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I joined the ATS in 1941 after the death of my mother. When I volunteered to go overseas in 1943, I didn't know where I would be sent. I really wanted to go to the Middle East.

When I arrived abroad, we had to drop anchor just outside Ostend as the U boats were very active. We were kept in suspense for about 24 hours but we managed to survive those hours. By then I knew I was going to somewhere in Europe as we travelled over with a unit of Canadian Marines who had been back to England on a course at OCTU (officer training). There were not many of us girls. At Ostend the sirens went as we landed. We had to travel on army trucks and we were dropped off at where we were going to be stationed.

There were about 34 of us who were posted to No.2 base clearing house. This was the nearest command Pay Office to the German front line and we were responsible for the accounts of the soldiers fighting there. There were about 1000 men at this office who had been out there for about 2 years, so they were delighted when they knew that some English girls were being posted there.

I had only been there a few weeks when I foolishly ate ice cream from a local van (which was forbidden) and I ended up in hospital. I was taken there in a truck and they had to empty a ward for me as I was the only girl. I was soon on my feet and visiting the wounded soldiers in the big wards. Many of the boys who were brought in were in the crack Airborne regiment. There had been a big raid and we suffered many casualties and believe me it was tragic to chat with these brave boys. Some were minus limbs. One boy had been shot in his private parts; he and his friends always teased me, asking if I'd like to see his wounds as they always put screens round his bed when they changed his dressings.
One boy from London was very low, he would always be sad when I chatted to him. He was only 18 and said he would never be able to dance again as he had lost a leg. The next bed I spent a lot of time at was a boy of 23 from the Hebrides. He and his friends were running as they knew snipers were in the bombed building but unfortunately a sniper threw a grenade which took one arm off and injured the other arm and his back as the kit bag on his back caught fire. Another boy of 19 called me one day when I was in the ward and when I went across to chat to him, he handed me his 'wings' from his cap, saying he wouldn’t need them again. He had spinal injuries.

They were all waiting to be moved to military hospitals in England. I used to spend hours sitting next to one lighting his cigarettes and trying to cheer him up as he knew they were going to remove his other arm as it was so badly shattered. One 19 year old was suffering shell shock and he used to follow me around saying 'they shot me down before I could land'. I stayed in hospital for about 3 weeks as apparently I’d got enteritis.

When I got back to the office in Ruien (the Flanders side of Belgium), the villagers welcomed us very warmly and the office arranged a welcome party for us in one of the big cafes. It was a wonderful party and my second dance partner, Jock, stayed at my side all night and we had all the dances together. As soon as we left the mess after dinner we were together till the end of the war. As he had been there almost 2 years all the villagers knew him. Everyone above the rank of sergeant was in private billets. So he was living with Marcel and his wife Elodie. Marcel ran the cafe and Elodie ran a hairdressing business. They had 2 children, a boy 11 and a girl 9. The daughter had her confirmation whilst we were there. This was a very big thing in Belgium and on the Sunday they insisted Jock and I went into the nearest town with them to have their photos taken. Then we came back and Elodie had organised a big party and once again we were invited to go. They played games, etc. but Jock and I had no idea how to play their games.

Jock and his friend Jackie went around together but Jackie was a good sport when I came on the scene and Jock never spent nights out with Jackie again. We had invitations to go for supper most nights. The cafe owners were pleased and made lovely suppers for us - egg and chips usually. They had very little food really as the Germans were there before us and they took all they could get there hands on.

As we had weekends off Jock would arrange for us to visit different towns. My friend at the time was Kay and she went out with Ron. Jock would include them on most trips. We had a nice weekend in Lille. We got 4 days leave together and we went to the Ardennes. We stayed at a hotel in Arlon, it was the capital of the Ardennes and from there we visited Luxembourg. We went to the hotel where Radio Luxembourg was broadcast from and also to a cemetery where 7 graves were beautifully kept - the men had been killed by the Germans as they were collaborators working for our side. It had in writing all the details on each grave.

We visited some wonderful places together as Jock would organise the transport. When the office we were in at Ruien had to close we were being sent to different pay offices, 3 in Germany, one at no. 9 CPO Brussels as it was a leave centre and there were plenty of places to go to.

One Sunday Kay, Ron, Jock and I went to a village we hadn’t been to before. We had to walk along a disused railway line with woods on either side. Kay and I decided we had to spend a penny, so as it was screened with all the trees and bushes the boys said ‘go behind the bushes, no one can see you’. So Kay and I did this and the next thing was a big scream from me as I had sat on some nettles. When we came out the boys were quite puzzled as they couldn’t come to find out what happened and just had to wait. They all had a good laugh at my expense. I was in awful pain from the stings.

Whilst we were in Brussels a dance was organised by 9 CPO. Clever me , as usual decided I would go in civvies as on my last leave I’d been to my dressmaker and she made my outfit in the grey material I’d bought and to be different I asked her to put red buttons to fasten down the side. It was certainly different and I had some very high heeled court shoes to match the red buttons. I had taken it back on my last leave as I would put it on under my great coat and carry my shoes in my respirator and go to the club to eat and dance.
It was quite a laugh really because civilian girls in Brussels were allowed in as there would be a shortage of girls for our boys to dance with. I would be asked to dance by a soldier who would start trying to talk to me in an awkward way as they would think I was a Belgian girl. They always had a good laugh with me when I would answer in English. However as I decided to wear it for our dance I never expected my ATS officer to be present. The next day I was ordered to see her and explain why I had breached regulations and went out of uniform. She was a good sport about it and I was just ticked off. I didn’t mind as I had certainly made an impression on my friends.

