大象传媒

"This story was submitted to the site by the NDC Radford and Hyson Green community Team and Positive Horison in the East Midlands with Josephine Buntings Permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions."

In 1942, when I was 18, I signed up to go in the army. My dad was quite angry with me as he didn鈥檛 believe that women should be in the forces.

I had a fun time in the army during the war. I used to get the Saturday bus to Nuneaton and Leicester as our base was miles away from civilisation. I would go out dancing and there were also big concerts held at the DeMontford Hall for all the forces.
We had to wear our uniform at all times unless we were on leave. I remember one night out where I wore my stockings the wrong way round and got disciplined.

I was stationed in Leicestershire, near where Twycross Zoo is today and had a boyfriend called John. I remember going to see him off as he was in the RAF and he said he would see me again soon. I only saw him for a few weekends after that, and then never heard from him again.

Two years later in September 1944, I met another man called John who I fell in love with and married 3 months later. We鈥檇 only been married for one week, when a letter arrived from John my first boyfriend. It turns out he鈥檇 been a prisoner of war and couldn鈥檛 get in touch. By then, it was too late for us.

Radford Care Group

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