Bristol Fire Brigade post ww2 was formed in 1948 after the N.F.S ( National Fire Service ) handed back fire control to regional county & county borough fire brigades. Bristol Fire Brigade had 6 fire stations covering 41 square miles of area. There are 3 different cap badges used in its lifespan, the 1st 2 are very rare indeed & are basically the Bristol coat of arms with the red enamel scroll underneath. One being chrome & the other having an enamel centre to the coat of arms. Used only for 4 years until 1952, neither cap badge is easy to come by. The 3rd issue is the shield & scroll variation which is easier to obtain. That lasted from 1952 until 1974.
This is the 3rd issue cap badge & does have a small chip on the enamel. The enamel centre is fixed to the standard economy issue lined Home Office star by a thin brass thin, both cap fixing lugs are intact to the rear of the cap badge & are showing brass through, an indication of an early issued cap badge.