A MAJOR public appeal has been launched to restore one of Barnsley’s most historic fire engines - an ultra-rare survivor of the Sheffield Blitz - in time for the 85th anniversary of the bombing raids this December.
The 1932 Leyland engine once served the people of Barnsley before being called into Sheffield on the nights of December 12 and December 15 in 1940, when the city was devastated by Luftwaffe bombing that killed and wounded more than 2,000 people, left almost a tenth of the population homeless and flattened much of the city centre.
Eighty-five years later, the fire engine is in urgent need of costly restoration to return it to its wartime colours and livery before it takes pride of place in a new, permanent Sheffield Blitz exhibition opening at the National Emergency Services Museum (NESM) in December.
The Sheffield Blitz Memorial Trust and NESM are appealing to the public to raise £18,000 through a new Go Fund Me campaign.
Neil Anderson, author and founder of the Sheffield Blitz Memorial Trust, said: “This is not just any fire engine - it is a Barnsley machine that went into the heart of the inferno to help Sheffield when it needed it most.
“It is an ultra-rare survivor of those terrible nights, but after decades of hard use it now needs saving itself.
“We only have a few weeks to raise the funds if it is to be ready for the anniversary exhibition.
“This is a unique chance for the people of Barnsley and South Yorkshire to rally round and preserve a vital part of our shared history.
“Please join us in this race against time - e must hit our target by October 17 to allow time for the essential conservation work to be done and have everything ready for the public unveiling of the brand new Sheffield Blitz permanent exhibition in December.”
The restoration would ensure that the fire engine can once again be seen as it appeared during the Blitz, creating a striking centrepiece that will help bring the story of those nights vividly to life for future generations.
Matt Wakefield, chief executive of the National Emergency Services Museum, added: “This fire engine has a proud Barnsley story and a Sheffield story.
“It symbolises how local communities pulled together during the Blitz and it deserves to be saved.
“The exhibition has already proved hugely popular, doubling footfall when it was first unveiled.
‘With National Lottery support we are now doubling its size, but this kind of specialist restoration falls outside the scope of our grant.
‘That’s why we’re asking the public to get behind this appeal - with their help, we can save not just an engine, but a story of courage, sacrifice and resilience that deserves to be remembered for generations to come.”
