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This story was submitted to the People’s War website by Terry Cleaver of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Kent and has been added to the website on behalf of Mrs Eileen Allan with her permission. She fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

I was PRIVATE EILEEN BEEHAN No.: 270682 Enlisted 7/4/43 and demobbed October 1946.

In the summer of 1939, my family decided to move into a larger house. I was the youngest of 7: 3 brothers and 3 sisters. The eldest sister was already married, and I was 14 years old on the 27th August, about to start work on the 4th September, meaning that we were all working plus my dad was earning a wage. We moved into 6, Station Road, Bexleyheath, but shortly after on the 3rd September the war was declared. I started work on the Monday as a clerk in the post room of a large factory called, ‘Siemens’, in Charlton, SE London, which was quite a long way to travel by bus at fourteen.

Straight away, my brother Bill went into the army, finishing the war in Belgium. He went over on D. Day. Johnny followed, and spent 3 and a half years in the Middle East in the Navy. Ambrose the eldest brother worked for the Air Ministry in Kidbrooke, and was posted to Stornaway in Scotland, but used to send home part of his wages to help my dad to help run the home. My twin sisters, Rita and Monica worked at Vickers Armstrong, Dartford, on the munitions for four years doing night work. Despite circumstances, we all managed to get to work during the air raids.

In 1943, Ambrose enlisted in the RAF to train as a flight engineer on the Lancaster Bombers. Ambrose or Andy as he liked to be called, made 25 missions over Germany in his Lancaster and only passed away last year, aged 87 years old. In the April of 1943 I joined the ATS, at first I was very home sick, as I was only 17 and a half, but was posted to Penarth in S. Wales, where Ambrose was only a few miles away at St. Athens. He used to come to my camp on a Saturday night with a few of his friends, which was great as all the pubs in Wales were closed on a Sunday, and we used to have a concert and dance.

By 1944 my twin sisters joined the ATS, so going from six children working, Mum and Dad had to cope on their own. Mum was a cook in a local school. I was posted again, to Watchet in Somerset, where I was also a cook, catering for a large number of Soldiers; Danish, Dutch and English. It was there that I was selected to go on the Victory Parade in London, only a few from the Southern Command were chosen. I was sent to Bushy Park, Teddington in Middlesex to train under canvas, and was in a group of all girls, from New Zealand, Australia, Canada and all parts of the Commonwealth. I was presented with a Victory medal for my tunic so it was quite an experience.

Sadly, a few months later I received a telegram to say my father had died in his sleep aged 59 years, so he never lived to see all his children come back from the war safely. It was the first time in 6 years we had all been together — at his funeral.

I met my husband, Derek in 1944, in Bexleyheath, on leave where we both lived. His dad had died when he was 14, so he felt responsible for his sister and two brothers. His family was devastated when his sister, aged 26 and her youngest daughter, Ingrid, 2, were killed in their house by one of the last rockets to fall on Bexleyheath: February 8th 1945. Her other little girl was playing down the road with friends, so she was safe. Derek was in the REME for 6 years, and finished his army service in Italy, 1946: the year we were both demobbed. Derek’s brothers served in the Merchant Navy and on HMS Ocean, an air-arm fleet. All returned safely.

Back home, five of us children got married in one year, 1947, with the housing shortage; we were packed like sardines. Then we all went our different ways. Sadly my husband Derek passed away 3rd February 2005 after 57 wonderful years together. We have two sons, one daughter, 6 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren: a wonderful family to be proud of. I still have two brothers, and one sister in their 80’s, and 6 Station Road, the family home, was kept in the family for 64 years until my sister Rita, moved out two years ago.

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