Family group:

Four: Station Officer A. E. Edmonds, London Fire Brigade

Jubilee 1897, L.C.C.M.F.B. (Albert E Edmonds); Coronation 1902, L.C.C.M.F.B. (Albert E. Edmonds); Coronation 1911, London Fire Brigade (Stn. Off. A. E. Edmonds); L.C.C. Fire Brigade Good Service Medal, 3rd type (Albert Edward Edmonds)

Eight: Station Officer A. E. Edmonds, London Fire Brigade

L.C.C. Fire Brigade Good Service Medal, 4th type (Sub Officer A. E. Edmonds); together with six School Attendance Medals, E.VII.R., London, 1902-1907, base metals; Sports Medal, silver, inscribed, ‘W.C.B.C., Gymnastic Competition, 1906-7, 2nd Prize, won by A. Edmonds’, good very fine (12) £300-350

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Fire Brigade Medals.

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Albert Edward Edmonds (father) was born in Littlehampton, Sussex on 1 February 1866. He served for several years in the Merchant Navy before entering the London Fire Brigade as a Fireman Fourth Class in May 1891. He was appointed Fireman First Class in May 1906 and was awarded the Long Service Medal in July of that year and attained the rank of Station Officer in May 1908. In January 1911 he was caught up in the 'Siege of Sidney Street' and was for a time, the most senior fire brigade official there. The Siege of Sidney Street in London’s East End came about after a robbery of a jewellery shop in Houndsditch by a gang of Russian anarchists went wrong. Some of the gang were trapped in a house at 100 Sidney Street. Two members died in the house after it burned down after a much publicised shoot-out with the police and military, with the Home Secretary, Winston Churchill, in attendance. In a copy of a speech he later gave, he records the events of the day,

'.... I thought perhaps the Mile End Firemen were carrying out some good rescue work, & thus causing the excitement. We got a little way into Sidney Street when I was met by the Assistant Station Officer of the Mile End Station. He said, “its only an alarm sir, caused by the police smoking out the burglars of the Houndsditch diamond robbery”. ...”Why man says I, that house is well alight, there is more than smoke there”.... I got as far as the line of police, when an Inspector stopped me. “You can't go any further Officer” says he. Now by act of Parliament, the chief officer ... takes precedence of all other officials, and I knew what I was about, when I demurred and said that house is on fire, its my job to put it out. The Inspector also new what he was about, when he said, there is the Home Secretary, Mr Winston Churchill there, perhaps you would like to talk to him. “Thats my man” says I. So up I steps, touches Mr Churchill on the shoulder, “I represent the Fire Brigade Sir, just arrived, that house is on fire its my business to put it out”. “I am afraid if you go to that house at present, you will be shot”, says he. “Those men will stick at nothing, but stand by with your engines and men and we will advance as soon as possible”.... I had to attend the inquest on the bodies & explain why the Brigade did not do its duty on arrival at the fire, .... Mr Churchill attended on the third day, and admitted, that he practically ordered me not to attempt to put the fire out, as he was afraid we would be shot. It was never explained how the house came to be on fire. ....’

In January 1917 he attended the Silvertown Explosion site. The blast from a munitions and chemicals factory at Silvertown, started fires for miles around and caused 73 deaths. Initially it was thought to be the result of an air raid or even the work of a German spy, but the real cause probably lay in the unstable nature of the chemicals being produced. In a copy of a speech he later gave, Edmonds wrote,

‘We soon were ordered off by telephone. “Take your motor pump to Silvertown”. When we got there, what a sight, quite a square mile of property that had been factories, warehouses and houses was laid in ruins, bodies lying in all directions and one of the first I saw was a fireman of the West Ham Brigade, with his head blown off, lying near his wrecked engine.... I found I that was the senior officer, and consequently had to take charge of operations. .... During my life at sea and in the Brigade I had seen things. But never before had I so realised the littleness of man. However, Firemen are men of action, something had to be done ....’

Father's medals sold with a coloured certificate of appreciation, reading, 'Presented to Mr A. E. Edmonds, Station Officer L.C.C. Fire Brigade, Green Street, Bethnal Green, on his retirement after 28 years service, by the Tradesmen and friends as a token of their regard and esteem of his valuable services rendered during Air Raids.' Bearing the names of 47 people and dated 24 April 1919. Also with copied service records and copies of two speeches he made, one of which makes reference to the Sidney Street Siege and the Silvertown Explosion; three original and two copy photographs and one post card.

Albert Edward Edmonds (son), like his father, served in the Merchant Navy prior to joining the London Fire Brigade in May 1913. He left the National Fire Brigade in London in August 1941 and was later Fire Officer (Temporary Fire Inspector) in Cardiff. Son’s medals sold with some copied service details.