大象传媒

As I approached my 15th birthday the war started on the 3rd September 1939. This happened to be my morning off duty, (I was in service to a private household). So I visited my sister at the Priory, in Weston Road. At 11am the three maids and myself listened to the prime minister announce that we were at war with Germany. We were all devastated. Later on as Hitler advanced we had two Naval Commanders billeted with us also two young ladies and their governess from Jersey, when they invaded, so we servants had a lot of extra work. For my part it was cooking vegetables for all the extra people plus the washing up.

When Bristol was bombed we all had to stay in the cellar in case planes dropped their bombs when escaping from our fighter planes. This happened during a bad raid on 24th November 1940. We heard and felt thuds very near to us, we were all very frightened. When I proceeded to go to the front door, I found a large crater, which meant we had a direct, hit!

In 1941 my friend Barbara persuaded me to change my job to a smaller house. On Saturday 25th April I pressed my blue dress to wear on my half day off but bombs dropped on Bath, which was known as the Bath Blitz. My father had walked the 6 miles from Peasedown to find out how myself, my sister, and her husband were, he found us all safe. My boss and his wife had arranged for me to go to Peasedown and as my father had walked from Peasedown he refused to take a lift so I decided I would walk with him. An unexploded bomb diverted our way through Hatfield Road. A car stopped and asked where we were going, when we told them Peasedown, he said he would take us.

The time came for me to look for work, most employers had an excuse as to why I should not be employed. My mother suggested the Admiralty. So I duly applied and was accepted. I enjoyed working in the Admiralty, though later I found the work boring. I asked for a transfer to the machine room. I would prepare work for the machinists to type and add up, this was the beginning of computers. Men would come to see the girls working, so it was very interesting. During this time I met my husband. We have been married for 57 years so far. He was in the Royal Artillery, I learned later that he was on the Mulberry Harbour.

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