大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War website by 大象传媒 Essex Action Desk on behalf of Grace Evans who has given her permission and understands the sites terms and conditions.

I enlisted at Ipswich and reported for duty on July 19th 1940 getting myself to Euston Station by 12.30 to look our for an ATS officer in uniform. Many were there, ushered into a train that was to take us to Youk, then on to Lancaster. Marched to the hospital which had been taken over by the army. Into the mess, the table was laid out with bread, butter and jam 鈥� there were no manners as everybody grabbed and I found I had to do the same or go hungry.

No rest after that long journey. Heads inspected and medical. Shown up to the dormitories. I chose the top bunk. Next day I was inoculated and some girls had terrible arms. It was three weeks at the Lancaster training. The weather was beautiful. We were kitted out with uniform, everything had to be marked and polished. The army shoes gave us blisters and route marching in the heat brought no sympathy. The Sergeant Major shouted at us on the parade square, marching left, right, left, swing those arms, click heels. Reveille was at 6.30, a time to queue up for washing etc, beds to be left, every blanket folded on top of the bed. Breakfast was another mad scramble, lights out, after roll call 鈥� 10 pm, no talking !

Many girls left before the three weeks were up. I made up my mind to stick it. After three weeks training I was given the opportunity to stay on for the six weeks cooking course, which I thoroughly enjoyed. We came out of the building and lived in bell tents, built our own ovens with bricks, tins and mud. I got on very well with the officer in charge and passed out as a first class cook.

Posting came through for me to report to a company in Anglesey in North Wales. I made a fuss and stood out that I鈥檇 joined the ATS to be with my Suffolk friends in the 12th Suffolk Platoon. They took pity on me 鈥渨ell in the meantime you will come and cook in the officers mess鈥� must have been about 50, there were over 300 girls a batch of 100 coming in every week with 100 going out, so many officers. I enjoyed that and made friends in a beautiful part of the country.

Toured the lake district one weekend, one never knew there was a war on, then the posting came through to join my friends in Suffolk after a 7 day leave.

I travelled to Shenfield station and was met there before going to Thoby Prior in Mountnessing, Essex. No peace there, bombs dropped all around us as they left London, but we were just 12 ATS living in the lodge, men in the priory. There I cooked for officers, plenty of food when they entertained. I have known them to have had 7 courses, getting extra food on the black market.

We had our time off and I attended confirmation classes at Margaretting and confirmed by the bishop of Chelmsford. The moral had to be kept us, plenty of concerts and dances. We slept well in spite of rough army blankets, not sheets or pillows in 1940, they came later.

It was hard to leave Thoby Priory. My next posting was to Leigh on sea. From there I was sent on another cooks course to Aldershot under master chefs, from Lyons Corner House Cafes. Before Leaving Thoby Priory I had one stripe, but then I was sent to a corporals course in Caterham in Surrey, the guards depot and came out with two, and extra pay. To start iw was 7/6d a week extra after the six week course at Lancaster gradually working up to 拢2 a week with Corporals pay and 1st class cook.

Netley, next move to an AckAck gun site. It was horrible down there, shrapnel from our own guns, fell aound the cookhouse. 1st ATS was killed on that site. Steel helmet. My legs shook when the alarms went, cooks had to get up, provide posting back to the RASC and came to Westerfield House, Ipswich, where the officers decided I was to cook for them, but not for long. I was to take charge of the cookhouse and I had six girls working two shifts. While there the mess cook at our other platoon at Tovy Mache place at Bentley was taken ill, the major sent me there. A lovely place, the only ATS but I was fetched every night and taken to work every morning.

Then I was sent on an NCO course to Durham. It was very cold. The course finished in time to get us back to our companies before Christmas Day. My results came through in the New Year, passed 鈥� so a celebration at the local pub.
One of my postings before I was demobbed was Tonbridge, later Tunbridge Wells. There I met Jane the lance corporal cook. We have been friends to this present day.

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