The family of a hero World War Two firefighter was amazed to be reunited with long-lost photos of him working in gruelling conditions.
Albert Scrivens’ fascinating album was saved after scrap yard workers salvaged it from an old car wreck set to be destroyed.
They handed it to Kent Fire and Rescue, KFRS, which identified Mr Scrivens, also known as Bob then traced his grandchildren and handed over the album in time for Christmas.
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Albert was part of the Herne Bay Auxiliary Fire Service in the 1930s before becoming a Leading Fireman for the National Fire Service.
This was created in1941 during the Second World War.
Some of the letters of service in the album include his official appointment as a Leading Fireman and being awarded a Defence Medal.
Albert was also one of the official photographers for the Fire Force and would regularly take images of the incidents and the crews.
Claire Herton and Nick Scrivens grew up with their grandad working at the family photography business in Herne Bay, as reported by What’s The Jam.
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They had no idea he was also a firefighter until the album was given to them.
Claire said: “I knew grandad had taken photos during the Blitz in London and photos of bombing in Canterbury but I didn’t know to what extent.
“I didn’t realise he was a leading fireman and that he actually put out the fires and took photos as well.
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“A lot of people in Herne Bay do know of him, because of the photography, but no one ever mentioned that he was a firefighter so it’s been amazing to find this out about him.
“I’m really proud of him.”
Nick added: “One of the things that we don’t think about too much from the war is the fire service.
“We talk about the Army, the Navy and the Air Force lots but we don’t talk about the fire service and what they did exactly.
“If you look at some of the pictures in there it looks horrific.
“It’s fascinating to see and to find out a bit more about the history.”
Claire’s daughter Alex Pearson, who is Albert’s great-granddaughter, has been documenting her family’s history.
She said: “I’ve spent the past year going through all of our family’s stuff and Albert took most of those photos so now there’s something of him to go in there.”
Some of the photos in the album are more than 100 years old as they were taken by Albert’s father, Frederick Scrivens, who started the photography business in Herne Bay.
The album was originally given to Alex by her grandmother and she put it in the boot of her car.
Before she could look at it she was involved in a crash that resulted in her car being scrapped and the album lost.
The scrap workers initially took it to KFRS’s headquarters in Maidstone.
Claire said: “I’m amazed at how it’s worked its way back to us.”
Nick added: “It’s almost like grandad wanted it to come back to us in a sense, he didn’t want it to be lost.
“He’d be laughing at us now looking at it.”
