大象传媒

This story has been contributed to the People's War by the 大象传媒 Learning Centre, Gloucester, on behalf of John Portlock with his permission.

I was 11 years old when war broke out. I was at Cranham School 1939-40 then Painswick School 1940-42.

When I left school I had a job as an office boy at the Gloster Aircraft Company in the Home Guard department which had 1,000 members and I took messages on my bike to different depots.

Back home in Cranham we had a gun site at Brotheridge Farm which fired at German Aircraft going over on their way to Gloucester and the Midlands cities. We used to collect the shrapnel that fell from the shells that exploded. One memorable night was the raid on Coventry which lit up then sky bright red.

My stepbrother George was captured at Dunkirk and was a prisoner from 1940-45. I was an Army Cadet with the Cranham Home Guard and the Royal William inn was the headquarters.

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