The first thing was to see what I'd let myself in for. I met my Sergeant (oh,
what was his name ? In '41 I remember Cpl Shepherd, in '43 F/Sgt Darling, in '45 Sgt Williams and in '51 Sgt Watt). From all of these I received much invaluable advice and the benefit of their long RAF experiences, for which I (as a junior officer) would be for ever grateful. So what has happened
now to my memories of names (between '51 and '62 and onwards) that I cannot recall them ? (I know, of course:
"Anno Domini" !)
No matter, my good Sergeant showed me around. First, we had a look at the hardware. The rescue vehicle was the standard LWB Landrover. Its task (with a crew of three [?]) is to reach the accident scene as fast as possible and get people out. It has powered metal-cutting saws, ladders and a huge searchlight to illuminate the scene, but only enough fire-fighting power (fire-retardent dry powder propelled through tubes by nitrogen and also CO² - "dry ice") to protect the rescuers in action. It is not a water-carrier (this would be too heavy, as it weighs two tons already). For foam production, it was dependent on the pride of the fleet.
This was our Alvis Mk.6 "Salamander" - the firefighting version of the "Saracen" armoured car. 6x6, all independently sprung and equally spaced with the front 4 steering, it was surprisingly agile on rough and uneven ground, and good for 60 mph on the road, for all its 13 tons. Powered by Rolls-Royce and with a crew of a Cpl plus five, it was a truly impressive piece of machinery. Curiously, our crews always referred to it as the "Mk.6", or "The Saracen", and it was quite some time before I learned the proper name.
It was a foam-maker
par excellence. The huge foam monitor over the cab could put out 7,500 gallons of foam per minute from the 700 gallons of water and about 100 gallons of the foaming agent on board. IIRC, it could throw foam about 100 ft or more. Of course, it doesn't
need a gallon of water to make 10 gallons of foam. The wily publican sees to it that his bar staff put out the ale with a nice "head" on it - thereby selling air at beer price. And the effect can best be seen in a flūte of champagne - the fizz vanishes in a moment or two, but the liquid level hardly rises.
There was a little-known use to which the foaming agent could be put. Although we called it "Saphonine", that was only a part (so it was said) of an unsavoury mixture with the effluents (blood and guts) draining from the runnels of abattoirs. Normally the agent is injected with the air into the water in the monitor only at the point of use, but it seems that a "pre-mix" can be prepared which only needs the compressed air.
This has a secondary purpose. If sprayed as it is (not foamed) over a recalcitrant mob, it has been found very effective in dispersing them, for anyone soaked in the stuff can give up social life for at least a week, as the stink will last that time (even after repeated baths) before dispersing.
(All this, you must understand, is as told to me by Old Fire Hands, and I cannot vouch for any of it). The effect is not detectable in foam, perhaps because the agent content is insignificant. In any event, I suppose it would not be allowed today, as there is probably a Human Right to Smell Nice which cannot be curtailed.
Supporting the "First Team" were the Standby vehicles. We had a Thornycroft foam-maker (but I'm not sure it had a monitor - I
think the foam was pumped through hoses - and it had narrow bore rubber hose for smaller domestic fires. Finally, we had a "Fire Tender", which IIRC was primarily a water-carrier.
All the time the airfield was open for flying, the Landrover (Crash 1), Mark 6 (Crash 2) and Crash 3 (the ambulance) would be in position in the Fire Bay alongside or behind the ATC Tower. All Crash Vehicles are in R/T contact with each other and with Local Control in the Tower.
There is a great deal more to be said about this vital service, but I must leave that for another day; next time we'll give some thought to the problems of living "out in the sticks".
Goodnight, chaps.
Danny42C.
Frequently seen manuscript addition to "Action in the Event of Fire" Notices. After "If the Fire is too big for you to put out" -
"find a smaller one !".