大象传媒

MARGARET AMBROSE (nee Davies)
ATS

Margaret was brought up in a little Cheshire village, along with a brother and a sister. Her father had a grocery and bakery business. She has written the following ~

Our home was attached to the premises so there was always a lot of activity going on. I was very fond of animals and loved the dogs and numerous cats that were part of the household, preferring them to dolls. Cheshire was a hunting county so there were always horses being exercised through the village and I used to ride my cousin鈥檚 horses which I enjoyed very much.

Life went on until 3 September 1939 arrived. My family and I were seated in the lounge waiting for the Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, to speak to the nation at 11 o鈥檆lock. The Church clock struck the hour and the fatal news came on the radio ~ Chamberlain saying that because Germany had not replied to our request, we were at war with Germany.

My Mother cried and said she hoped that he husband was too old and her son too young ~ in the event my father became head of the local defence forces and my brother was sent almost immediately to The Isle of Dogs on the Thames estuary to join the Royal Artillery. He moved around quite a lot and eventually ended up in Japan after the H bomb on Hiroshima.

My sister, Gwen, went into the bakehouse as two of the bakers had been called up. She started very early in the morning and worked until lunchtime and in the afternoon she nursed at the local hospital ~ all this even though she was an amputee, having lost a leg at the age of fourteen. She was a marvellous example to everyone for courage and the ability to survive adversity.

Meanwhile, I couldn鈥檛 wait until I was 17陆 and could join the forces. I wanted to be a heavy goods driver but failed the medical, so had to choose another occupation. My brother told me to try to be a telephonist and plotter and this I became. I did my training at Owestry in North Wales and after passing out was eventually sent to the 1st Ack Ack Regiment stationed on The Isle of Sheppey. Here I saw a lot of activity and was there for three years ~ during the Doodlebug flying bombs and V2 rockets. I charted the planes going to and from London and was also there for The Battle of Britain. Time passed and eventually the European side of the War ended.

My fianc茅 came back from the North African and Sicilian campaign. He sustained quite serious wounds and although he had been accepted for a regular commission, he had to leave the army. We were married and I had to return to the army, but because I was now married I didn鈥檛 have to follow the regiment to France. I ended up in hospital with TB and was discharged. I never regretted my experiences in the forces.

Margaret enjoyed a happy married life with her husband and eventually had a lovely baby daughter. They retired to Teesdale to be near their family.

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