My mate asked me if there are any records of firewatchers & barrage ballon crews in London. His great-uncle was a firewatcher at St Paul's & Tower Bridge. My mate's wife's Grandfather was on barrage ballons at Tower Bridge . I've helped them out before with service records & war diaries of their rellies who were in the Army but I can't help with this new home front query except to ask for help from you lovely members. Cheers.
Not much found, records at Kew or London Metropolitan Archives. Basic search limited to "London" for firewatchers returned: Fire watchers record of payments and, at back of volume, record of claims for firewatchers allowances. This record is held by London Metropolitan Archives: City of London • See contact details Reference: B/WHF/213 Title: Fire watchers record of payments and, at back of volume, record of claims for firewatchers allowances. Date: 1941-1943; 1941-1945 Held by: London Metropolitan Archives: City of London, not available at The National Archives Language: English And for "London" and "barrage balloons " Not tried search without "London." LCC/CE/WAR/1/26 LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL.CHIEF ENGINEER'S DEPARTMENT: EMERGENCY WARTIME MEASURES.General air raid precautions and civil defence. | Barrage balloons | | Held by: London Metropolitan Archives: City of London 01/02/1939 31/07/1939 - LCC/CL/GP/1/183 LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL.GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE.COMMITTEE CLERK'S GENERAL PAPERS. | Parks - Location of A.A. Gunsites and Barrage Balloons in | | Held by: London Metropolitan Archives: City of London 01/01/1928 31/12/1939 - AIR 16/323 Air Ministry: Fighter Command: Registered Files. | Co-ordination of operational sites: Committee for barrage balloons London area | Co-ordination of operational sites: Committee for barrage balloons London area. | Held by: The National Archives, Kew 01/01/1939 31/05/1939 Former Reference Dep: AHB Reference and Fighter Command File Reference:FC/S16530 Part I AIR 16/324 Air Ministry: Fighter Command: Registered Files. | Co-ordination of operational sites: Committee for barrage balloons London area | Co-ordination of operational sites: Committee for barrage balloons London area. | All items bearing latest dates 1941-1945 will unless otherwise stated be open in 1972. Held by: The National Archives, Kew 01/06/1939 30/06/1939 Former Reference Dep: AHB Reference and Fighter Command File Reference:FC/S16530 Part II AIR 2/1826 Air Ministry and Ministry of Defence: Registered Files. Code B sequence (files registered 1936-1953). | BALLOONS (Code B, 14): London balloon barrage: Hydrogen | BALLOONS (Code B, 14): London balloon barrage: Hydrogen. | Held by: The National Archives, Kew 01/01/1936 31/12/1939 Former Reference Dep: S38531 AIR 2/3425 Air Ministry and Ministry of Defence: Registered Files. Code B sequence (files registered 1936-1953). | BALLOONS (Code B, 14): London balloon barrage: supply of tugs for river borne balloons | BALLOONS (Code B, 14): London balloon barrage: supply of tugs for river borne balloons. | Held by: The National Archives, Kew 01/01/1938 31/12/1942 Former Reference Dep: S46536 AIR 2/2012 Air Ministry and Ministry of Defence: Registered Files. Code B sequence (files registered 1936-1953). | BALLOONS (Code B, 14): London balloon barrage: war reserve of balloons | BALLOONS (Code B, 14): London balloon barrage: war reserve of balloons. | Held by: The National Archives, Kew 01/01/1937 31/12/1939 Former Reference Dep: S40647 AIR 2/1887 Air Ministry and Ministry of Defence: Registered Files. Code B sequence (files registered 1936-1953). | BALLOONS (Code B, 14): London balloon barrage: appointment of officers to carry out a survey... | BALLOONS (Code B, 14): London balloon barrage: appointment of officers to carry out a survey of sites. | Held by: The National Archives, Kew 01/01/1936 31/12/1940 Former Reference Dep: S39216 AIR 2/2764 Air Ministry and Ministry of Defence: Registered Files. Code B sequence (files registered 1936-1953). | BALLOONS (Code B, 14): London balloon barrage: formation of balloon depot at Kidbrooke | BALLOONS (Code B, 14): London balloon barrage: formation of balloon depot at Kidbrooke. | Held by: The National Archives, Kew 01/01/1937 31/12/1939 Former Reference Dep: 621855/37 AIR 2/4131 Air Ministry and Ministry of Defence: Registered Files. Code B sequence (files registered 1936-1953). | BALLOONS (Code B, 14): Balloon barrage: operation control in London area and provinces | BALLOONS (Code B, 14): Balloon barrage: operation control in London area and provinces. | Held by: The National Archives, Kew 01/01/1939 31/12/1940 Former Reference Dep: CS1396 ACC/1742/018/10a-c WHITEHOUSE FAMILY.Letters from Ambrose F. Flare (AFF) of Wandstead and Winifred Flere (WF) of Sevenoaks to... | Letter | (WF to Mrs Whitehouse): has seen several 'flying devils' brought down by barrage balloons; lack of sleep | Held by: London Metropolitan Archives: City of London 01/01/1944 31/12/1944 - INF 2/44/16 Ministry of Information and Central Office of Information: Guard Books and Related Unregistered Papers. General publicity photographs (captioned). 670 photographs produced by government departments and photograph agencies depicting allied... | Photograph referenced as INF 2/44/A32. "Training Girls of the WAAF as Balloon Operators in the... | Photograph referenced as INF 2/44/A32. "Training Girls of the WAAF as Balloon Operators in the RAF. A Visit to a RAF Balloon School." Photograph shows:"Barrage balloons in use at the school all under the control of the girls of the WAAF." Photograph produced by Sport & General Press Agency, Limited, London, whose handstamp appears on the reverse of the photograph. | Held by: The National Archives, Kew 01/01/1944 31/12/1945 Former Reference Pro: A32 S&G
IWM has a few documents for "fire watchers" : the most useful document as an example of a formal record book , but in Dunstable, is this: Content description Fire Watcher's log book (130pp, February 1941 - March 1942) for Chalk Hill in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, providing daily entries recording both air raids and aircraft sightings in the area, but also listing items knitted and monies paid for first aid outfits. History note Catalogue date 2006-12-18 History note Cataloguer EP Show more OBJECT DETAILS Category Private papers Related period Second World War (content) Dimensions whole: 1 file Catalogue number Documents.15417 Two photographs and a jolly film about East Barnet, but more relevant film at IWM. BRITISH BOY: EVERYDAY LIFE FOR GEORGE METCALFE IN UPPER NORWOOD, LONDON, ENGLAND, UK, 1944 ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC: THE WORK OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY IN WARTIME, LONDON, ENGLAND, UK, 1944 AN A.R.P. FILM. WARDEN'S POST 9 [Main Title] Will send a pm with more.
