A Rural Railwayman's War

My Grandfather, Frederick Wright was employed as a Railway Shunter during the war. He lived in the rural Cornish town of Launceston with his wife Fanny and their two sons Michael and Patrick. Their third, my father Roger was on the way.
Fred worked at the local station, which served both the Southern and Western Railways. He initially shunted goods around the yard but later became the station signalman.
Launceston Railway Station was an important link for the war effort. It provided one of the main transportation links for food grown in the South West to the rest of the country.
A Bofors gun protected the Railway against enemy aircraft from a vantage point known as “Zig Zag”, a steep path up the hillside above the station. This was manned by the local platoon of the Home Guard of which my Grandfather Fred was a member. As far as we are able to ascertain the Bofors saw no live action, however a German bomber returning home from dropping bombs on Plymouth some 25 miles away dropped the remains of its load in a field above Cleaverfield. Nobody was hurt and no damage was sustained.
Fred was issued with a Lee Enfield .303 rifle and ammunition, which he, like the rest of the platoon kept at home. He was a seasoned countryman who knew how to shoot, fish and poach; he won the silver cup at a local Home Guard Marksman competition.
During wartime Fred used all his country skills to provide fresh meat for his family and boost the meagre food purchased with ration books.
The Lee Enfield was a vital tool not only to provide resistance against any insurgent forces, but also to provide meat for the table.
He used to use the Home Guard Rifle to shoot rabbits and other game on his section of the railway line. His platoon Sergeant, Sergeant Matthews heard about these exploits and tried to confiscate the weapon. Fred didn’t allow this to happen.

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