ABSTRACT
When John became known in the London Fire Brigade as a ‘bolshie’, senior management decided he was unsuitable for promotion and transferred him away from headquarters. In 1939 he stood for election against the incumbent FBU general secretary who had failed to respond to the Union’s existential crisis as thousands of badly paid, non-unionized auxiliary firefighters entered the fire service. John’s unexpected electoral success later led to rumours of a communist coup, but the evidence points to contingency rather than conspiracy. It was six weeks before the start of the Second World War: Pat was gravely ill following the birth of their daughter, and Britain’s firefighters were soon to face their greatest challenge.
