大象传媒

My Time at Farnborough

I joined the WAAF in 1942 and after training I was posted to Farnborough Research Station. We had plenty of entertainment when we were off duty. There were two cinemas, the Scala and the Rex, the Navy, Army and Air Force Institute canteen and T.O.C.H where you got snacks and lovely lounges with comfy armchairs where you could sit down and rest in the evenings. We learnt to barn dance with the Canadians and had plenty of chocolates and sweets.

There was one place near to where we were billeted, for some strange reason was called the Bucket of Blood. We used to go dancing there quite a lot; the music came from gramophone records- the bands of Victor Sylvester, Joe Loss, Geraldo, Billy Cotton and Glen Miller.
On sunny days we used to sunbathe on the back lawn, it was nice and private. We never used the air raid shelter at all; in fact I鈥檝e never been inside one, although we were so close to Aldershot with all the Army barracks. We were very lucky we had no air raid sirens.

It was quite daunting when I went on my first home leave. We had 9 days. I hated having to get to London Euston, then change at Crewe and 1 hour wait for the train home to Conway. It was lovely to see Mam and Dad again; the time went so quick. It was nice to see some relations and friends before it was time to go back. We had home leave every 3 months, so I got used to the travelling eventually.

Every Christmas the Officers used to give us a party. They would dish out the turkey dinner with all the trimmings and serve at the tables. It was great. They gave us such a good time, with dancing and drinks afterwards.

While at Farnborough I met a Sergeant who was in the Canadian Scottish Highlanders. Sometimes he would meet me with all his regalia on. With a tartan kilt, sporran and all he looked very smart. He took me to the Queen鈥檚 Hotel quite a lot where we met up with his brother and friends. One evening he told me he would be going on manoeuvres for about 3 or 4 days but made arrangement to see me when he came back. He didn鈥檛 turn up on the evening arranged and about 2 nights after his brother came to Ettrick Cottage where I was billeted and told me the dreadful news that he had been killed by a grenade while on manoeuvres. We went to the Queens Hotel where all his friends were. It was terrible, I was so shocked. I didn鈥檛 know they used live grenades. On the day of the funeral I heard the last post coming from the Barracks. He was buried in Brookwood where there is a large military cemetery. A very sad time.

On a lovely sunny day in 1943 one of my friends, Florrie, wanted me to go to the Lido in Aldershot but I was not at all keen as I hated water. I eventually gave in and told her I would go but not go in the water. I sat on the jetty separating the shallow pool and the deep one when two soldiers came up and started to chat. One of them came at the back of me and pushed me in the water. It was terrible, I thought I was drowning and the other soldier jumped in and lifted me up and kept my head above water. This was how I met my future husband, the soldier who had jumped in to save me! We said we would meet them when we came out of the changing room and we sat on the grass by the pool. We made a date to see them again so it was a coincidence really that the only time I had ever gone to a swimming pool I met my future husband, Eric.

In April 1944 Eric was posted to Ayrshire in Scotland. We were engaged by then and had already named the day we would get married, 16 June 1944. It was a very worrying time for us as our letters kept crossing in the post. The D-Day landing in Normandy was on 6 June 1944. Eric took me on leave to meet his family in Sutton Coldfield and we went to my family in Wales. My Mum had to make all the arrangements with the Minister at our Chapel and had a dress made for me at Colwyn Bay in ice blue. I went into Reading for the hat and shoes and gloves in burgundy colour. My mum booked a room for the reception at Veal鈥檚 Caf茅 in Conway where I used to work as a nanny for the two little boys. They had a bakery at the back and Mr Veal made me a wedding cake with chocolate icing, as everything was scarce with rationing. Eric鈥檚 mother came to the wedding in Conway and brought a lovely white wedding cake with her which a friend had made as he was working at Bromwich鈥檚 bakery in Mere Green, Sutton Coldfield- so we were very lucky having two cakes.
I went on leave a day or two before Eric and Mum and I went to Colwyn Bay to try the dress on. It only had to have a little alteration; it was a lovely fit. I don鈥檛 know how Mum had managed it, and the style and colour were just what I wanted. Eric had been given compassionate leave to get married. When I met him off the train we had to go straight to the Registry Office to get a special licence to get married, which cost two guineas. We only had nine days. Mum had booked for us to go to a guesthouse near the Great Orme in Llandudno for our honeymoon. We had five days there then we had to go back, Eric to Ayrshire and me to Farnborough.

I came out of the WAAF in May 1945, as I was pregnant with Jeanette, our first child. Jeanette was born at Bangor hospital in December. My mother-in-law wanted me to go to Sutton Coldfield to live with her as Eric was still in the Army and she had plenty of room. Jeanette was 6 months old when I came to Sutton Coldfield to live and my sister came with me for a while. Eric came out of the Army in June 1946 after 6 years. His brother came home soon after, and then his future wife came from Belgium.

After the war we continued to live in Sutton Coldfield and last year we celebrated our Diamond wedding anniversary.

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