大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Janette Hill of Age Concern Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, on behalf of Florence Turner, and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

Women were expected to work whilst the men were fighting the war. The National Labour Exchange found suitable jobs,and tried to make me go into a factory. I resisted, even when they said they could compel me to do factory work, but in the end I was offered a milk delivery round instead. It was hard work, with long hours in all weathers. I lived in Kingswinford and had to walk all the way to Dudley Priory to start work early, first getting the horse and cart ready.

There were about 400 customers, from rich people to the very poor around the Priory. Milk was delivered in bottles, so I also had to collect all the empties, and at the weekends I collected the cash, which would be over 拢400. Children were allowed free milk, so tinned milk was delivered for them. If we had heavy snow, the milk would be taken out on sledges, which would stop at the end of the streets for customers to come and collect their ration.

One day I had been on my round in the pouring rain in waterproofs, wellies and gloves - but at the end of my round, when I went to change, my fingers were badly swollen. I went to see Dr Myatt, who diagnosed rheumatic fever - and that was the end of my milk round! At 20, I had been doing it for just two years. So I then went to telephone school to train as a telephonist for the Admiralty.

At 22 I was married - in a dress made from white lace over taffeta, as lace did not need coupons. Our honeymoon was in Shrewsbury, which was about the limit for travelling then. There were very few buses.

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