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Stirrup Pump. (139.1989/1)
Incendiary bombs posed a major threat to the nation during the Second World War. To assist with these, the Fire Guard was formed in August 1941 as part of the Civil Defence Service.
Fire Guards did not receive any official uniform but generally wore civilian clothes or a boiler suit. They were issued with a helmet, armband, torch, a scoop for picking up incendiaries, a bucket of sand to put them out, and a stirrup pump.
A stirrup pump was a portable, hand-operated water pump essential for civilian defence. They were typically constructed from brass and iron with a rubber hose and a wooden or metal handle.
These pumps were used to extinguish burning incendiary bombs and deal with small scale fires. They were extremely common items of equipment with one pump found every 30 houses.
To operate the pump, a team of two or three was required. One person stood on the ‘stirrup’ (a foot plate) to stabilise the pump while pushing and pulling the handle up and down. A second person directed the nozzle. If available, a third person would replenish the water bucket and relieve others.
Wardens’ posts always had a stirrup pump available. A team could pump 1.5 gallons (5 litres) of water a minute. It took up to six gallons (22 litres) of water to extinguish a single 1kg incendiary bomb.
Each pump had a quick-release pull tab on the coiled 30-foot runner hose. The end of the hose had a brass nozzle with two settings – JET or SPRAY.
Watch this video to find out more.
