Alfred Prentice

Alfred Prentice was a foreman at the Supermarine factory in Southampton where the Spitfire was built. When the factory was heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe on 26 September 1940, Prentice helped lead the rescue of trapped workers and then organised the dispersal of production to smaller workshops across Southampton and Hampshire.The Luftwaffe's destruction of the main factory was meant to end Spitfire production. Instead, workers like Prentice ensured that production actually increased by spreading it across dozens of small workshops, garages, and even a bus depot. The enemy never found all the dispersed sites. His story represents the resilience of Southampton's industrial workers.