Green Goddess

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Green Goddess Fire Engine with registration number PGW 265 in the dark at the Nottingham Transport Heritage Center

Green Goddess is the popular name for the Bedford RLHZ self-propelled pump , a fire engine that was originally used by the Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) and later by the British Army. These olive green vehicles were built by Bedford for the AFS from 1953 to 1956 . Their construction was based on the Bedford RL army truck .

Auxiliary Fire Service

The Auxiliary Fire Service was established as part of Britain's civil defense after World War II and was intended to act to rescue civilians during events such as a possible nuclear bomb attack by the Soviet Union . It was thought at the time that a nuclear attack on Britain would cause a large number of fires that would overwhelm local fire departments . A large number of normal fire engines were ordered for reserve units. The AFS used these vehicles regularly until its dissolution in 1968 by the government of Harold Wilson .

The Green Goddess cars weren't actually normal fire engines (the AFS called them “devices”), but “self-propelled pumps”, some with rear-wheel drive, others with all-wheel drive. Their main job was to pump large amounts of water from lakes, rivers, canals and other sources into cities that would have been hit by a nuclear strike. The vehicles could also be used as relay stations for pumping water over many kilometers, whereby they would have been used at regular intervals to increase the pressure. Fighting the fires would have been a possible supporting role.

commitment

Green Goddess (registration number PGW 248) exiting Wellington Barracks in London in November 2002 during the fire fighters' strike in 2002/2003

Until its dissolution, the AFS used the "Green Goddess" intensively to support local fire brigades throughout the country. They ensured the water supply and also served as fire engines when the fire brigades deployed were already busy during major fires. Their ability to bring large amounts of water over long distances was invaluable, especially in remote areas, or when local sources were insufficient to fight fires. In most cities in Great Britain, the AFS quarters were right next to the regular professional fire brigade .

In 1968 the vehicles were mothballed, but occasionally still used by the British armed forces to ensure fire protection during the firefighters' strikes (especially in 1977 and 2002/2003). They were also used to pump out water in the event of flooding. They were given regular maintenance and kept fit for traffic.

The Green Goddess vehicles are no longer needed. A law passed in 2004 enables the government to order the use of civil fire and rescue vehicles in national disasters. New civil protection units were formed after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, which u. a. have the ability to transport large amounts of water over long distances. . In March 2004, the government announced that it would conduct a test sale of 40 of its remaining 900 Green Goddess and would also sell the rest. The sale has now been completed. Most of the vehicles went to fire departments in developing countries, mostly in Africa.

Technical equipment

Unlike modern fire engines, the Green Goddess have no built-in radios, no cutting devices and only a single ladder. They were relatively slow with a top speed of 105 km / h and a cruising speed of 72 km / h and had no power steering. One advantage that many Green Goddess have over more modern vehicles is all-wheel drive. The fuel consumption is between 28 and 35 liters / 100 km, depending on driving style and load. They also have a lower loading capacity for water (1,400 l for all-wheel drive and 1,800 l for rear-wheel drive) and the road holding is poor due to the lack of slosh protection. The driver's cab is made of wood and offers little protection in the event of an accident.

Some vehicles were later equipped with blue warning lights and two-tone horns, as well as modified rear lights, in order to adapt them to the other fire fighting vehicles. The mechanics are robust and easy to maintain.

The Green Goddess had some standard equipment, such as hoses with manifolds in various sizes for different water throughputs to lightweight, portable pumps and ceiling mounts. All vehicles had a 10 m ladder and at least one extendable ladder. Some specimens were equipped with additional equipment such as hook ladders , radios , large bolt cutters, etc.

pump

The main pump had an output of 4,500 l / min. (4,100 l / min. For the all-wheel drive version). Normal fire hoses could either be connected to the main pump with four connections or to normal hydrants , for which a number of connection pieces were carried. In addition, the devices had a small Coventry Climax pump that produced 1,600 l / min. and had its own gasoline engine as a drive. This could also draw water from a river or another source and also feed it into normal fire hoses, so that this unit offered a separate fire-fighting option. A water tank with a volume of 1,800 l (1,250 l for the all-wheel drive version) was also installed, the contents of which were fed into small fire hoses on the right and left of the vehicle so that the fire could be fought immediately after the vehicle arrived while the large hoses were being installed. There was also a circulation pump and other useful tools and equipment on the car.

crew

The vehicles were typically manned by an officer on duty in the front passenger seat, a driver / pump operator and four firefighters in the rear seats.

Gallery images

  • Green Goddess

  • Front view

  • Side view

  • Rear view

Web links

Commons : Green Goddess  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Green Goddesses reach end of road BBC News, February 15, 2005
  2. ↑ All hands to the pump  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , BBC News@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / news.bbs.co.uk