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This story has been entered into the People鈥檚 War Website on behalf of Walter Barker with his permission and he is in full agreement to the terms and conditions of the Website. Walter Barker has the following comments to make.

The experiences, experienced by the Armed Forces were, of course, appalling, but I would also like to highlight the fact that a similar situation was imposed on the civilian population too, with millions of civilians being killed during the indiscriminate bombing of our towns and cities and those who did survive鈥�.. to see their homes demolished鈥�.. just a pile of bricks and mortar, together with their treasured possessions, destroyed in one foul swoop鈥� innocent persons being targeted by a ruthless, dictorial regime such as Nazi Germany.

鈥�. had it not been for the hard work, dedication, sincerity and determination in the efforts of millions of factory workers all over Britain engaged on munitions production with one common purpose, to overcome a ruthless enemy, who was imposing a murderous, dictorial state on innocent people鈥�. Remember too, the risk undertaken by the men and women who were engaged on filling countless bullets, shells and bombs with highly explosive materials, one false error and that would have been their end. The Birmingham Small Arms company (B.S.A.) steps in, with it鈥檚 vast experience in small arms manufacturing, who better to spearhead the supply of arms in astronomical numbers鈥� in preparation to the impending major conflict, and in doing so the company turned it鈥檚 attention, in 1935, to the production of military rifles and other weapons, without jeopardizing its own civilian market, or causing a panic situation. So therefore, although, I was only an ex-schoolboy at 16 years of age in 1943, I was literally thrown in at the deep end into a man sized conflict. Working in the Tool room, I can honestly claim to have been personally involved in the production of the tools that were used in the mass production of the weapons leading up to, and used in the well documented D-Day Landings.

The BSA took over the supervision of a huge number of small companies and their respective properties on a temporary wartime basis, that were in peacetime engaged on what was referred during hostilities to as 鈥淟uxury鈥� goods such as lace etc. and therefore deemed as unnecessary in wartime.

Therefore you can appreciate how deeply involved I was on a working day basis鈥�.. being that the company were working flat out on munitions production, and how influential they were at Government level not only in supplying the various items of vital equipment for the military, naval and air strike campaigns, but offering technical and scientific advice to the Top Brass at Government level. Bearing in mind, that the Chairman of Metro-Cammell Railway and Wagon Co Ltd, major suppliers of rolling stock to the London Underground railways. His son, Sir Bernard Docker was not only Chairman of BSA, but also, Chairman of The Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Co Ltd, another supplier of rolling stock to the London Underground railways鈥� Sir Bernard, being aware of my late parents vast experience of private domestic service, especially with Lord and Lady Swaythling 鈥� As a result of this situation, Sir Bernard asked them to take over the running and management of his home during the war鈥� And as a form of compensation for my parent鈥檚 efforts, Sir Bernard gave me my apprenticeship as a Toolmaker at the Small Health works of the Birmingham Small Arms Co Ltd., so that is how I became involved with the production of military weapons at one of the most crucial and important stages of the second world ward鈥�..

It is also worthy to note, that ALL the RAF aircraft were armed with BSA made .303 Calibre BROWNING machine guns, the BSA also manufacturing the hydraulic equipment to operate the turrets. Whilst the RAF鈥橲 own Air/Sea Rescue launches were armed with 3 bomber aircraft type turrets, these too were fitted with twin .303 calibre BROWNING machine guns, yet some vessels had two turrets (one either side of the bridge), with a 20 mm calibre OERLIKON gun in place of the turret at the stern, this was yet another BSA product, as were the 20 mm HISPANO Cannons as fitted to the fighter aircraft.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the work we did, should try and find a book about the history of the BSA from it鈥檚 inception, entitled appropriately enough 鈥淭HE OTHER BATTLE鈥�.

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