1868-1934

In 1868 the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) adopted a new fire helmet, the Merryweather & Sons London Pattern Brass Helmet.

This helmet was designed, in collaboration with Massey Shaw the Superintendent of the MFB, by Merryweather for the London Fire Brigade but was soon adopted by many of the up and coming volunteer and Borough Fire Brigades.

The helmets design was heavily influenced by that worn by the French Sapeurs Pompier in Paris.

Merryweather London Pattern

This beautiful brass helmet lasted right up to 1934 with only minor changes to the front badge plate to reflect the changing name of the Brigade.

But in 1934 a new helmet was waiting in the wings, a safer, lighter helmet.  This new helmet was made of molded cork covered in red lacquered canvas and represented a major advance in fire helmet technology.  It was non-conductive, an important consideration with the rapid introduction of electricity into domestic properties, it was lighter than both brass and leather helmets and equally strong.

Merryweather London Pattern cork helmet

Known colloquially as "The Cherry Red" as the now London Fire Brigade chose this ox-blood red as the standard issue colour.