大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War website by Plymouth Libraries Services on behalf of Dorothy (Terry) Beatrice Colewill (nee Edwards). The author fully understands the terms and conditions of the website.

In 1939 I lived in Margate in Kent. I was 17, and started my first job, as an apprentice to a photographer. The photographer was German, and he was interned. I then volunteered for the army. I come from a service family, my father was in the army.

My basic training was at Honiton in Devon. After training, I was a Corporal working as a shorthand typist for a lady Colonel in Burton-on-Trent. My service number was 160149.

My next station was the West Kent Barracks in Maidstone in Kent, where there were huge troop movements in and out of the camp. Maidstone was bombed whilst I was there. We took shelter during the air raids, sometimes for as long as two hours, waiting for the all clear. These raids occured about twice a week.

Whilst stationed at Maidstone, I spent weekends with my family in Margate. Margate was badly bombed. A nearby church was detroyed. We had our own Anderson shelter at the front of the house. My mother grew marrows on the roof of the shelter.

After leaving Maidstone, I was stationed at Salisbury Plain District in Wiltshire. Here, I typed Operations and Charge Sheets. I met my husband at Salisbury. He served as a driver in the Royal Army Service Corps.

After the war I left the army, and started a family.

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