SECRET SPITFIRE CITY AND LAKES TOWN KESWICK

 

 

Garage classroom lessons to beat Hitler 

A television programme last week about  Battle of Britain Spitfires had an echo in wartime Keswick. Places in the town came to resemble the Wiltshire city of Salisbury where  an emergency method of manufacturing the planes was set up.

Derwentwater Hotel, Portinscale...once an army driving and maintainance school .

All the commercial garages  in the city were commandeered and converted into small units manufacturing Spitfires in the story told on Channel Five, “Secret Spitfires: how Britain Won the War.”

The same thing  happened at Keswick where, like Salisbury, all the commercial garages were commandeered. But not for Spitfires.. The garages were taken   to become”classrooms”, places to teach soldiers how to  care for army  vehicles, particularly on a battlefield.

 The garages became part of  a driving and maintenance school set up by the Royal Army Service Corps in the Derwentwater Hotel in  nearby Portinscale.

Dunbobbin`s garage in Helvellyn Street, Keswick Motor Company  premises in Penrith Road, Quirk`s garage in Main Street and the Cumberland bus garage in Tithebarn Street all  took on an army  khaki look as they became staffed  by soldier instructors.

And vehicle maintainance learned in Keswick garages kept the wheels turning on British army bren gun carriers, lorries, vans, tanks and Jeeps despite everything Hitler could throw at them.

Community Voice Carlisle is the blog of Carlisle Tenants` and Residents`Federation. Information about the Federation is available on 01228 52