大象传媒

I heard that there was a job going in the Air Ministry in Bournemouth in 1939. They were building a factory in Francis Avenue, West Howe for making aircraft components; something to do with the record research prototype. The building looked like a big hangar, though without any aircraft.

After training in Worth Matravers, I worked in the pay accounts section. This involved checking the clock cards and doing the payroll for the factory. I think it was a Kalamazoo system based on the size of the money; small ones first. We did all the insurance stamps too. We worked out all the money on clock cards by long multiplication - no ready reckoners. It was a 47 hour week. Then a new manager came and said we must use reckoners. It was an interesting job as I always liked figures and I stayed there from 1939 to 1943 when I left to start a family.

Hurn Airport was a major military base, with lots of aircraft coming and going. There were lots of staff there too. I took their pay packets out to them. I also went once a week to Swanage to pay the wages for people working on radar there, getting subsistence money to stay for two nights, getting 15/- a night though it only cost us 4/6d. Though I never managed to go up in a plane but I was shown around Whitley and Halifax bombers.

Many Canadians worked at the factory. They brought in lots of things that we were unable to get. With rationing we couldn't waste anything. We grew a lot of our own food; it made you appreciate things more. Rationing continued well after the end of the war. Also there were a lot of people from Costa, the radio people. One day there was a stray German bomber and we had to duck under the table whilst we were having lunch. After the war the building was taken over Max Factor.

My husband was a carpenter by trade. He was a bit small and didn't pass A1 for the forces. Initially working for his uncle and later having his own business. He made the first wooden aerial radar for Swanage.

I was also in the Home Guard at the factory. We were really called Local Defence Volunteers but we used to say "Look, Duck and Vanish"! I did fire watching and still have the boiler suite I wore. I received a letter from the War minister which read: "I have received the King's command to express His Majesty's appreciation of the loyal service given voluntarily to her Country in a time of grievous danger by E.Meech as a Woman Home Guard Auxiliary." It was signed by the Secretart of State for War.

(PK)

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