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FAMILY WAR HISTORY OF PHYLLIS ASHTON

Phyllis Ashton, n茅e Binns, was born 2nd January 1924 in the village of Wistow near Selby, Yorkshire, the fourth of six children, two brothers and four sisters.

Her father was a farm labourer and mother a housewife but who worked seasonally on the land, potato and pea picking.

She attended the village elementary school from aged 3陆 or 4 until leaving school just before her 14th birthday. She then went into service on a farm inWistow for about 18 months before moving on to doing the same for the Vicar of St. James at Selby for a further 2陆 years. Phyllis joined the Women鈥檚 Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) on 22nd January 1942 just after her 18th birthday.

She was obliged to do her national service, of course, but chose the WAAF because she 鈥渓iked the uniform鈥� and 鈥渨anted to be with the Brylcream boys鈥�. She says she was certainly not interested in being a land girl given the background she had come from. Phyllis joined with a school friend, Annie Aldred, and became Aircraftwoman 2, No. 2048670.

The two young women travelled to York to enrol and then went to Bridgenorth, Shropshire, to get kitted out in uniform. They then went on to Morecambe for training. As she remembers, this consisted of physical education, keep fit exercises on the beach, marching and attending lectures for which the RAF took over cinemas. They stayed in private lodgings and she has a particular memory of seeing dumb waiters for the first time in the houses. Also, warnings to look after valuables came as a bit of a shock to her as a sheltered country girl not having previously thought such things as stealing from friends and colleagues possible.

They then went back to Bridgenorth to sort out which job training they would do. Phyllis chose to be a cook and was sent to Melsham(?) for training. Whilst this was a straightforward decision, given her background to that date, she has a life long regret that she didn鈥檛 try to become a dispatch rider or a chauffeur. She never did learn to drive.

Phyllis 鈥渓ost鈥� her friend Annie when she, Phyllis, went into hospital to have her appendix out at Henlow Camp (she was sent a letter to No. 2 Hospital, RAF Station, Henlow, postmarked 30th January 1943). She recalls hitch hiking to her rendezvous to go for the operation when the very ambulance she was to travel in declined to stop to give her a lift.

This was followed by convalescence at 鈥渂eautiful place鈥�, she is doesn鈥檛 remember where.
From Melsham she went to Shenley Park for her first cooking job. She was billeted in the stables with two London girls.

She was then at RAF Chicksands for a while, presumably before she went to Houghton Regis.

At Houghton Regis Phyllis was involved in feeding the teleprinter operators who 鈥� as were her and her fellow cooks 鈥攁ll billeted on local people. One of her addresses was with Mrs. Crew at 4 Park Avenue, Houghton Regis.

It was about now that she met her future husband, Jack. They courted for about nine months having met just before Xmas 1943 and married on September 9th 1944. They met on the pathway between Dunstable and Houghton Regis still called 鈥渙ver the fields鈥� although there are now virtually no 鈥渇ields鈥�, it being nearly all built over by Vauxhall Motors and housing. Jack was living at his mother Amy鈥檚, 192 Northfields, on the Houghton Regis side of Dunstable.

Amongst the eight congratulatory telegrams she and Jack received at her family home in Wistow and on honeymoon at Windermere in the Lake District was one from 鈥淭he Bluebirds鈥�, her girl friends in the WAAF.

Lastly she went to Bletchley Park when its accommodation was expanded to house everyone within the complex. Like virtually everyone working at Bletchley Park she didn鈥檛 know about the top secret de-ciphering work going on there and it didn鈥檛 occur to her to be curious. She was 鈥渏ust doing her job鈥�. As with other personnel stationed at Bletchley Park, correspondence was sent to her at 鈥淩AF Church Green鈥�.

On 1st May 1944 she became a Leading Aircraft Woman (LACW), equivalent of a Lance Corporal, having previously failed an interview before an officer because she 鈥渄ried up鈥�.

The young women鈥檚 recreation time was spent in various ways. Waiting to go on leave to see friends and family back in Yorkshire (on one occasion she fell asleep and, waking to see Selby Cathedral going by, realised she had missed her stop and had to go on to York to return). There was a dance hall at Bletchley as well as two cinemas (one at Fenny Stratford). They also enjoyed walking in the woods when at Shenley.

Two recollections of her time in the forces. Being put on a charge for being late for a dentists appointment in Leighton Buzzard and having to go up in front of an officer. The reason? 鈥淜nowing me I had probably missed a bus鈥� she says. Second instance. Opening a large, catering size, can of strawberries in which the fruit had all risen to the top. She put in her finger to nab one but 鈥� unfortunately - an officer saw her so she was in trouble again.

On 27th February 1945, because she was expecting me, she was given a discharge on 鈥淐ompassionate Grounds鈥�. Her Brief Statement of Service and Certificate of Discharge said she had 鈥� serviced in the WAAF for 3 years in the trade of cook, attaining the classification of Leading Aircraftwoman in May 1944. She was posted to this unit [RAF Station Church Green, Bletchley] in April, 1943 and during the whole of her stay here she has worked hard and conscientiously and has always shown a keen interest in her trade. Her conduct at all times was of the highest order.鈥� Her 鈥渄egree of trade proficiency鈥� is described as 鈥淎, Satisfactory鈥�.

My mother thought only well of the services and the way she was treated. 鈥淭he forces certainly looked after you鈥� she says.

TIME LINE
Starting date Event etc. Source/Comment
2.1.24 Born Wistow, Nr. Selby
31.12.37 Left School to go into service with local farmer. Phyllis Ashton
Approx.
June 39 Same work but with the vicar of St. James鈥�, Selby. Phyllis Ashton
7.1.42 鈥淎ttested鈥� to join the forces Service book
22.2.42 Mobilised in the WAAF (at York) as Aircraftwoman 2 (ACW2). Service book
13.4.42 鈥淭rade鈥� noted as 鈥淐 & B鈥� Service book
18.2.43 Trade noted as 鈥淐ook鈥� Service book
April 43 Posted to RAF Station Church Green, Bletchley, Bucks. Statement of Discharge
1.7.43 Becomes an Aircraftwoman 1 (ACW1). Service book
(26.2.44) Living at 4 Park Avenue, Houghton Regis in digs at Mrs. Crew鈥檚 Letter and recollection.
20.3.44 Receives two service chevrons Service book
1.5.44 Becomes a Leading Aircraft Woman (LACW) Service book
9.9.44 Married at Wistow Parish Church.
27.2.45 Discharge from forces on compassionate grounds (i.e., pregnant). Statement of Discharge
10.09.45 First child born.

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