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This story was submitted to the People’s war website by Liz Goddard of the WM CSV Action desk team on behalf of Deidre Hill, Edith Hills daughter. Ms Hill fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

This is a transcript of an interview Edith Hill gave to the ´óÏó´«Ã½ about her war work in 1942.

If was on a programme called Women at War and was recorded in London in 1942. Miss Edith Hill gave up her own dress making business to do war work in a factory making tools for machines to make AA Shells. On arriving in London to record the interview she was met by a ´óÏó´«Ã½ person wearing a white flower in their button hole. Her daughter has all the original documentation from that interview and a transcript. We have written it out as it was spoken.

Introduction by the radio announcer:
Miss Edith Hill is doing skilled work in a factory where they make Ack Ack cases. We’re going to introduce her to a captain from one of the ack ack batteries in Malta.
Captain Hammer: Well Miss Hill it’s a great pleasure to meet you. Out in Malta we needed those AA shells you’re helping to make and I know I can speak for everyone in Malta when I say thanks.
Miss Hill: I feel proud of being able to do something to help you know the jerries and of course the Italians too don’t much like Malta now. Being in Malta must be pretty terrifying too. You’ve had an awful lot of raids haven’t you?
Capt. Hammer: oh we got used to them and as for the Maltese they’re wonderful. The women carryon on with their shopping and so on almost normally. There’s a story we all like to tell out there, about General Dobbie and a Maltese woman . The general said to her God will give us victory and she answered and take care of us.
Miss Hill: people like that make me feel like I’m not doing a lot really. After all I’m only setting tools on a boring lathe.
Capt. Hammer: Well I’m not an expert but I thought setting tools was a skilled man’s job even in these days when women are doing almost everything. Women seemed to be especially good at the jobs which need a little patience. Its speed I needed most. My wife was with me in Malta and she did all sorts of work that needed patience more than anything else. Later on she joined us in the war room and plotted the raids for us.
Miss Hill: That must have needed more than patience!
Capt. Hammer: Yes it needed a bit of nerve too with bombs falling day and night. And of course she used to worry about me a bit because I had to be out with the guns.
Miss Hill: Well that’s only natural isn’t it?
Capt. Hammer: I suppose so but as I was in charge of the searchlights. It was my job to say guns will engage or guns will not engage and so on…
Miss Hill: it must have been a big job — using fighter planes and guns and deciding when the guns should stop and when planes should go into action.
Capt. Hammer: Yes we had to do some pretty fast thinking. I wish you could seem them get the planes down as I have. One night I remember watching a plane dive, then as the guns got it; it burst into flames and just seemed to go to bits right in front of me.
Miss Hill: Well if I ever do see the guns working I’d rather be a little further away.
Capt. Hammer: the sight you really would have enjoyed was the time when 11 Ju 87’s flopped into the sea one after the other. Our barrage was very heavy and they just couldn’t get at the island. And there they were tumbling down like so many nine pins.
Miss Hill: Well thank you for telling me so much about the good work of the guns.
Capt. Hammer: And thank you for all those Ack Ack shells — and don’t forget we need lots more.

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