Harpenden Fire Brigade and Auxillary Fire Service in WWII

Can you add any more names?

Group photograph. Credit: LHS 12380

See below for group photo enlarged and with participants numbered

Scroll across and up and down to view all the photo.

Names and information supplied by Colin Gaskin are listed below.

If you can name any others and/or add information please send to

enquiries@harpenden-history.org.uk and we will add it to this page

Group photo; participants numbered

 Colin’s information (numbers in bold):

Other information added as received

1 – Charles William BATCHELOR – lived at 5 Glemsford Drive – a bricklayer by trade and a despatch rider in the Fire Service. Sometime worked for Jarvis and Claridges, also played for Harpenden Rovers pre-war. (Information from his son Bill Batchelor 5.9.15)

6 – H BONFIELD – Deputy Captain of the brigade.

7 – very uncertain about this individual but it might have been a ? SEARS who lived in Amenbury Lane.

9 –  Stanley Charles Bentley

11 – Kenneth Frank Bentley

9 & 11 were the BENTLEY  brothers – sons of Frank Bentley painter and decorator High Street next to Chambers HairdressersConfirmed and named by Martin Bentley, their nephew.

13 – might have been Peter WAINWRIGHT leader of Section 3 – manager of National Provincial bank at the corner of Station Road and Lower High Street. Lived in Park Mount area and post WWII moved to Dunstable – became mayor of Dunstable.

16 – Ernest FELLS – driver of main fire engine – member of Fells  the greengrocer family of Station Road.

19 – Frank BENTLEY – painter and decorator of High Street.

20 – ? PEARCE worked at Reads garage and lived in southernmost of the Bowers Cottages before they  were demolished to make way for the new car showrooms.

21 – Len Dellar – lived in Topstreet Way.

41 – might have been Mabel READ attached to Section 3 – one of the daughters of Read the garage proprietor.

44 – Kathleen TAYLOR – lived in Southdown Road, daughter of R G Taylor, solicitor.

52 – Archie SMITH – Deputy Leader of Section £ – owner of grain merchants next to the Cock public house – lived in Townsend Lane.

55 – “Bill” GASKIN lived in Luton Road – owned gentleman’s hairdressers saloon in Leyton Road.

57 – Stan Clark

59 – Albert ASHURST – lived in Westfield Road area – may have become a paid regular fireman during WWII.

61 – Trevor LEWIS – leader of Section 4 – lived in Duglas Road/Moreton Avenue area.

64 – Henry APPLEBY – proprietor of Whitehouses Newsagents.

67 John or Jack WEST- son of West, baker, High Street.  John later served in the RASC and died as a Japanese POW in 1945.

72 George HYSOM – publican of the Rose and Crown public house.

73 Christopher Grove (Kip) GRENSIDE – Secretary of Harpenden Lawn Tennis Club for 30 years.  Lived in Grange Court Road.

75 Reg SHERRAT -owned ladies hairdressers in High Street just north of Read’s garage.

76might have been Gordon BAINES – Lived in Park Mount area and worked at Westminster Bank – later served in Royal Navy.

77 – George HERRING – lived in Milton Road and was Captain of the brigade.

91 – William ‘Bill’ Clark.

George Herring inspecting the AFS

Names: front row from the right

Sixth – John or Jack WEST

Ninth – Henry Appleby

Tenth – Len Dellar

Twelfth  “Bill” Gaskin

Comments about this page

  • My father, Christopher Grove (KIP) Grenside is no 73 on the photograph.  He was also in the Home Guard and was Secretary of Harpenden Lawn Tennis Club for over thirty years. We lived on Grange Court Road.

    Ed Christopher Grenside’s name has been added to the list.

    By Robert Grenside (12/10/2020)
  • My Grandfather Albert (Bert – no.59) lived at 62 Westfield Road for many years along with my Nan Emily, my dad Peter and Aunty Rita. He was very proud of his service with the brigade and also his work as a Stone Mason. Grandad was originally a Pit boy working with the Pit Ponies.

    ed.Where and when was he a Pit boy?

    By Lisa Ashurst (09/07/2019)
  • Albert Ashurst (no. 59) did indeed become a paid fireman. I worked with him in W.Alderton & Son, Stonemasons, Westfield.

    By Bernard Leddy (23/08/2017)
  • No. 91 My grandad William “Bill” Clark fondly known by us all as  “The Old Gent”

    No.57 My Dad Stan Clark.

    By Roger Clark (19/05/2015)

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