大象传媒

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My name is MARY GEORGE, nee Bashford. I was born on the 13th March, 1924 in Catford, London. At the age of 15, I was a volunteer with the Red Cross at the Surrey Docks, Rotherhithe. I was called up in 1939 and worked at St. Olives Hospital. I worked at a First Aid Post and watched German planes flying over on reconnaissance. Surrey Docks were very badly destroyed and I was sent out on a Mobile Unit going around the streets helping anyone needing assistance. Luckily my parents used to shelter in the Town Hall shelter and on one occasion, I went home to find my home had completely disappeared. As we had nowhere to go, we all moved to stay with a friend in Newhaven.
I was transferred to Newhaven hospital which was for elderly people, but was turned into a hospital for the naval base. All the harbour was filled with boats. There were troops and people everywhere.
We enjoyed life at the harbour with the troops, visiting, dancing and we used to entertain both the troops and patients up at the Fortress. We lost our second bungalow caused by a huge explosion which was caused by an ammunition barge clipping a cliff on the way to port. Luckily we were on the other side of the hospital. As all the windows had been blown out, everyone had put on their lights to see what was going on, but we were told off for illuminating the area. I was with the Red Cross at Hastings, Rottingdene as well as New Haven.
At the end of the war, I found everything very boring and quiet. The town had emptied. I felt I had to get back to London to see some life. My father wasn't very happy, but I went back and joined the Nurses Co-op. (like a nursing agency). I joined a private nursing home in Berrylands, Surbiton, Surrey where I stayed for 4 years. My position was as a State Registered Enrolled Nurse. I met my husband in 1948 and we married 9 months later and had 1 daughter.

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