大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Odilia Roberts from the Derby Action Team on behalf of Mary Holder and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

When I first left school I worked at a local factory in Ilkeston called Hallam Mills which made hosiery, my job was pairing stockings, it was a typical job for a girl. I was nineteen when war broke out which had an impact on everyone, two of my brothers were called up, one in the navy and one in the RAF. Times were quite hard for my family because there were eight children. I decided I wanted to do something to help the war but didn鈥檛 want to go away to work because of the impact this would have on my mother. Because of the lack of men, women were doing men鈥檚 work and I got a job at Stanton Iron Works as a crane driver. I had never experienced anything like this. The first day will be with me forever. I had to wear a dark overall and woollie hat. My supervisor was a lady called Polly Wright who would shout at us if we removed our hats. Because I had a fear of heights the task was even greater, I remember closing my eyes and gritting my teeth and climbing up the side of the crane to get into the cabin.
We worked day and night shifts making bomb cases. We were under threat of being bombed because of the nature of the work.

My happiest memory was meeting my husband who worked as a fitter. I must have looked a picture in my overalls and woollie hat pulled down over my ears.

I worked at Stanton until the war finished and the men returned to the workforce.

Thankfully my brothers returned back home safely.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.