Fireboats

Fireboat tackling fire at Colonial Wharf, East London

A fireboat tackles a fire at Colonial Wharf, Wapping High Street, East London, 27 September 1935. This was a typical big Thamesside fire of the sort which the London Fire Brigade has tackled for over 100 years. The nine-storey warehouse was full of crude rubber and burned for four days, during which time a number of explosions took place. Sixty pumps, 20 special appliances and three fireboats, manned in all by 600 firefighters, fought the huge blaze: they successfully prevented the fire from spreading to the surrounding warehouses.

© London Fire Brigade / Mary Evans Picture Library

LCC-LFB Massey Shaw fireboat, Greenwich, SE London

The Massey Shaw fireboat was built in 1935 on the Isle of Wight, and fitted out with powerful Merryweather pumps in Greenwich, SE London. The fireboat was built to a special design that would allow her to navigate all of the bridges along the River Thames at any state of the tide. She was named after the first Chief Fire Officer of London's Metropolitan Fire Brigade; Captain Sir Eyre Massey Shaw. Seen here after her fitting out at Merryweather's and relaunched in the Greenwich peninsular.

© London Fire Brigade / Mary Evans Picture Library

LCC-LFB fireboat Massey Shaw in action

The Massey Shaw fireboat at its first major riverside warehouse fire on the River Thames. The Colonial Wharf fire in Wapping High Street E1 occurred on 27 September 1935. It was the largest blaze that the London Fire Brigade had fought for a number of years. The nine-storey warehouse was full of crude rubber and it burned for four days, during which time a number of explosions took place. Sixty pumps and twenty special appliances plus three fireboats, manned by some 600 firefighters fought the huge blaze: they successfully prevented fire from spreading to the surrounding warehouses.

© London Fire Brigade / Mary Evans Picture Library