of 1942, 18 members of the Society's staff were serving in the armed forces. The Society also contributed to the war effort by promoting the sale of Government Savings Certificates. After the war Portman benefited from rising private house prices and the financing of sales from the private rented sector. By 1948 assets had grown to £6.6 million and the Society had moved into a new head office at 40 Portman Square, London. 1950–1980: New administration centre and merger with Bournemouth & Christchurch Within 10 years, from 1950 to 1960, the Society increased its total assets from £8 million to £17.5 million. This growth was attributed to the general underlying demand for mortgages and investment accounts rather than the introduction of any new products. 1962 saw the Society complete the rebuilding of its head office at 40 Portman Square, London. With aspirations to become a national force among building societies, the Society was also expanding in other areas. The board decided to build an administration centre in the middle of Bournemouth, an eight-storey office block towering 200 ft. above Richmond Hill. This new centre was named 'Portman House' and housed routine administration departments and it also included a branch office. Upon opening, 28 senior staff decided to move from London and were later joined by the staff of the local branch. Further recruitment took place in Bournemouth, adding a further 42 members to the staff. The new administration centre was opened by Admiral of the Fleet, the Lord Mountbatten of Burma. In 1970 Portman appointed a new General Manager, John Heard. He had plans to improve the technology used in the Society and expand the branch network. A new computer system was duly installed at Portman House and 4 new branches opened in the year. By the end of 1971, Portman's total assets had increased to £62 million. In 1975 at a special general meeting, 90% of the members of the Bournemouth and Christchurch Building Society voted in favour of a merger with Portman. This would be the Society's first acquisition, increasing its total assets to £100 million. The expansion of branches also continued apace – by 1978 the network numbered 29 with the aim to reach 50 by 1981. 1980–2006: Innovation and growth In 1983 the Society started to introduce new products such as Flexi-Plus and Premium Share. Both accounts provided returns well above the rate of inflation. The