These British Industrial fire brigade cap badges were used throughout the British Isles by many industrial & private fire brigades that weren't as “wealthy” as the larger works fire brigades of the period & so used this universal pattern for economy along with other standard pattern insignia such as the crossed axes & helmet collar badges & standard crossed axes pattern buttons & uniforms!
Usually using 2nd hand equipment handed down or purchased from larger brigades but still operationally effective within these smaller works fire brigades until the main rural area fire brigades made attendance!
They offered a basic firefighting training as a 1st response & were usually recruited from able bodied volunteers within the immediate workplace to try to control a situation until help arrived! All of these such fire brigades operated basic machinery, light portable pumps & re vamped smaller fire fighting appliances with equipment to match, but still very effective to prevent a fire taking greater hold!
This cap badge is post war 1950’s on-wards & as described in the Capetown Fire Brigade cap badge write up on our site, is different than colonial style badges because it does not have the “bold” ball at the centre of the wreath under the fire helmet! It has a simple “crossover” of the 2 wreaths spreading outwards & upwards to form the badge! As with the South African badges of the period, there are 2 varieties both flat & bolder, the badge depicted is a flat standard pattern variety although I have seen many slightly different patterns of this British manufactured cap badge which again was used throughout the British Isles by many different small works or industrial brigades! Also note the smaller helmet in the centre of the badge as many have a larger helmet