大象传媒

This story was submitted to the people war Website by a volunteer from Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life on behalf of Effie Hodgson.

Effie Hodgson.

When the war broke out I was called up to join the WRAAF but unfortunately, I passed A1 my medical and everything, but I was too short. Therefore they called me up to go to Cheltenham and I had to go but went a bit late as I didn鈥檛 want to leave my Mum. Anyway, I traveled up all by myself to Cheltenham. When I arrived there was a taxi waiting for me and they took me to Bishop鈥檚 Cleeve 鈥� that鈥檚 a little place outside Cheltenham 鈥� a village 鈥� and when I arrived there they put me in a block, number 49 and I was room 12. The next day I had to go to work and I was put in CH2 block and it was clock assembly work which was very interesting but very bad for the eyes. Anyway, it was beautifully polished, lovely high floors and it was very nice. Nice groups of people there and I stayed there for four years. In the meantime we did have social activities which took us to their camp and put shows on for us. And we had an Air Force station near us so they used to come down and we used to go dancing there so it was all very nice. Then I came home 鈥� the war ended of course 鈥� but during the time I was home I went to a dance in Exeter in the Civic Hall that was in those days, and went with my sister and her boyfriend and then I met Roy. He was a Petty Officer in the Navy. I think the uniform struck me! But he was like me you see, he was very short and he was blond and he had a nice cultured-looking face so I took to him. He wanted to take me home but I said, 鈥淣o, I don鈥檛 think you ought to take me home as I don鈥檛 know you鈥�. So he said, 鈥淐ould I meet up with you again?鈥� I said yes. I met the next day. I had to go back to Cheltenham, I was on leave. Cutting a long story short, I met him and married him.

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