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This story was submitted to the People’s War site by CSV/´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Nottingham on behalf of Gladys Emerson with her permission. The Author fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

I had a job as a V.A.D. at a school clinic in Ashford Common in Middlesex as it was being used as a 1st Aid Post. There was a large hall with camp beds either side of the walls then a long corridor with the Operating Theatres, Dental Room and a bathroom for treating patients with scabies. In the kitchen we had a shelf for hot water bottles — we used to fill them up with boiling water then store them in thick blankets to keep them warm.

I passed my 1st Aid, Advanced 1st Aid and Home Nursing certificates in four months — I was elated, I was able to wear my red cross on my uniform — I was so proud.

One night we heard a loud whistling noise, Mr Moore (a Health Inspector) said that it was only a flare — the Germans used to drop flares to light up the area — then there was a loud noise — it was a 1,000lb unexploded bomb and it made a huge hole in the children’s playground.

The Queen Mary Reservoir was nearby, protected by ack ack gunners, as the water supplied London. We used to dread moonlit nights — the German bombers could see the water glistening. We used to watch the dogfights — Spitfires and German fighter planes spinning and diving in all directions, they looked so small but were a glittering magnificent sight — they were SO brave.

During the Battle of Britain a red glow swept across the sky, a brilliant red — London Docks were on fire. Air Raids day and night, we thought it would never end. People were full of courage, helping each other; we weren’t going to let Hitler get us down.

It wasn’t all gloom and doom though, I met my husband who was a soldier in the R.E.M.E. Regiment and came from Nottingham. We used to go to the Three-penny Hops — dances at the Ex-Servicemen’s Hall and also to Kempton Park Races.

The Kempton Park Race Course was used as a Barrack for different Regiments and also as a Prisoner of War Camp and ENSA used to entertain the troops there. I remember seeing Jessie Matthews who sang there.

I came to Nottingham the day that the Doodle Bugs started to come over and we had a small baby. I slept under a table like it was a cage over us.

These are my memories of the War.

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