Aylmer Firebrace Commander Sir Aylmer Newton George Firebrace , CBE ( 17 June 1886 – 8 June 1972 ) was a British Royal Navy officer and firefighter . As a Royal Navy officer , he saw active service in World War I and participated in the Battle of Jutland . Following the war , he joined the London Fire Brigade and rose to become its Commander . With the creation of the National Fire Service , he became the first and only person to head firefighting across the whole of Great Britain . Early life . Firebrace was born on 17 June 1886 in Southsea , Hampshire , England . He was the son of George Firebrace , Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Artillery , and his wife Agnes Adela Firebrace ( née Porter ) . He was educated at HMS " Britannia " . Military career . Following his education on HMS " Britannia " , he was commissioned into the Royal Navy . On 30 July 1905 , he was confirmed in the rank of sub - lieutenant . He was promoted to lieutenant on 30 July 1906 . In 1912 , he was serving on the HMS " Indomitable " . He saw active service during World War I . He served on HMS " Centurion " , a " King George V " - class battleship , during the Battle of Jutland in 1916 , as a gunnery officer . In 1917 , he was promoted to commander . He ended the war as commander of the Chatham Dockyard gunnery school . He left the Royal Navy on 31 August 1919 at the age of 33 . Fire service career . Following the end of World War I , there were limited opportunities in the peacetime Royal Navy . In 1919 , Firebrace applied to the London Fire Brigade originally for the post of Chief Officer but instead was appointed to the lower position of Principal Officer . He was promoted to Divisional Officer in 1920 and Senior Divisional Officer in 1933 . He recruited John Horner in 1933 and set him on the road to fast track promotion . He would go on to become the General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union . He was promoted to Deputy Chief in 1936 , and finally to Chief Officer in June 1938 . In January 1939 , he was seconded to the Home Office to prepare plans to co - ordinate the London Region ' s sixty - six fire brigades . On the outbreak of World War II , he was appointed Regional Fire Officer , London Region . This posting was purely administrative and prevented him from operationally commanding the region ' s fire brigades . He was once more seconded to the Home Office in May 1941 ; The Blitz had demonstrated that the localised system of fire brigades handicapped an otherwise efficient fire service and needed to be remedied . In August 1941 , the National Fire Service was created and replaced the existing 1600 British fire brigades . He was appointed to the dual - hatted roles of Chief of the Fire Staff and Inspector - in - Chief of the Fire Services ; becoming the first and only person to head all fire fighting in Great Britain . At peak strength , he led approximately 370 , 000 personnel . These included 80 , 000 women , as he was a strong supporter of the employment of women . He retired on 28 February 1947 , after which the National Fire Service was split up into brigades under local authority control . Later life . In his retirement , Firebrace occupied himself with writing . His autobiography titled " Fire Service Memories " was published in 1948 . He then concerned himself with Christian theology writing three books ; " If thou criest after Knowledge " in 1952 , " Light on the Gospel of John " in 1957 and " The Revelation to John " in 1963 . He died on 8 June 1972 at St George ' s Hospital , Westminster , London . Personal life . On 26 October 1912 , Firebrace married Dorothy Vernon Grey , daughter of Douglas Grey a civil engineer . Together they had a son and a daughter ; John Aylmer Firebrace ( born 1917 ) and Rosemary Firebrace ( born 1919 ) . His wife predeceased him , dying in 1952 . His great - grandson , Patrick Firebrace , is Finance Director of the law firm DAC Beachcroft . Honours . In 1918 , he was awarded the Bronze Medal by the Royal Humane Society . This medal is " awarded to people who have put their own lives at great risk to save or attempt to save someone else " . He was awarded the King ' s Police Medal " for Distinguished Service " in the 1938 New Year Honours . In the 1941 New Year Honours , Firebrace was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire ( CBE ) . On 24 December 1941 , he was appointed Officer of the Venerable Order of Saint John ( OStJ ) . In the 1945 New Year Honours , it was announced that he was to be knighted as Knight Bachelor . On 13 February 1945 , he was knighted at Buckingham Palace by King George VI . He was appointed Commander of the Order of St . Olav by the King of Norway " in recognition of services during the war " .