London Private Fire Brigades Association, group of 3 x Challenge Shield Competition Medals: Fireman Thomas Leishman, a 'Bank Note Engraver & Designer', serving with the 'Prize Winning' Bradbury Wilkinson Company, Private Fire Brigade, London

The group comprises:

1). London Private Fire Brigades Association Challenge Shield Competition Silver Medal (B. W. & Co. P.F.B. T. Leishman 1926)

2). London Private Fire Brigades Association Challenge Shield Competition Bronze Medal (T. Leishman 28.4.28)

3). London Private Fire Brigades Association Challenge Shield Competition Bronze Medal (T. Leishman. 23. 4. 32.)

Sold together with an original card box of issue (a/f)

Second World War: Presumably the recipient continued to have served with the Fire Brigade during the Second World War (he was described as an Officer with the Fire Brigade in 1939), and if so, would with 3 years service have been entitled to the award of a Defence Medal

The issue of 19 contained the below article pertaining to the Prize-Winning achievement of the Bradbury Wilkinson Company, Private Fire Brigade, in, 1926:

Quote,

FIRE BRIGADES CONTEST

Smart Work by London's Private Fire Teams at the Guildhall

The annual competition of the London Private Fore Brigades Association at the Guildhall yesterday was won by Messers. Bradbury, Wilknson and Co's team.

The winner's time was 196 1-5s., being an improvement of 9s. on the same drill last year. Midland Bank (head office) was second, Osram G.E.C. Lamp Works (third) and the Standard Telephone and Cable Co, Woolwich, fourth.

The contests consisted of hydrant drill (wet) and hydrant drill.

Unquote

Thomas Leishman, eldest son of a Scottish father, Thomas Leishman (Foreman Bookbinder) and an English mother, Ellen Leishman, was a native of, St Pancras, London, England where he was born on, 14 November 1892. Thomas married Florence Alice Munford, at, St Luke, Finchley, Barnet, Middlesex, England, on, 5 June 1920, at which time he is described as employed as an 'Engraver'. At the time of the compilation of the National Register for England & Wales in 1939, Thomas is shown residing at, 34 Howard Road, New Malden, together with his wife, at which time he is described as employed as a 'Bank Note Engraver & Designer', and serving as an 'Officer' with a Private London Fire Brigade, while his wife is shown as a serving British Red Cross Society 'Auxiliary'. Thomas Leishman is recorded to have died at, 24 Langley Avenue, Surbiton, Surrey, England, on, 24 June 1977

Bradbury Wilkinson Company: The original company was established in the 1850s by Henry Bradbury and begun printing banknotes in 1856. In 1873–74, the firm built an imposing six-storey workshop, for engraving printing plates, in Holborn, London at 25 and 27 Farringdon Road, which is now a Grade II-listed building

The company printed the first series of the Imperial Bank of Persia banknotes that were issued in 1890

In 1903, the company was acquired by the American Bank Note Company. In 1917, it moved to New Malden in Surrey still operating as Bradbury-Wilkinson as a wholly owned subsidiary of ABNC

In 1983, Bradbury Wilkinson created a form of polymer banknote using Du Pont's Tyvek material; this was marketed as Bradvek and used to print 1-pound banknotes for the Isle of Man. In 1986 the company was acquired by De La Rue. The site is now occupied by the Shannon Corner Tesco supermarket. The last Bradbury Wilkinson plant was shut down by De La Rue in 1990

All of the medals retaining their original silk ribands together with their ornate integral top brooches (one of the bronze medals with brooch present but not attached) with reverse hinged pin & clasp fittings

Condition: GVF

Code: 23065