大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Philippa on behalf of Norah Cree and has been added to the site with her permission. Norah fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I was 25 when war started, living in Burley in the New Forest.

As a naval VAD I was part of the biggest convoy of the war, in 1942, destined for the Middle East. We had to go round the Horn as it was impossible to go through the Mediterranean.

Our ships were packed with troops of the highest calibre, later to distinquish themselves at Alamein.

I was to serve in a hospital which had been converted from a well-known public school for boys. One of those old boys many years later, was to take my appendix out at Dorchester Hospital!

In 1942 the hospital was pitifully short of basic equipment, the men having to drink out of metal beer cans and for operations the only anaesthetic was an epidural.

Men with grievous injuries were brought in to be cared for by a very small and hard-pressed nursing staff of 4 Q.As and 12 VADs. One ward of 108 men was in the care of one VAD.

I am proud to be able to say that I lay awake all night listening to the bombardment of guns, the prelude to the battle of Alamein and I felt I was truly in the thick of it all.

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