When Stroud's buses were green (and even red)
History of Stroud's Buses
1940s
It was the war time armaments and military uniforms produced in Stroud that ensured Stroud's bus services remained at reasonable levels, compared to most parts of the country. Even so, corners had to be cut, improvisations made, services thinned and passengers had to endure uncomfortable conditions. A lack of staff meant that Red & White came up with a novel way of conducting and Western National drafted personnel in from Devon.
During the war, it was rare to see brand new buses but Red & White took delivery of a number and, in fact, operated most of its double deck fleet in Stroud.
With peace returning, the latter years of the 1940s saw considerable growth in leisure traffic, especially associated with Stroud's and Stonehouse's cinemas but also coaching tours - often sold out weeks before departure. The fleet was slowly renewed.
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