Jock and I were both posted to Brussels. It was great at the time as I thought we would go to different offices.

I had stayed in Brussels before on my way back from my first leave to England. That was when I met my future husband Jack (John) Graham in August 1945. He was on a 48 hour leave from Germany.

Whilst we were in Ruien, we girls were put into a hotel about 10 minutes from our office, it was quite a climb as the place was called the Mont Le En Clus which was a holiday resort before the war.
When we were in Brussels we had a house on Avenue Louise known in Brussels as 'Millionaires Row'.

A very short way off was a prisoner of war camp and when we girls passed by they would call to us but we were horrid and always flashed our 'Montgomery 21 army group' badge which we wore on the sleeve of our Battle dress uniform. Some prisoners looked quite old and some only about fifteen.

Four of us girls would share one bedroom and we were all great friends. One of the girls started to go out with a soldier who had been posted to us from Italy. It was very serious and he managed to get a car one night to go out. Just after midnight when we were all in our bunks the duty sergeant came in and asked us to pack all her belongings together as they had been seriously injured. He was badly injured and she was rushed back to England in a very bad way but we never heard any more. Sadly, that was war.

Whilst I was in Brussels I was lucky enough to see the Prince Regent of Belgium, Field Marshall Montgomery, Winston Churchill and President Eisenhower.

Jock and I continued our friendship in Brussels. I was posted to another office in Brussels. It was no. 4 Finance and Audit unit. It was only a small office but we worked with the war office. They had never had girls working with them before. Just 4 of us were posted - Joan who I still correspond with, Eileen from Dorset who kept in touch for a few years, another Joan who was Canadian, we always called her 'Canada'.
Jock used to meet me outside the office every day as he was still at no. 9 CPO.

By now of course the war was over and big changes were to come. An order came round that all female personnel serving in Brussels were to be evacuated. So we had a sad farewell at the office, the Brigadier saw us all personally to thank us for our service there.

The morning the war ended we were in Ruien, Belgium and our Colonel and Padre called a meeting to tell us the war had ended in Europe. But we were not allowed to celebrate that night. We all had to stay in our billets and we ATS in our requisitioned hotel. We did celebrate the night after. I then moved to Brussels and then to Germany.

Once in Paris on short leave my friend and I were walking along when a tank pulled up and offered us a lift, no fear of taking lifts in those days. We didn't realise when we said yes that we had to get in a hole below where the driver was. It was apparently where the gunners shot from, we saw the funny side of it. Another time Kay wanted me to go from Brussels to Rotterdam with her to see her boyfriend. We got a lift to Antwerp and had to cross the sea to Breda. The two Dutch soldiers who gave us the lift took us to Breda. One of the soldiers asked where I was stationed and not thinking I told him. The next thing I knew I was getting a letter from him and after that he would come to the office and wait for me. He was certainly good looking and nice but I was seeing Jock, so in the end one of the warrant officers told him he hadn't to come any more. He was very romantic in his letters (which I had to get translated from Dutch to English).

No.9 CPO still had a few ATS. The officers and warrant officers had a farewell dinner and of course although I wasn't working there I got an invitation and naturally went with Jock.

I then moved to '21 Group headquarters' for a few weeks before I moved out of Brussels to Hamburg and that was the last time I saw Jock although we had arranged to meet in England.

By this time Jack (my future husband) had been demobbed and had got my address and had (without my permission) written to my Commanding Officer to get me back to England by saying we were getting married.
I eventually came back to England and was posted back at Radcliffe Pay Office where I completed my service.

Eileen and I had volunteered for an extra year’s service. Jock still wrote and at Xmas he sent me a lovely pair of nylon stockings which we couldn't buy in England. I had to tell him eventually that I was being married. He wrote me a letter after that but the rest is history. But I will say I had a wonderful time abroad and was rather sad to leave Hamburg.

I travelled back to England alone, the only company was a German train guard who very kindly kept offering me German books to read. The train was really what we called cattle trucks. We travelled all day and through the night when I arrived in Calais to get the boat to England. Must say I went out the night before leaving with a staff sergeant I worked with. It was just a farewell dinner. He took me to the sergeant’s mess in Hamburg which needless to say was almost bombed to the ground. We had a lovely meal and he ordered 2 bottles of champagne although I said I drank very little. Coming out we had to go down some stone steps to the door and I slipped and fell down them, hit my head and got a cut over my eye. Although it was pouring in blood it didn't stop me from going on to a club to dance. It was a lovely friendly evening but the next morning before I left, I reported to the MO (doctor) who said I should have my head stitched but as I was leaving in an hour she plastered it up.
I went into my office to say my goodbyes and was teased mercilessly because everyone assumed I had drunk too much champagne. How we laughed. I knew the truth as we left a full bottle on the table when we left. I'd only had one glass to be polite.

Jock and I continued writing until I married Jack. I often think how lucky I was to have met Sid, Muriel, Jock, Joan, Ken, George, and many other friends. They were certainly loyal friends I met during my service time. John was sadly killed in Italy, lots of my friend from my teenage days were killed or wounded.

War is never pleasant. Innocent people suffer so much by bombing or break up through being parted for so long. I know that happened to me but luckily I met and was married to Jack for 54 years.

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