The London Fire Brigade constructed ‘emergency water supplies’ during the Second World War to supply water to their fire engines. There was a particular problem with water supply, both because the water mains were broken during bombing and because the river Thames is tidal and so at low tide it was difficult to pump water. From July 1938, in anticipation of war, new water pipes were constructed for London. By the beginning of the war ‘portable dams’, which held 1,000 gallons of water and were placed on open ground, were ready to be moved into threatened areas of the city. These were supplemented later by larger steel structures that held up to 5,000 gallons, sited in the middle of streets and kept full with water changed every month or so. In the event, both of these types of structure were of limited use as they were not large enough to provide water for more than a few minutes, being intended only as an immediate supply. London was bombed between September 1940 and May 1941. As buildings were destroyed, the water supply for the Fire Brigade was supplemented further by reservoirs built in the basements of bombed buildings and sealed in concrete. Although much larger than the tanks on the ground, these were also of only limited help. There are photographs of several of them among the records of the London Fire Brigade Museum, but neither of the books on the Fire Brigade during the Blitz mentions their use.1

The records of Ginner’s commission are at the Imperial War Museum.2 Ginner’s friend E.M.O’R. Dickey, Secretary at the Ministry of Information, wrote to the artist on 17 November 1941 asking if he would paint, as suggested by the War Artists’ Advisory Committee,