230 Pages

ISBN 978-1-917120-79-6

B&W Images

Peter Quilter’s lifelong interest in the London Fire Brigade during the Second World War began with a simple family fact: his grandfather had served as Station Officer at Bow Fire Station in East London during the Blitz. Though little was ever said at home, that silence inspired years of research and discovery.

In Bow Fire Station and the Blitz, Peter pieces together a vivid portrait of wartime London through the eyes of its firefighters. The first part charts the bombing of 1940–41, focusing on Bow – its streets, factories, and homes – under relentless attack. The second explores the ordinary people behind the uniform, their experiences, and the stories carried forward by their families.

Drawing from unpublished incident reports in the London Archives and two rare Occurrence Books from Bow Fire Station, this richly illustrated volume reveals a detailed record of daily life in one of the city’s darkest times. With a remarkable collection of previously unseen photographs, it offers an absorbing insight into the men and women who kept London’s fires from consuming it entirely.

One fire station, one community, one city under fire – rediscovered through its own surviving records.