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My War Story by L/CDR Mary Melbourn (Wrigley now Popham)

This story was submitted to the Peoples War Site by Peter Nicholas of Link into Learning, Cornwall County Council. It was recorded on behalf of Mrs. Popham by East Cornwall Stroke Association and Link into Learning. It has been added to the Peoples War site with Mrs. Popham’s permission and she fully understands the sites terms and conditions.
Having obtained my BA Hons degree at University College, London (evacuated to Bangor), in 1941 I volunteered, with a college friend Joy, to join the ATS.
We enlisted at Glen Parva Barracks, Leicester, we were immediately issued with uniform, pint tin mugs and cutlery and shown our barrack rook - our future sleeping quarters, consisting of single iron beds, three 'biscuits' (mattress), pillow, blankets and sheets. Every morning all our bedding had to be neatly stacked at the head of the bed, ready for inspection, as we stood with our uniform brass buttons highly polished, as were also our brown walking boots. Our bedding had to be layed out in a particular pattern — a grey blanket on the top followed by a white sheet, a second grey blanket followed by white sheet and two further grey blankets at the bottom.
Daily drill on the parade ground was taken by a male sergeant - the handing over to women had not been completed. Generally, Joy and I were last on parade and had to bear the sergeant's wrath!
After three weeks basic training, during which time Joy and I looked forward to our Saturday afternoons, when we could sit on a comfortable seat on the top of a bus going into Leicester, to spend our weekly pay of 9/-!
We were all posted to different units, ‘Ack Ack’ being the most popular. However, we only moved to the other side of the parade ground, having been selected for two weeks' training to become NCOs. (At that time I had no idea what ‘Kings Regs’ meant.) We returned across the parade ground to help look after a new intake of 48 women in a barrack room of double bunk beds. Their spirit was fantastic, all wanting to 'do their bit' towards winning the war. At this time, the Salvation Army room opposite the barracks entrance was a favourite haunt for a cuppa and a chat.
Soon after Joy and I were selected for further training as Officer cadets. When were we going to do some useful war work?
My first posting as a Junior Subaltern was to a platoon near Lincoln, to look after the welfare of the women. Then to Chilwell, Notts, where the ATS worked in an Ordnance factory, as women gradually took over men's jobs, so releasing them for active service. A favourite job for some was that of putting pieces of carbon paper between sheets of paper (often 7 between 8 sheets) ready to be used for sending items of ordnance abroad. Doing this the women could talk and sing as much as they liked - but, by the end of the day, they would be covered in blue!A spell in Leicester followed, looking after ATS, working in three different factories. Then on to Catterick and finally as a Jun/Comd (i.e. Captain) and, for a time, acting Major at Queen Ethelburga's Girls School, Harrogate, looking after the welfare of a large company of cooks, orderlies, clerks and intelligence personnel. (Y Branch, who listened in to foreign broadcasts 24 hours a day, in 6 hour shifts, at Forest Moor, a few miles away.).

Here, reading newspapers in the mess and seeing only adverts for women of service uniform - would we ever see civilian ones again?
Finally, at the end of the war, I was de-mobbed after an interesting 3 weeks spent at Wellbeck Abbey, Worksop, mainly in its library, though I did see its underground ballroom.

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