大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War website by Stoke-on-Trent Libraries on behalf of Gladys and has been added to the website with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I got pregnant and finished work at the Swynnerton Munitions Factory. My husband had been in a reserved occupation for 12 months. Our son was 7 weeks old when Bill got his call-up papers. He went off three days before our first wedding anniversary. Bill was in the Royal Ordnance Corp - at first he was based at Chepstow Racecourse. they were living in tents in November! When he came home he had chilblains on his feet and hands. I still remember my first words to him when he came home - I said "When are you going back"!
Once when crossing from Zeebrugger the weather was terrible and everyone was really ill apart from Bill! Whenever he came home we listened to weather reports because if conditions were bad for crossing he'd get a bit longer at home - once he had 5 days extra!!
Bill was in germany until he was demobbed in July 1946 and our son John started school that September. Bill always sent John a page of drawings in his letters to me.
I managed well whilst Bill was away. Rations were adequate - we were probably in better health than a lot of people now! My parents had a country pub in Church Leigh and often had "gifts" of food left for them - of course I benefitted from these too!
Life carried on normally after the war for us. Bill was never injured and returned to his job as a clerk after demob. He was stone-deaf in one ear but the army passed him as "A1" fit. His hair was thinning so to get out of the assault course training he'd take off his beret and they'd excuse him because of his age!!
Bill kept in touch with lots of army colleagues fro many years. The last reunion was in Derby - I went along and met some of the chaps

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