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This story has been written onto the ´óÏó´«Ã½ People’s War site by Cornwall CSV Storygatherer, Martine Knight, on behalf of Nancy Tresidder. Her story was given to the Trebah WW2 Video Archive, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2004. The Trebah Garden Trust understands the terms and conditions of the site.

** This story is complementary to that of Peggy Bennett **

I was 14 when war broke out and had just left school. We lived on a 13-acre smallholding in Carnkie, near Helston, and my father was also a builder.
My mother would barter food with others e.g. if they had spare tea she’d give them butter or eggs. We would have a fowl on Sundays with custard and jelly for afters and cracker biscuits. During the week we’d have all sorts — rawfry (potatoes, turnip & onion) and underroast.

I can remember seeing the sky lit up by the fires caused when Plymouth was bombed.

I stayed at home and worked on the smallholding until I was 16 and went to work at Trenear Dairy, in the office. I gave out the rations, graded eggs and all sorts of things. There were Americans stationed at Trenear and they’d whistle at me as I cycled home. We had to cycle everywhere and a night out in Helston would cost a shilling — 3d to park your bike, 6d for the pictures and 3d for chips before going home.

I always wanted to be a nurse, but my fiancé, who was in the Navy, didn’t want me to. Unfortunately, he was drowned during the war and I wanted to do something different so, when I saw an advert in the West Briton for nurses at Penzance hospital, I decided to do it. I didn’t need any qualifications, just a dental certificate. So, on 1st February 1944, I went to Penzance, where I’d never been before, and started my nursing career. We had to do 8 weeks training in Truro and so we were medically examined, measured for our uniforms and sent off to Truro on the train — the longest journey I’d ever done.
I was with Peggy Phillips, her sister and two others. During the week we did our training in the nurses’ home in Lemon Street and had our meals at City hospital where, on Sundays, we worked cleaning bathrooms and washing windows. I’d never seen a bathroom before, nor electricity, so didn’t even know how to switch the lights on.
I was so innocent that when a patient on the men’s ward asked me for a bottle I had no idea what he was talking about and they all laughed at me.
Even so it was 8 weeks of fun and then we went back to Penzance to work. Some of the jobs we did I’d never thought of - like dealing with people with lice, but we just got on with it.

One day I came on duty to find the ward full of extra beds. One of our ships had gone down in the bay and all the sailors were covered in oil, which had to be scrubbed off. Luckily, not many of them were hurt and, when they found out that no one had been killed, they all started singing. Our wonderful matron, Miss J.J. Ralph, who liked things just so, asked the nurses to stop the noise.

There were a lot of Irish nurses training with us, as they had to pay to train in Ireland, but not here. Whilst we had clothing coupons they could get clothes more easily in Ireland so I’d barter with them as we didn’t have much spare money. We were only paid £3 a week plus board, lodging and uniform.

I met my husband in hospital when he was a patient. I recognised his name, Edward Tresidder, as he came from the next village to my home and worked as a stonecutter in Wendron. We got more acquainted in hospital and our romance developed from there.

When the young men joined up that was usually the last we’d see of them until they returned home. Apart from the occasional letter we wouldn’t know their whereabouts. I don’t even know where my fiancé drowned.
I came home from work to be told by my father that my fiancé’s family — who lived on the next smallholding to us — had received a telegram saying he’d been lost at sea. His mother was then dying of cancer so it made it even more traumatic.

My father-in-law once found a German parachutist and looked after him. Later his family sent a thank you letter from Germany.

On VE Day Penzance was crowded. I’d never really drunk before, but I did on that night. It was a hilarious time.
On VJ Day our Sunday School at Carnkie had an outing to Carbis Bay and I cycled from Penzance to join them. It was a lovely day.

Video details CWS110804 14:14:37 to 14:59:21

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