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The war life of Mr Cyril Selby and Mrs Betty Selby (nee Hogg) from Northfleet

This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Yasmin from Dover Road C.P. school and has been added to the website on behalf of Betty Selby and Cyril Selby with his and her permission and they fully understand the site‘s terms and conditions.

Betty Selby (Hogg)
My maiden name is Betty Hogg and my family home was in Victoria Road, Perry Street
Northfleet. My younger sister Evelyn was eleven when she was evacuated to Norfolk and I later joined the WAFF’s in 1942. I worked in a grocery shop called Taylor’s in Perry Street before I joined the forces. In the forces I was trained to work on the barrage balloons and later I was trained to work on Sunderland Flying boats. I was an ACW2 instrument regulator.

Cyril Selby
I was 17 years old when the war started and was living in Gloucestershire. I joined the home guard where I was issued with 1 rifle and just 5 rounds of ammunition for the duration. We guarded the Aston Down aerodrome in Gloucestershire. I then joined the RAF in 1941 as an electrician working on Stirling and Lancaster bombers stationed at Cambridge, eventually, ending up in India as LAC No7 Sqdn Pathfinders.

We met each other during the war at Melkshom in Wiltshire when we were on technical courses. We soon got engaged in 1943, and got married one year later on my 21st birthday. Every one had a ration book and were only offered small amounts of food and clothes such as bacon, sugar and more. In our wedding everyone made a donation for the cake so there wasn’t much ration problems. In addition, the RAF supplied Betty with a white, bridal dress.

We got married at All saints’ church in Northfleet. In December 2004 we celebrated our diamond wedding.

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