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This story was submitted to the People's War website by Plymouth Library Services on behalf of Bertram Terrell. The author fully understands the terms and conditions' of the website

This story takes place during 1942.

My late father-in-law, Mr Walter Lear was managing director of Lear Bros, Manufacturing Sugar Confectioners. The factory was on a site now covered by the post office. The other half of the partnership had died shortly before the outbreak of war, leaving three sons.

Members of the family shared the job of fire-watching. On the night of this story, his brother Richard was on duty. At about six o'clock in the morning, he phoned to say that the factory had caught fire from a building next door and they were unable to control it.

I accompanied my father-in-law to the city to view the damage. Only a part of the building containing the offices was standing and he pointed to an office and said 'that was my office' I had the feeling that at that moment the extent of the family's loss hadn't struck him, however during the following days he, with the help of the famnily and a very loyal staff, managed to rent a house in Queens Road, Mutley and to salvage much of the sugar boiling and treatment equipment and for the remainder of the war period were able to turn out half a ton of sweets per week.

All records of accounts at the time of the fire were lost and they relied on the integrity of their customers to pay for the goods they had received up to the time of the fire.

After the war they were able to purchase new premises at Coxside. One of their most popular products was a peppermint sweet named Drakes Cushoins.

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