Pre-war, the school covered most of the area where the petrol station now stands. It is therefore thought that the air raid shelter would have been in the playground, around fifty metres south of the petrol station.  

​The 10 January 1941, one of the worst raids experienced in Portsmouth took place, resulting in a substantial number of buildings being hit. This included places such as Guildhall Square, Clarence Pier, Palmerston and Commerical Road. Other air raid shelters such as Bramble Road Shelter were also hit on this fatal night.  

​Of the 80 people to lose their lives at Besant Road Shelter, 76 of the civilians were able to be identified, leaving 4 unnamed. Most of the victims were then buried in a communal grave within Kingston Cemetry and are mentioned on the memorial plaques within the cemetery. 

​​There are many personal recollections from the 10 January relating to the Besant Road School Shelter. One of these is of an air raid warden who was working at the school's shelter. He had taken his wife and nine children to a different shelter nearby on Arundel Road (likely because the schools was full), and then returned to the Besant Road shelter, where he was killed in the bombing. Other civilians who were killed included Dorothy Kimber, who had been married for just a year when she died. On that day she had been visiting her parents and, on her walk back, had to use the air raid shelter. She met some friends as she made her way to Besant Road School, all of which sadly passed away that night.  

​​The Plaque is said to be inspired by the story of a women whose heel broke on her way to the shelter, meaning she did not make it and instead took cover under a shop doorway. One of her friends and all her family made it to the shelter, where they were killed by the German bombing raid. 

​​The full list of those killed can be found here: ​Memorials and Monuments in Portsmouth City Centre (Besant Road Air Raid Shelter) (memorialsinportsmouth.co.uk)​ 

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