This Sunderland Fire Brigade cap badge from the 1948 to 1974 era is the much rarer of the 2 Sunderland badges of the period, this badge being the first batch of issued badges that were replaced by the much more common but still desirable red ring variety. There are variations of this cap badge, this is the chrome variation & the 2 lions either side have "hollow" tails meaning that there is a gap between the tip of the tail & the lions body. There is another variation where the there is no gap & the tips touch the body. I have both in my collection to compare, there is also a gilt coat of arms variety !
The post war Sunderland Fire Brigade had just 2 stations covering 13 square miles & therefore each variety of cap badge is particularly hard to come by, these coat of arms badges moreso. This cap badge manufactured by Mike Trueman Badges of Birmingham is in great condition, the chrome enamel centre fixed to the standard lined economy issue Home Office star. Both cap fixing lugs intact to the rear.