Hero of Blitz comes out of storage for rally

Betsy, a 1941 fire appliance, was based in Middlesbrough during the Germans’ Second World War bombing campaign.

After its wartime service, the Austin K2 was used at Smith’s Dock shipyard, in South Bank, until 1981.

Since then it has been in storage at Preston Hall Museum, in Stockton, where it has gathered dust and has never been put on display.

But Betsy will be a star attraction when she is one of 16 appliances taking part in a fire engine rally on Monday.

The engine has been donated to the Vintage Vehicles Museum, in Shildon, County Durham, where it has been restored to its original condition in time for the rally.

Event organisers hope to trace fire crew members who worked on Betsy to reunite them with their 68 year-old former engine, or their relatives, who can help piece together its history.

Stuart Bird, one of the organisers, said: “We found a photograph in a pile of papers that came with the fire engine of Betsy with her old crew, in National Fire Service uniforms from 1941.

“This fire engine would have been a hero of the Blitz, taking crews to fight fires in Middlesbrough and around the dock area when they were bombed.

“It would be wonderful if some of her former pump crew are still around and can come to see her at Monday’s rally, or later at the Vintage Vehicle Museum.”

Mr Bird said Monday’s event will be the first time Betsy has been seen by the public in nearly 30 years.

“Amazingly, it just needed an inch of dust blown off it, a polish and the tyres pumped up and was back to its original condition for the rally,” he said.

Monday’s free rally will be held at Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon, from 10am to 4pm.

A similar event last year attracted more than 5,000 visitors.

This year’s rally, which is backed by Shildon Town Council and both museums, will include modern appliances and a crew from County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, who will offer safety advice to visitors.