- Contributed byÌý
- Bobby Shafto
- People in story:Ìý
- LACW Mary Elizabeth (Molly) Frost
- Location of story:Ìý
- Ballykelly, N. Ireland
- Background to story:Ìý
- Royal Air Force
- Article ID:Ìý
- A4334924
- Contributed on:Ìý
- 02 July 2005
I was stationed at RAF Ballykelly in 1943/4 and was demobbed from there in November 1945. When we went in for our pay, the Pay Officer was sitting at the desk. Your name was then called out, and you went for your pay. You had to salute and quote the last three digits of your service number. When you received your pay, you didn’t have to say ‘Thank you’, because you had worked for your pay. This was part of what we were trained to do. My number was 2145003, and I can still recite that without a second thought 61 years later, but if you asked me my car registration number I would have difficulty. You were never known by anything other than your second name and your service number. My pay was two pounds ten shillings for two weeks wages and I got about £70-0s-0d when I was demobbed, which was quite a bit of money in those days.
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