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At the age of fifteen I was an apprentice seamstress at F.L.Sheppard in Catherine Street in Salisbury. I lived in Bemerton, in No 2 Sidney Cottages, opposite Squarey’s house. a unit of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps was camped on ‘Cricket Field’ and the boys would come to the dances that were held in ‘The Hut’ which was Bemerton’s village hall. They wore battle dress with jackets that buttoned right up to the chin; we thought them very smart.

Then American soldiers came to Fugglestone and we all thought they looked even smarter with their jackets open to show collared shirts and ties. Our army did allow our boys to wear collars and ties so I offered to make them their collars by using cloth cut from the tail of their shirts. They were so grateful.

At dances in ‘The Hut’ the sergeant sometimes called for everyone to stand in a wide circle and I would be called into it and be presented with a big bunch of flowers as a thank you. I was so proud, I felt I’d done something to help the war effort.

Mrs Eileen Paddock

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