大象传媒

In 1939 I got engaged. For the first 12 months nothing much happened. The Blitz then started in 1939. As soon as it got dark the sirens started. In the garden there was an Anderson Shelter. Everything happened quite quickly. In the Anderson Shelter we would sit up all night and then the next morning I would go to work as normal. After 1 week it was getting impossible and the next door neighbours had evacuated. In November 1940, my fiance was killed in a bombing incident. The raids became less gradual after 3 months and in the end most of my friends were disrupted.

I was a secretary but I wanted to go in the forces. I applied to be consripted because I was in a conscibed occupation. I joined the RAF in April 1943 working in the Transport Office. I was on ACW2 and I was put in for a trade test. They decided I could become an LACW. There was an announcement that would say ' QBI conditions were now in force' This meant 'quite bloody impossible'.

Due to my records being sent to the headquarters, I was transferred out of the office so I was posted to a place in Cheshire called a maintenance unit. One day off a week from working very long days. Several other girls were also posted and I wanted to get away from there. The only way to do this was to do another trade. I chose to be a flight mechanic. I went on a course near Cheltenam and began to enjoy my time before being moved to Winslow then Buckinghamshire. I worked on Mosquitos in groups of 6; 4 men and 2 RAFs. After a week, I met a sergeant and married 2 years later. The unit moved from Bister to Harwells.

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