大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Lois Cooper and has been added to the web site on behalf of Eliza Twiddys with her permission and she fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

I was 20 years old when I joined the ATS without my parents knowledge. The other option was to stay in the factory making shoes, which in Lancashire was an exempt occupation. My Father told me to throw my calling up papers into the fire because I wasn鈥檛 going 鈥� but I did go!

It was New Years Day 1942 when I was called up and the snow was thick on the ground. First we had 6 weeks training in Lancaster and then sent to Folkestone in Kent, which was known as鈥滵ooblebug Alley鈥�! Once whilst waiting for a bus on a night out several of us were fired upon by a German Bomber, who wanted to use up his last bullets before heading home. We all had to jump in the nearest hedge!

I was later sent to Salisbury Plain where I was attached to the Searchlights 鈥� The Second Searchlight Battalion. There was mud, tanks and Americans! This wasn鈥檛 so bad though, because they gave us presents of sweets and tins of fruit! During my time there I became a Lance Corporal. I earned a bit more money 鈥� 14 shillings a week. One job I did hate doing was one night a week we would have to darn our ATS stockings and lay them out on the bed to have them inspected.

It was not all work, however! We would go scrumping apples in the Orchards with a big sack. We would pick like mad and run away when we heard the dogs barking! To travel around at night we would pick up glowworms and stick them to the front of our bicycles, not being allowed to use lamps!

About half way through the war the whole country was officially expecting to be invaded. It was assumed that casualties would be high so during that night we rolled up bandages in preparation. Although the threat of an invasion was real, which would have surely resulted in us losing the war, it was a good time with everyone helping out.

When going home on leave it was upsetting to see all of the people having to sleep in the underground, escaping the air raids. Once back up north all rides were free on Rochdale Buses for members of the Forces. This was due to the fact that Gracie Fields was born in Lancashire and she generously offered to pay.

I was demobbed from the ATS during the Summer of 1945, being amongst the first batch of married people to leave. I made some very good friends, which were sorely missed when we went our separate ways.

Eliza Twiddy

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