大象传媒

This story was submitted to the people's war website by Louise Angell of the CSV Action Desk at 大象传媒 Radio Derby on behalf of Margaret Bentley. The authour fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

At the start of the war I was 19 and living is Glasgow. I'd been working as a shorthand typist in an insurance brokers office for about a year when I decided to join the WAF (Women's Auxillary Forces). At the recruiting office I was told I was suitable for a new trade called MSR (Morse Slip Reader)/Radio Operator. I was called up a few months later and started at Market Drayton. it was great to come to England but I was expecting everything to be so different to Scotland and was surprised when I found that things were much the same although I couldn't get used to the red brick houses.

I was kitted out and introduced to 'square bashing' which was marching. I moved onto Harrogate for 7-10 days while I waited to be posted for MSR training. I was sent to London, to a house that was used by priests as a retreat. It was in Chiswick, 31 Hartington Road. There were the most luxurious beds and enough for one each. There was 30 of us there. The house was near the Thames and there were bombs coming down every night for the battle of Britain, although we didn't know that's what it was at the time. Every night we had to carry our mattresses down to the cellar and then back up to the bedrooms every morning.

The training here took 6 months and we learned from Post Office people. it was hard going learning morse and getting up to 60 words per minute.

After 6 months I became proficient and we were divided up into groups of about 6-10 for different watches and all sent to the chief signals place for the RAF at Leighton Buzzard. We lived in a building which was an old girls school. After we'd got there we soon realised that Maisy, one of the girls in our group smelt dreadfully. We arned the officers of what we were going to do and then grabbed this girl and dumped her in the bath. I washed her hair and as I was rubbing in the shampoo I noticed that there was something strange about her hair. It turned out she was wearing a wig and her own hair was growing through it. We never found out why but whenher hair had grown she turned out to have the most beautiful set of golden curls.

I was there for 2 years and then some of us sent on to Cardington, near Bedford. The place where we worked here was actually under the mooring mast for the R101 airship. I found this fascinating as the room was exactly as they'd left it in the 1920's/1930's with pictures from the era still there. After work we used to climb up the mast for some fresh air and had amazing views over Bedford.

In September/October 1943 I went off to a training unit at Windermere. It was beautiful there. I passed and finished up as Assistant Section Officer and was delighted to find myself in Wigtown, Galloway, SW Scotland as I had relatives there. I was only there for 3 months and then went on to Dalcross, which is now Inverness Airport, though it was lovely. I was put in charge of 30 Italian Prisoners of War. Their Sergent had to report to me every morning. I spoke no Italian and he spoke very little English. I thought it would be a good idea to get them to make a garden. It was beautful, full of sweet peas. The Commanding officer was furious when he found out as he was landed with the bill!

One day the Commanding Officer rushed in and said we were expecting a very important person but he couldn't tell me who it was. The plane arrived for refuelling and down the steps came Monty! I was introduced to him but the funny thing was, when I saw him with the commanding Officer, I realised they were the same height - about 5ft 3. I was struck by how small he was. I also met Robert menzies, The Prime Minister of Australia. I sat next to him for lunch and we got on well as he was of Scots origin too.

One day a commanding officer asked me if I had ever been flying. I said I'd like to and was given permission only if I had a parachute. This was sorted out and I climbed into the co-pilots seat of a lancaster bomber. He offered me the chance to take the controls and I flew all the way along Loch Ness then he took over to land us on the Isle of Man. It was wonderful.

It was also there that I met my future husband, Les Bentley. One night there was a film show and dance in the Officers Mess, organised by ENSA. I had a box of choclates given to me by a friend, quite hard to get hold of in those days, and decided to take it along. Les was the new officer and he came and sat next to me so I made him welcome. he went on to eat nearly all my chocolates himself! I danced with him and he said 'when we're married how many children would you like?'. I was surprised he was so forward but I did marry him in the end. He was a lovely man and we lived happily ever after.

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