Fire Officers

This is a brief guide to the records of fire officers in Glasgow and Strathclyde.

What do I need to know before I start?

Try to find out:

  • name of the fire officer

  • when they served

What records can I find in The Mitchell: Glasgow City Archives?

From the late 19th century until World War 2, fire brigades were the responsibility of local government authorities.  Central government assumed responsibility for the function during the war, forming the National Fire Service which lasted from 1941 to 1948.  Under the Fire Services Act of 1947, responsibility was returned to local government.  Through this piece of legislation, five brigades were formed covering the west of Scotland.  These were amalgamated to become Strathclyde Fire Brigade as a result of local government reorganisation in 1975.  The archives hold the historical records of Glasgow and Strathclyde Fire Brigades and the National Fire Service.

 

As well as administrative records, the collection includes an incomplete series of personnel records:

  • Glasgow Fire Brigade registers of firemen, 1877 – 1941

  • National Fire Service personnel files, 1942 – 1975

 

The records vary in the amount of biographical detail but may include:

  • name of officer

  • age, sometimes including actual date of birth

  • birthplace

  • former occupation

  • marital status

  • career progression and/or disciplinary action

 

The records are closed for 75 years under the Data Protection Act (1998).

​What records can I see online?

There are no records online.

​What records can I see elsewhere?

There are no records available elsewhere.

​What other resources will help me find information?

Bell and Paton, Glasgow: It’s Municipal Organisation and Administration pp146-156 (1896)

Alan Forbes, Everyday Heroes: The 30-year story of the Strathclyde Fire Brigade, (2005)

Alan Forbes and James Smith, Tinderbox Heroes: Commemorating the Cheapside Street Disaster and the Extreme Challenges Faced by Glasgow's Post-war Fire Service, (2010)