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This story was submitted to the People's War site by a Lis Edwards a Shropshire CSV action desk volunteer, on behalf of Elizabeth Bullen, and has been added to the site with her permission. Mrs Bullen fully understand's the site's terms and conditions.

I was a VAD attached to the army; we sailed into Bombay on a troop ship in December 1945, glad to be on dry land after quite an eventful journey. We were then put on a train to Poona, arriving quite late, had a meal then were bedded down in a long hospital ward. We awakened the next morning to the sound of a pipe band. Thinking it would at least be a Scottish army band we rushed to window, but it was a young Indian boy’s band. After about a week of acclimatisation we got our orders, me, together with four other VAD’s, were posted to Quetta up near the North West frontier. It took about four days on the train. When we arrived it was very cold with lots of snow. When we got off the train two porters hurried by in their red capes, carrying a plank of wood on which lay a body. Some poor beggar had just frozen to death in his sleep! We arrived at the military hospital and were quickly put to our wards, life was very new and very exciting, and as you can imagine four new females caused quite a stir! I met my husband within a week, he was REMY attached to the Para’s. Unfortunately we were there a very short time before the troubles really started and all British servicewomen began leaving. We decided that we would marry and that I would stay — we’d known each other 3 months! Three days before we married three of us were sneaked onto a plane during a practice jump — I do have a picture to prove this!

We married in April, some of my friends were still around. However the troubles escalated and we decided that I should also go home. I arrived in Deolali, in torrential rain for demobilisation, we arrived in Bombay and boarded ship, a very crowded ship, many Italian POW’s were returning home — it was quite sad to see so many Indian ladies seeing them off. Extremely funny when we arrived in Naples — and as many women and families were greeting them!

I arrived home to a great reception from my family — especially as I was pregnant and it would be the first grandchild in both families. The following January I produced twin boys — and God willing on the 13th April 2006 it will be our 60th anniversary.

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