大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Liz Andrew of the Lancashire Home Guard on behalf of Mrs Marian Ward and has been added to the site with her permission.

I was eighteen when the War began and I had been an apprentice baker since I was fourteen - but then I started to work at Lucas Engineering in Burnley making munitions. I was paid 2/6 a week for leaving baking.I had to go to Birmingham to learn about armature winding. It was a very enjoyable time - there was no tittle tattle, no back biting, you just got on with your job. There were three shifts at Lucas , morning, afternoon and night. I didn't like the night shift as much - time dragged - there seemed to be no end to it. You made your friends at work - I had lots of friends there.

My husband was in the navy - he had joined up when he was still a boy. We got married when he was on leave. He had been waiting to rejoin his boat but the telegram went to the wrong address so they sent the Military Police to pick him up. He was a coxswain on the torpedo boats that chased the German U boats - he had to stand at the bow of the boat for four hour long watches but even though he wore a scarf, he developed intense pain in his neck.

I enjoyed the war. We used to go and meet the forces coming home on leave and we used to go out dancing on Saturdays. You'd have to come home in the dark - but there wasn't any trouble in the blackout - you weren't as frightened as you would be today.

Living in Burnley we weren't troubled by bombs - we only ever had one and that was in the Park.

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