大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Annie Keane of the 大象传媒 on behalf of Gladys Moore and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

War breaks out
I was born in Market Street which is now Wheelwright Street, Islington and later moved to Drayton Park N5.

I was born in 1923 so I was 17 when war broke out. When it was announced on the radio on 3rd September 1939 a lot of my family were in the house. I went in the kitchen and cooked dinner as everyone else was too upset. There were six of us at home; Mum, Dad, two brothers, myself and my sister who at 8 months was the youngest. My brother John was in the Highland Light Infantry (HLI). At that time he was stationed in Glasgow.

Working for the Admiralty
In 1942 I was called up and I served at the Admiralty as a typist in the Citadel, Horseguards Parade. As we were underground we felt safe and didn鈥檛 hear a thing. We did a 14 hour night watch with a break of 2 hours in-between. The next day, when we finished at 9am we had the rest of the day off and the day after that was a 12 hour watch. This pattern continued until the end of the war. I found working there every exciting and soon got used to the long hours.

At the end of my first night watch we went to the restroom for a wash. I took off my engagement ring and put it on the side of the basin. When I鈥檇 finished washing it had gone! I reported it to the Superintendent but nothing was done. Lots of things were nicked even the Supervisor鈥檚 bright red coat. In 1945 I applied to leave as my fianc茅 Albert Mooge and I were getting married which we did on the 4th August 1945. My wedding dress was given to me. Everything was rationed; my mother paid 拢2 for a 2lb bag of sugar.

My brothers and their adventures
My brother John was in the Stalag 21 Prisoner of War camp in Germany and I wouldn鈥檛 get married until John came home. John was released in July 1945. He never spoke to me about what he鈥檇 been through. What I do know is that he was taken prisoner in Tripoli and that when he tried to escape he was shot in the leg.

I only found this out from my father years afterwards. When John came back to Britain at the end of the war he was discharged from the army and despite everything that he鈥檇 been through, he was heartbroken. He subsequently joined the Red Cross and went back to Germany for another couple of years.

My eldest brother, Frank, was sent to Iceland as an ambulance driver, but because of the burns he suffered as a child during the first world war he was badly frostbitten and sent back to England for skin graft treatment. He missed army life so much that after the war he joined the United Nations Relief Association in Germany where he remained for the next few years.

My brother Arthur was also in the army in the Royal Artillery. He served in Egypt and Greece until the end of the war. My brother Ken was a plumber he was refused entry into the forces due to a perforated ear drum much to his annoyance as he wanted to join his older brothers. My father was in the Home Guard in Islington. Mum looked after the rest of the family.

It鈥檚 wonderful that my brothers all came home safe and that we all remained in contact throughout the war.

August 2005 will be Albert鈥檚 and my diamond wedding anniversary. Our son was born on 8 May 1946. He was born prematurely about six weeks early with no eyelashes and fingernails.

For me the war years were an enjoyable time. Even when the bombs were dropping we still went out dancing and enjoying ourselves we had to get on with it.

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