A very good portrait of an ambulance driver standing next to her vehicle. She's wearing the drivers' coat and ski cap.
The London Auxiliary Ambulance Service (LAAS) was run by the London County Council. It was initially called the London Volunteer Ambulance Service (until renamed the LAAS on the outbreak of war) and had 5,000 volunteer drivers and attendants. Each ambulance station in London was 'manned' by a staff of approximately 80 people and was run 24 hours a day. Many of their vehicles had been donated and converted into ambulances. Early in the war the drivers were issued with the 'lancer' fronted blue coat but from 1941 they were issued with serge uniforms. CD issue badges replaced the previous LAAS issued hat, breast and shoulder badges.
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A nice group shot of warden's towards the end of the war (going by the number of war service chevrons on show). The group is from Post 2A in Fetcham, Surrey. This chap in the centre, bottom row appears to have some insignia at the top of each sleeve - possibly Home Guard shoulder titles and also three bars - which is normally for a District Warden. He also has a peculiar single chevron on each sleeve - the chevron appears to have a distinct outline in a different colour. This single chevron on a senior rank battledress is new to me.
The chap at the back, second from left, appears to be wearing a couple of British Red Cross First Aid Proficiency medals, worn oddly, on his right pocket for some reason. Also, a few berets don't have an ARP badge - not often seen. As the chap bottom right has no war service chevrons on his right sleeve he could have joined after '43 so didn't get issued one. The group also wear the leather anklets - not often seen worn. This portrait shows Jack Hambury in his bluette overalls. He was an air raid warden in London (possibly in the Brick Lane area in east London). Of note is the badge above his ARP badge. It looks like an area badge but is quite unique as it arches down at the corners rather than up. I attempted to magnify the badge but the resolution was not good enough to determine the area.
Miss Honorine Williamson from Dorking in her ARP overalls with ARP badge at the top middle. Miss Williamson was the niece of Vaughan Williams, the composer. She was killed when her home in London was bombed. (Image from Dorking Museum and Heritage Centre)
Workers seek shelter underneath their work bench at a factory during the second world war.
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