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This story has been written onto the ´óÏó´«Ã½ People’s War site by CSV Storygatherer, Martine Knight, on behalf of Thomas Johns, who told his story to CSV Storygatherer, Chris Knight. They fully understand the terms and conditions of the site.

During the war I was in the Army Cadets, aged 14 or 15, and part of our duties was to run messages between our HQ , in Shute Lane, and look out posts between Loe Bar and Porthleven. The CO was Canon Gotto, who was also in charge of the Home Guard.

I can remember the Americans coming and they were in Penrose House. We used to go there and get chewing gum and cokes. After the war I was told about the wine that was left intact in the house. A false wall had been put up to hide the entrance to the wine cellar to stop the Americans from finding it.

I had three brothers — 2 went into the Army and one into the Navy. All survived.

One evening, during a meeting of the Home Guard, the gamekeeper, who was the only one who had a gun at the time, explained that on the way down he had bagged two rabbits. Therefore, he had no more cartridges for the gun should the Germans invade that night!

I can remember seeing the flames of Plymouth burning from Porthleven, after it was bombed.

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