The collection consists of photographs and documents relating to the East Sussex Fire Brigade, mostly to Hove Fire Station which was based at Hove Street, Hove at the time period covered by this collection, having moved from George Street in Hove in 1927 and remained there until 1976.
There is a letter from Winifred Flower regarding her father Albert Catten who served as a fireman from 1934 to 1946. There are also 9 photographs belonging to Albert Catten (with notes on the back) showing the buildings, vehicles and firemen of Hove Fire Station, these mostly date from the early years of the Second World War.
There are also 6 documents relating to George Horace Turvey who served as a fireman in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. There are two Programmes of Competion from 1935 and 1936 for the Borough of Hove Fire Brigade listing various fire drills in which the firemen competed for monetary prizes donated from local businesses and prominent local individuals such as the Mayor of Hove in which GHT took part.
There are 3 National Civil Defence safe driving awards from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents presented to GHT for bring 'engaged in driving a vehicle in civil defence service and was free from blameworthy accidents for the whole of the periods September 1941-August 1942, September 1942-August 1943, and September 1943-August 1944'.
There is also a certificate dating from 1956 awarded by the East Sussex Fire Brigade to GHT for Competence in using breathing appartus.
Albert Catten started at Hove Fire station, Hove Street as a part time fireman in 1934, serving full time from the outbeak of the Second World War in 1939 until being demobbed in 1946 when he set up his own building service. After the first year of the war when things were quiet fo rthe firefighters a party was formed from men with building experience to go to Tenterden in Kent to build a rest camp for London firefighters. AC spent much of the war on this project. AC died at the age of 95.
Flower, Winifred (nee Catten); Catten, Albert; Borough of Hove Fire Brigade; Royal Society for the prevention of Accidents; East Sussex Fire Brigade
9 photographs; 1 letter; 6 documents
Digital copies of extracts of the diary have been donated to the East Sussex Record Office and are listed here; the original documents remain with Darren Eaton.
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