大象传媒

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The Yanks were very polite and they asked if we would like to go along and have coffee with them one evening. That is when we discovered American do-nuts and coffee - out of this world!
Most of the girls of my age were quite naive, not like the youngsters nowadays and looking back I consider I was well treated by all of the many servicemen I met.. There was never any suggestion of impropriety; as far as I was concerned, they were all gentlemen. I had several admirers, but never anything serious.
When VE Day came, by the cruellest of misfortunes I was in Sick Bay with a high temperature. Despite my pleadings I wasn't able to join my friends who went out celebrating, although in retrospect I probably would have collapsed if I had tried! Nevertheless, when I see the photographs of the crowds in London celebrating long into the night I could cry at my lost opportunity to join them.
VJ Day came at last and we went on with our lives in the ATS wondering what was going to happen to us. There was a rumour that we were to be posted to Austria and we were all excited, but fate had a trick up its sleeve for me once more. I don't know if my Mother had heard the rumour, but suffice to say she put in for me to be discharged under Class C. This meant that if there was a particular reason for someone to have early release it would be considered. Mum just said I was needed at home to help look after my little brother and before I knew where I was, I was a civilian, with scarcely a chance to say goodbye to anyone. I thought at first it was a lovely opportunity but afterwards I regretted being pulled out so suddenly. My time in the ATS was an experience I would not have missed for anything. Apart from learning to drive which is something I'm grateful for, I met such interesting people, went to different places and did things I would never have dreamed of doing. It gave me confidence to make my own mind up and showed me a world I didn't know existed.
Looking back at the war years from 60 years on I marvel at the changes we saw. So many children separated from their families and sent to stay with complete strangers. Most of them were lucky and were well cared for but some had a terrible time. Then the constant threat of bombing, dashing down to the shelter and listening to the drone of the planes, we became proficient at identifying which were which. Coming up from the Anderson shelter in the morning and looking to see if your house was still standing and who had been bombed out. Rationing, which gradually got worse and worse. Long queues for anything. It is true that if you saw a queue you joined it, even when you didn't know what you were queueing for. Making clothes last, mending sheets 'side to middle', saving envelopes to re-use, pieces of string, anything. NOTHING got thrown away, we hoarded it all. People were much more friendly, they would all help each other. But over it all, the deadly sound of the Air Raid Siren which struck fear into everyone's heart, the dread that gas would be used, and would our gas masks prove effective? Although our house wasn't bombed, it suffered blast damage when a bomb exploded a few streets away. The front and back doors were blown off and my young brother was blown across the kitchen.
Leslie, who was now training to be a nurse, was cycling home from work one night when a bomb exploded nearby and he was blown down a shaft which was being built for the new Underground Station. He was lucky to get away with just a broken arm. Everyone who lived through the War has a different tale to tell. As I said, my family unit was split and it never seemed to get together afterwards.
My father took early retirement in 1947 and we moved to Bristol to be near my grandmother Amy RADFORD who had been widowed in 1940. I stayed in Ilford briefly as I was in a producion of The Gondoliers and then I joined them. At a loose end, I joined the 20-40 club which was just starting up and there I met John HOLLEY who next year became my husband - but that's another story!

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