The Chillington ARPAX & Diablo
1938-1960s
Chillington Tool Company Limited
Wolverhampton, England
The Chillington ARPAX was introduced in 1938 as part of the UK’s Air Raid Precautions (ARP). It was a small firefighting and rescue axe issued to Air Raid Wardens, the Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS), and other Civil Defense volunteers during WW2. For the civilian market, it was branded “Diablo”.
It was designed to be an extra-durable fire hatchet, with a small blade and spike, used to break through barriers and rescue people during or after air raids. With the expectation to be used during or immediately after large-scale bombing, you can imagine why durability and versatility were key.
A key feature of the rubberized grip was also to protect the users if they cut through live wires. The handles are molded to say “TESTED 20,000 VOLTS”.
The axes were issued with a leather or canvas sheath that allowed the axe to be carried on a belt, or in some cases a canvas sling carrier (example here).
ARPAX Design and Development
The ARP of the “ARPAX” stands for Air Raid Precautions. The ARP was the overarching name for a series of organizations and guidelines focused on public preparation for air raids.
The design for the ARPAX appears to have been done in conjunction with the more famous Aircraft Escape Axe. Sharing a very similar design and the same patented rubberized handle. The patent for the rubberized handle was submitted in 1938.
Production of the ARPAX began in late 1938 or early 1939. It appears the civilian version started being produced in 1938 (see more below).
The patent for the rubberized handle wasn’t approved until December of 1939, so there are both pre-patent and patented versions of the handles.
Early pre-patent axes produced between 1938 and December 1939 are marked:
“PRO. PAT. 19242 – 38“
Once the patent was approved that molded text was updated to read:
“PATENT NO. 515767”
Chillington seems to have been the sole producer of the Arpax throughout and after the war. What I think is interesting, is there are early 1939 examples of the earlier mentioned Aircraft Escape Axe also made by Chillington. But that contract seems to have been quickly moved to the large axe maker Elwell.
ARPAX Service in the ARP
Because the war broke out before the patent had even been finalized, the ARPAX was immediately thrown into service. The primary recipients were Air Raid Wardens, First Responders and Rescue Parties, and the Auxiliary Fire Service.
In 1941 the ARP officially changed to the Civil Defence Service, to encompass the growing number of services needed for the war effort.
Wardens & Rescue Parties
ARPAX axes were issued for wardens and rescue parties to be able to work through wreckage caused by bombings, or even for rescuing pilots from downed planes.
Auxiliary Fire Service
The Auxilary Fire Service was an un-paid volunteer fire service, launched in 1938. ARPAX axes that were sent to the Auxilary Fire Service can often be found with an additional “AFS” stamp on the head.
When the ARP rebranded in 1941, the AFS became the National Fire Service – so AFS marked axes may have been earlier production only.
Other Services
ARPAX axes have been noted with stamps related to the RAF, and possibly the navy. It’s quite reasonable to expect they were used on air bases and the coastal fleet.
The Chillington Diablo
The Chillington Diablo was the “civilian” version of the ARPAX that was not part of the war effort or pre-war preparations.
Interestingly, we know that production of the Diablo either started first or at the same time as the ARPAX because of this awesome example shared by olympicws (Instagram).
This Diablo axe with an early “Pro. Patent” marked handle was onboard (and stamped) for the SS Queen Elizabeth which launched in September of 1938. The Queen Elizabeth was a large luxury ocean liner that travelled between the UK, USA, and France.
The metal and rubber handle would be particularly well suited to marine use compared to wooden-handled axes that would be impacted by exposure to water, salt, and the elements.
While the Diablo production was started right away, I expect it quickly stopped or was greatly reduced once war was declared to simplify and focus on the ARPAX model. So unless it has the early pre-patent handle, I would assume it was made after 1945.
After 1945 the Diablo was sold again as a dependable fire and rescue axe for both government and private organizations. It is believed to have been produced into the 60s, although an exact end date has not been confirmed.