A police pioneer and later Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, Gladys Howard spent most of her life in dedicated public service. Her posthumously-published memoirs paint a picture of a woman succeeding in an age before equal rights and opportunities had become established. Gladys always lived in the city of Portsmouth, and she describes growing up in Portsea before moving on to the Blitz years, dodging flying lumps of molten shrapnel. Joining Portsmouth City Police in 1947, Gladys went on to became the City's first woman police sergeant and inspector. A remarkable woman, she later became Lord Mayor of Portsmouth. This book, with an introduction and notes by Hampshire police historian Dr Clifford Williams, is full of interest for those who want to know more about Portsmouth, women policing and civic duty. An equal share of profits will be donated to The Gurney Fund, which exists to provide support relating to education and development for the children of police officers, from subscribing forces, where a parent has died or retired on ill health grounds.
