From: Ron Henderson Sent: 10 November 2008 Subject: Mine Rescue Vehicles

Hi Fionn
Attached are some photographs that may be of interest to the site and if I can be of any further help I will be happy to oblige.

Being a retired fireman and paramedic I think the Mines Rescue organisation was little appreciated to those outside of the organisation and the web site is certainly a great asset in publicising this and of course in trying to remember all those miners who lost their lives over the years.

The original Headquarters station of the Durham and Northumberland Collieries Fire and Rescue Brigade. It was situated in the Elswick District of Newcastle upon Tyne on Scotswood Road. The appliances are a Merryweather Hatfield motor pump and Armstrong Whitworth Rescue Car.

There were four stations in the region and all were equipped as the photograph with a Merryweather Hatfield motor pump and a locally built Armstrong Whitworth Rescue Car. Many north eastern county councils contracted to the collieries brigades to provide fire fighting to save setting up their own brigades.

 

The four North East of England post war mines rescue stations each had one of these Leyland Comet rescue vehicles, bodied by Wilson and Stockhall of Rochdale and delivered between 1952 and 1955. They replaced the pre war Mills Tank Leyland fire engines. By this time the Coal Board declined to fight fires in parts of Durham and Northumberland Fire Brigades districts.

 

The first of Durham and Northumberland Collieries Fire and Rescue Brigades Leyland Terrier  "Mills Tank" fire engines. Designed by Chief Fire Officer F.P.Mills, OBE it was one of a pair delivered in 1931. They were replaced  by the Leyland Comets.They were coloured cream with red mudguards.

In Answer to Brian Smith's question about a large six wheeled Mines Rescue tender, cream in colour, he saw racing through Newcastle City Centre in the 60's with a siren sounding, Sent: 18 December 2006. I tried emailing you Brian but you have changed your email address.

 

This Napier vehicle operated in the Rhonda area of South Wales

Vehicles Page 4

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