大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War Site by Three Counties Action, on behalf of Pat Thomas, and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

I joined the WRNS at Dover in 1941 and served at H.M.S Lynx from April 1941 until February 1942 and was then drafted to the Royal Marine Barracks in Deal, where I enjoyed both the work and the friendship.

One day I rang my mother to say I would meet her at the cinema in Buckland, which is at the other end of Dover. We had only been there for half an hour when the sirens started up 鈥� the siren was the message for all personnel to report back to barracks. My sister had given my mother a jar of homemade jam to give to me, along with the last apple on her tree and she passed these over to me when we parted company.

I had quite a long walk down to the Market Square and the shelling was very heavy. Suddenly a shell exploded not far from me. I hit the deck, still managing to hold on to the jar of jam and the apple and lay in the gutter for quite some time with the shells exploding all around me. Suddenly I heard voices coming towards me. They stopped and bent down to touch me and I heard them say 鈥淏loody hell!! It鈥檚 a woman鈥� and they quickly picked me up and, with one on either side of me, ran up the road. All of a sudden they pushed me down a coal hole and jumped in after me. We stayed in there for about twenty minutes until the incessant shelling had stopped and then clambered out. I thanked them very much for their help.

About fifteen minutes later a bus came along and I managed at last to get back to Deal. When I reached Headquarters everyone said 鈥淲here on earth have you been?鈥� I told them I had been 鈥渄own the coal hole with two soldiers鈥�!! My reply obviously caused great hilarity amongst my friends. Unfortunately my uniform, of which I was extremely proud, had to go to the cleaners, but I am sure you will be pleased to know that the jar of homemade jam and the apple my sister had given me were still in perfect condition!

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