailing ship Sunbeam, 1911. The 565-ton three-masted schooner was owned by Lord Brassey who had her built in 1874

WW2 - With the W. A. A. F. - Armourers
WW2 - With the W.A.A.F. - Armourers Date: circa 1942

Firefighters in action, Rosebery Avenue, WW2
Firefighters in action in burning debris in Rosebery Avenue, Clerkenwell, London, following a flying bomb attack. Date: 1944

Blitz in the City of London - AFS firefighters, WW2
Blitz in the City of London - AFS firefighters at work with hoses following a bombing raid. Date: 1940s

Heroic deeds of the War - Corporal Josephine M C Robins
Heroic deeds of WW2 - Corporal Josephine M C Robins, a member of the Womens Auxiliary Air Force (WaF). Awarded the Military Medal (MM)

Fire alam post, Cooks Road, Vauxhall, WW2
Fire alarm post (FA41) protected by sandbags outside the AFS station in Cooks Road, Vauxhall, with an LFB fire engine on the left, around the start of the Second World War

AFS recruitment parade, London, WW2
Recruitment parade for the AFS (Auxiliary Fire Service) in a London street during the Second World War

AFS regional training exercise, journey through London
AFS regional training exercise in Norfolk, 10-11 September 1955. Showing vehicles in London, passing Marble Arch en route for their destination

Firefighters in action, Mitcham, Surrey, WW2
Firefighters in action following a flying bomb incident in Western Road, Mitcham, Surrey, where drums of amyl acetate were involved

LFB-AFS convoy and fire exercise
Part of the Civil Defence Corps until it was disbanded in the late 1960s, the Auxiliary Fire Service consisted of volunteer firefighters who would attend a fire station for drill and training

Blitz in London -- AFS firefighters, WW2
Blitz in London -- a personal photograph, taken by a colleague, of life in the AFS at a sub-station, showing firewomen on the Heavy Unit of Sub-station 67Z

Advert for recruiting women for the WaF 1941
You ought to be driving in the WaF. Recruitment of women for The Womens Auxiliary Air Force. Conscription of women did not begin until 1941

Dame Florence Simpson
Dame Florence Edith Victoria Simpson, nee Way, other married name Burleigh Leach, controller of Queen Marys Womens Army Auxiliary Corps during World War One & beyond

WW2 Christmas card, A False Alarm -- a dog in AFS (Auxiliary Fire Service) uniform. Date: 1941

William Coutts Keppel, Vanity Fair, Ape
WILLIAM COUTTS KEPPEL (1832-1894) British soldier and politician. Styled Viscount Bury between 1851 and 1891 before succeeding his father to become the 7th Earl of Albemarle

Chief Medical Officer of the Air Transport Auxiliary, Commander A. Buchanan Barbour, and Sister-in-Charge, Miss C.R. Willis

LCC-LFB in Lord Mayors Show, City of London
London firefighters and Auxiliary firefighters with appliances taking part in the annual Lord Mayors Show through the City of London. A Bedford heavy pump unit with crew leads the LFB contingent

Home safety is home defense Men: to learn proper fire control join the fire department auxiliary corps at the nearest fire house

LFB-AFS parade for an exercise
Part of the Civil Defence Corps, until it was disbanded in the late 1960s, the Auxiliary Fire Service consisted of volunteer firefighters who would attend a fire station for drill and training

Javanese auxiliary troops of the Company, 1779-1785. Creator: Jan Brandes
Javanese auxiliary troops of the Company, 1779-1785. General and the officers in the foreground and in the background the soldiers of the VOC in Batavia. With inscription

Royal Air Force Avro Shackleton MR. 3 Phase 3 XF701
Royal Air Force Avro Shackleton MR.3 Phase 3 XF701. The MR.3 Phase 3 had Armstrong Siddeley Viper auxiliary turbojet engines under the outboard engine nacelles

WW1 - Women of the Womens Army Auxiliary Corps (WaC) - founded in 1917 - re-formed as the Queen Mary Army Auxiliary Corps (QMaC) (see armband of woman front right) in April 1918

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping

"Unsung Heroes: The Auxiliary Forces in Action" Firefighters on a tea break after battling the flames at St Katherines Dock - even heroes need a moment of respite. "Join the Fight. Recruitment poster for the Women's Army Corps (WaC) and Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS) - empowering women to serve their country during wartime. " AFS women training in Highgate, London during World War II - breaking barriers and proving that bravery knows no gender. Holding up the R101 airship with unwavering strength and determination - auxiliary forces lending a helping hand in times of crisis. Building resilience from scratch: WW2 Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps erecting Nissen Huts, providing shelter amidst chaos. United against adversity: Regulars and Auxiliaries standing side by side during the Blitz in London, demonstrating unwavering camaraderie. LCC-LFB Woolwich fire station serving as a beacon of hope amidst destruction in SE London - where courage meets compassion. AFS despatch rider and messenger navigating through war-torn streets during WW2, delivering crucial messages with speed and precision. Fearless firefighters from AFS combating fires during the Blitz in London, risking their lives to protect others' homes and livelihoods. Sub-station bustling with activity as taxis transport dedicated crews ready to face any emergency head-on during WW2. Wartime emergency appliance accompanied by a trailer pump from LFB, ensuring swift response even under challenging circumstances of WW2. The Westland Wapiti 1 aeroplane soaring through the skies as part aviation efforts – taking flight towards victory.