大象传媒

My mother passed away on 30 March 2004. She was the first of six children (the youngest died in early childhood) and was born in 1922. She joined the ATS and was stationed in numerous locations across the country.

She didn't tell very much about her experiences in the war years, but I listened open-mouthed once as she described in detail how (when stationed on the south coast) she, a naive teenager, frequently dashed across open land in complete blackness, hurled herself into a pit and set the co-ordinates for one of the huge anti-aircraft guns, to direct the blasts towards the enemy aircraft overhead. She told this in such a matter-of-fact manner, apparently with complete disregard for the danger involved - she said there was no point contemplating this at the time!

She told me some other stories and perhaps I will submit these another time; but my main reason for this submission is what happened after my Mam died. We found her hat and badge from the ATS in the bottom of her wardrobe... and along with it a little book (I would guess it was an autograph book). It had her photo on the front cover and people she had met along the way had made single-page entries in it.

Maybe this was a traditional, simple and rapid way of gathering keepsakes of friendships that were quickly made and might be brought to an abrupt end at any time? We recognised some of the people in the book - her mother, brothers, sister, brother-in-law; a Canadian (Jimmy Fields) who maintained his friendship with our family across the sea until he died not so very long ago.

But there were others that we did not recognise, who had provided a tiny snapshot of themselves in a very personal way - maybe they had little books too in which my mother wrote some verse or joke or sentimental words, as they had done in hers. This little book seemed to offer some kind of communion then, but now it offers a glimpse of those times, and demonstrates real humanity in the face of such awfulness.

I scanned the little book into my computer, so that all the IT-skilled members of our clan could have their own copy. Betty's little book provided a great talking point at her funeral and gave rise to many reminiscences, anecdotes and much laughter. Perhaps those viewing this will also find it of interest and amusement. Please take a look at Betty's little book - in memory of my Mam.

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