大象传媒

*this is the account of my mother's WW2 experiences. (Doreen Marriott)

I joined the Auxiliary Fire Service, part-time, in 1938 aged 20, at Station 22, Burdett Road, Bow,in East London for one night a week to learn all about the fire alarm system in the area and where the Alarm Posts were situated. On September 1, 1939 I was called into my boss's office, a printing works W Sprague & Company Ltd, situated off Queen Victoria Street in the City of London. He told me he had received a phone call from Burdett Road Fire Station to tell me I was to report at once with my car, (a Morris Cowley) to my station. (I'd passed my driving test in 1937). It was to be six years before I returned to the printing works.

I was stationed between Coborn Road School and Southern Grove School, which were Auxiliary Fire Stations, driving a light van to several stations in 'C' District with hoses and other equipment, etc.

During the Blitz, 1940-41 I was kept busy driving a mobile canteen to the City of London, and St Katherine's Dock to the firemen fighting the fires there. I would then serve tea and biscuits and Cadburys chocolate to the fire-fighters. Then I would return to my station and drive a light van with 20/25 2 gallon petrol cans to the fire appliance in the City as they were getting low on petrol. This happened several times while the Blitz was on.

After a time, I was sent to Homerton, Hackney to drive a Mobile Kitchen (MK 72) with two cooks and the three of us went out daily to different sub-stations while their own kitchens were being decorated. At one time we had a quiet spell and the two cooks and I took part in the trailer pump competition at Lambeth HQ.

One night, the Mobile Kitchen was orderd to go to Norwich with a convoy of fire appliances to help with the fires burning there and we went to feed the firemen. The Mobile Kitchen carried 100 gallons of water, 5 cwt of coal, and knives, forks and spoons for 100 firmen. The stove was like a ship's galley, the baking tins for batter puddings cut up into forty portions. We had a small support van which enabled us to get fresh supplies of potatoes and vegetable from the local shops. We served soup, stews, chops, pies, sausages and bacon and we used dried milk for the tea and dried egg powder for the Yorkshire puddings. A few months later we were called back again with the London Fire-fighters to support the fire-fighters in Norwich.

I was then sent to Manor Road School, West Ham to drive the Mobile Kitchen there and, when not rquired, took over driving a petrol tanker containing 500 gallons of fuel to help out the men at the fire stations. When the air raid sirens went off, I would drive the tanker to an open space of land nearby in case of a direct hit and I would collect the tanker after the 'all clear'.

In 1943 we were all moved out of Manor Road School to Abbey Road School, West Ham as they wanted to re-open Manor Road School. Whilst at at Abbey Road I had a slight accident to my foot and was taken to Whipps Cross Hospital. When I returned I found that part of Abbey Road School had been hit by a doodlebug; two of our firemen had been killed and a number had been injured. As a result of the bombing I was then on the move to Woodford Bridge Training School based at Woodford High School, Essex.

In May 1944, I went down to Folkestone with my Officer and 100 firemen in preparation of retaliatory bombing following the invasion of France ie D-Day landings. We were there for 3 weeks.

I was still based at Woodford and then, finally, was sent to Ley Street Control, Ilford to drive the Control Van as required.

I was demobbed in September 1945 and returned to my old printing firm after six years as a firewoman.

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