VINTAGE FDNY WAR YEAR LIDS

68jk09 · Feb 24, 2022

Lebby said:
It's legit, very rare

Lebby is correct it is legit & Very Rare....this was an FDNY SQ Front used from 1955 to 1960.... (SQs had Green back then & Marine Units had regular Black ENG Fronts.....after the Insert Fronts came in in 1960 SQs had Yellow & Marine Units then got & still use Green )...this particular Front posted here belonged to an FDNY Member named Artie Oconnor .....he was CPT of SQ*4 & then a BC in BN*44.....the 44*BN Front mack posted on here was not his but another 44 BC Front....I have a picture of Artie Oconnor's BC Front in my phone I will see if mack can put it up on here.

Kevmig17 · Feb 24, 2022

mack said:
View attachment 17082

Hey Mack do you know who this auxiliary helmet belonged to?

mack · Feb 24, 2022

68jk09 said:
Lebby is correct it is legit & Very Rare....this was an FDNY SQ Front used from 1955 to 1960.... (SQs had Green back then & Marine Units had regular Black ENG Fronts.....after the Insert Fronts came in in 1960 SQs had Yellow & Marine Units then got & still use Green )...this particular Front posted here belonged to an FDNY Member named Artie Oconnor .....he was CPT of SQ*4 & then a BC in BN*44.....the 44*BN Front mack posted on here was not his but another 44 BC Front....I have a picture of Artie Oconnor's BC Front in my phone I will see if mack can put it up on here.

Chief - was this custom-made? The style is unique for FDNY. Traditional FDNY fronts would have been a simple "4" with a unique color background, or same-size letters and a number "SQUAD 4".

mack · Feb 24, 2022

68jk09 said:
Lebby is correct it is legit & Very Rare....this was an FDNY SQ Front used from 1955 to 1960.... (SQs had Green back then & Marine Units had regular Black ENG Fronts.....after the Insert Fronts came in in 1960 SQs had Yellow & Marine Units then got & still use Green )...this particular Front posted here belonged to an FDNY Member named Artie Oconnor .....he was CPT of SQ*4 & then a BC in BN*44.....the 44*BN Front mack posted on here was not his but another 44 BC Front....I have a picture of Artie Oconnor's BC Front in my phone I will see if mack can put it up on here.

This is an old Squad 4 picture w/insert.

Lebby · Feb 24, 2022

mack said:
Chief - was this custom-made? The style is unique for FDNY. Traditional FDNY fronts would have been a simple "4" with a unique color background, or same-size letters and a number "SQUAD 4".

I believe that's how they were issued prior 1959, very unique. In the previous posts there are a few other examples.

68jk09 · Feb 24, 2022

mack that was not custom made....it was as Lebby said the standard issue between 1955 when they were organized & 1960 when the insert Fronts came in.....the WW2 Squads like 22..24 etc did not have an SQ Front....FFs who were in them had a piece of masking tape horizontally across their regular straight Front that was from their original Company.....some of those Fronts that have survived still have some residue of the tape visible ....I have one with residue that was given to me by a former LT of mine who as a FF in LAD*26 & had been lifted to a WW2 Squad....the SQ*4 photo above was taken in the interior of the old "Bread Van" that was one of the SQ Rigs used thru the years.....photo was probably taken between 1960 (as they have Insert Fronts ) & around 1966 as they got a Pumper as their regular Rig replacing the "Bread Van" around then.

mack · Feb 24, 2022

I have been trying to find 1955-1960 pictures of the squads to see their helmet fronts before the change to inserts in 1960. I found this 1956 picture of a Squad 4 member on a Brooklyn fire escape - FF Victor Sacchi. Too bad we can't see his helmet.

What should be noted in the WNYF description is that this was a "2 & 2" job. The box was not transmitted (current 10-75 signal). No all hands. No extra engine/extra truck. No rescue. No squad. No FAST truck. Looks like a pretty good top floor OMD job. Just a "2 & 2".

mack · Feb 24, 2022

Squad 1 going into service 1955

68jk09 · Feb 24, 2022

In reply # 576 above regarding the WNYF photo of 1753 Sterling Place the bldg still stands & is a half block away from R*2s current Home Box (the famous War Years) 1644 Howard Ave & Sterling Place.....the Fire bldg in that picture is one of the few originals that remain standing to this day around 1644 (although rehabbed / renovated).....as mack said back then there was no Signal for a "Working Fire".....usually nothing on the radio between the Box going out & an All Hands (if one was transmitted) .....It was at times common back then to listen to the radio & hear a Box go out & almost forget about it & awhile later a Second might get transmitted.....on the 1753 Sterling Place Fire in 1955 I would think SQ*4 was assigned on the original Box as they at that time were Quartered on Watkins St with Second Due to 1644 231 & 120.

68jk09 · Feb 24, 2022

MACK....I remember an old WNYF photo of SQ*1 when in Harlem arriving 1st & getting a trapped couple off a Fire escape.....I don't remember if Fronts were visible or not ?

mack · Feb 26, 2022

68jk09 said:
MACK....I remember an old WNYF photo of SQ*1 when in Harlem arriving 1st & getting a trapped couple off a Fire escape.....I don't remember if Fronts were visible or not ?

I could not make out the fronts, Chief.