Smoke screen from the streets of Britain?? What did they burn??

Hi all, a relative once told me that during the moonlit nights of the war they would set alight metre high chimneys on the streets which would fill the sky with a thick black smoke. Does anybody know what they burnt. Was it diesel or oil, or anything that would burn?? And who was responsible for lighting and extinguishing them. Was it the Fire Brigade?? Thanks for reading, Mark.

 

Smoke was an important part of the air defence of cities, ports and factories. The two main smoke generators were the MkII which simply burnt deisel oil and the Haslar which mixed water droplets with the smoke produced by burning oil. Usually both were used. The MkII could be ignited and be producing smoke almost immediately while the Haslar was more effective but took time to warm up. They were operated by the Pioneer Corps.

A somewhat neglected subject.

Mike

 

Many thanks for that Mike. Mark.

 

You surprise me.
No street lights, "There was a war on!"
( Edit: See link to Air Raid Precautions From 1 September 1939, ARP wardens enforced the "blackout").

Fire Brigades were part of the Civil Defence organisation on standby for bombing raids and rescue.
(Edit: Nothing to do with smoke screens).
See also link to Derby Telegraph re Smoke screens & truth about air raid on Rolls Royce.

Edit: Further research reveals:
Evil smelling wartime smoke screens were frightening addition to streets
Photographs of Smoke Screen Generators & operation by the Pioneer Corps

Where did your relative live?

Edit:
More importantly where are you from. I had a similar experience with a Canadian researcher regarding
the British Home Front a year or two ago. The thread must be online somewhere.
I had never met anyone (other than the Canadian) interested in WW2, who has never heard the phrase
"Don't you know there is a War on". It was a common response.
I have not come across anyone not realising that in the UK everywhere was subject to the Blackout ,
so there were no streetlights until VE Day.

I had not heard of smoke screens in the heavily industrialised West Midlands.
Derby (East Midlands) was mainly production assembly with relatively clean air with the exception of the smoke from railway locomotives, gas works etc..
West Midlands had many foundries and forges generating much smoke which possibly reduced the effect of smoke generators.
The Black Country was not subjected to the heavy Blitz experienced by Birmingham and Coventry.
Decoy Sites were used to attract enemy bombers away from the West Midlands area.
It was protected by a string of Heavy Anti Aircraft Batteries on its southern fringes.

decoy sites | WW2Talk

Birmingham Blitz - Wikipedia

Coventry Blitz - Wikipedia

Black Country - Wikipedia

Auxiliary Fire Service - Wikipedia

Air Raid Precautions - Wikipedia

Derby Litchurch Lane Works - Wikipedia

The truth about the deadliest air raid on Derby and Rolls Royce

 

Sorry Uncle Target, I don't understand your opening lines??

 

Afraid that I was distracted by a problem.
I then came across an article re Smoke Screens so re-jigged the response above.

The most common theme after dark in WW2 was "put that light out"
as Air Raid Wardens would ensure that all houses and buildings were blacked out and all streetlights extinguished.

See Edit and links in #4 above.

Have you never watched "Dads Army" featuring the Home Guard vs The Warden ?
All these phrases were in use during this long and highly popular BBC Series.
Unfortunately the only clips on YT are from the film not the TV series.

 

Thanks very much!

 

There is a Dad's Army episode "Put that Light Out!" (series 2 episode 24)


EDIT: although Wikipedia says its episode 7 series 4

Put That Light Out! - Wikipedia!

 

An update on the Rolls-Royce factory @ Derby being camouflaged: Ernest Townsend: Artist who disguised factory in WW2 set for honour With a good photo too.

 

Mark well done for raising it very interesting
Mike well done excellent information
Thank you both

 

For those interested, behind a paywall when I last looked, are summaries of Pioneer Corps companies War Diaries of the companies that operated these items of equipment. These summaries were made by Lt Col John Starling. Among them are records that show which/some of the cities were being protected. Royal Pioneer Corps & Royal Pioneer Association. Access rights may have changed since.