The post war Manchester City Fire Brigade from 1948 until 1974 boasted 2 cap badges, one gilt & one chrome & with variations too i.e the rigging on the ship in the Manchester coat of arms had variations & also there are variations set upon a small home office star !

Manchester City was a county borough fire brigade & had 9 stations covering the 43 square miles of the Manchester Area. This gilt variation cap badge with a fully rigged ship in the emblem is set on a fully pressed home office star with the small gilt lugs of the enamelled centre secured by a brass pin. The 2 cap fixing lugs are secure to the rear of the star & the badge is a userd but good condition badge showing age. in 1974 the brigade became the Greater Manchester County Fire Brigade after the Fire Services Act of the same year & took in many other county boroughs extending its area to 496 square miles & taking on many other fire stations to a total of 41!