大象传媒

This story was submitted to the people war Website by a volunteer from Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life on behalf of Rita Champman.

There are numerous things that have changed since I was born and bred in Northamptonshire. The home of boats and shoes, there are now very few of the factories left, many of the children after leaving school spent their whole lives working in the factories.

1939 I was working as a shorthand typist and remember the German bombers coming over at night making straight for Coventry, does anyone remember the word Coventrated! This word came into being after one dreadful night of bombing when the cathedral was destroyed.

During the war of 1939 which was declared on a Sunday morning on the radio, by the Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain 3rd September 1939.

Most of us thought the German planes would be over at any moment, but strangely enough nothing happened that day. As time wore on things changed very quickly, young men were called up for duties in the forces, and as they left young women filled their places. I volunteered to join the Land Girls and my life changed completely.

I often laugh to myself when I think I had never been near to a cow, and girls were needed for dairy work, the first time I sat on a stool with a bucket between my legs which were shaking so much I couldn鈥檛 grip the bucket, but I eventually managed to get milk in the bucket, and the dear creature was so docile I became very fond of her.

There was another Land Girl on the farm and we loved singing all the latest songs as we milked the cows, the animals too enjoyed it, and would stand very patiently, never kicking which some of them would do when men milked them, and had to have chains on their back legs, it used to horrify me to see them with their legs chained, but that was the job!

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