- Contributed byÌý
- ´óÏó´«Ã½ LONDON CSV ACTION DESK
- People in story:Ìý
- Veronica Anne Jenkinson - nee Dalton
- Location of story:Ìý
- nr Alton, Hampshire
- Background to story:Ìý
- Civilian
- Article ID:Ìý
- A6988729
- Contributed on:Ìý
- 15 November 2005
The Government asked people on holiday from their normal job to help with the Harvest. I was 16 years old in 1944. My mother and I decided to go.
We had to sleep in tents in a field near the railway line at Alton in Hampshire. We slept in the palliasse stuffed with straw. We had to work for six day and we were paid and fed.
In the mornings we were picked up by lorry and driven to the farms, four to this farm, and four to that one.
Our job was to follow the tractor, pick up a hay stack in each hand and three people would stand them all together, to air them.
We had Italian Prisoners-of-War working with us. They were a very happy lot, singing opera all day long — it was better than fighting!
The weather was beautiful — long sunny days. Every evening there was a Dance going on somewhere near and we were surrounded by Army camps. I think every girl could have had at least ten partners for every dance. I don’t think my feet touched the ground.
A very happy memory.
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