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This story was told to East Ayrshire Library staff by Eileen Mitchell (maiden name Beck)

My wartime romance in Italy
I volunteered for the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) as soon as was allowed – 17½ years old in 1943. I trained in Northampton and was then attached to the ack. ack. units as a telephonist with many moves along the south coast of England. I saw ships full of troops leaving for the D-Day landings from our cliff top gun site in Devon.
The main part of my story was when I volunteered for overseas duty at 19 in 1945. I thought I would be sent to a gun site in Belgium with frequent leaves home – but intead we landed in Naples and got no leave home till disembarkation in 1946.
Just 30 of us girls were attached to the School of Military Engineering (SME) in Capua near Caserta where there were over 1000 Royal Engineers (most of whom hadn’t spoken English to a girl for a couple of years (unless to a hospital nurse). We were very popular!
I met this Scots Warrant Officer there and we enjoyed weekend leaves in Sorrento, Rome, Amalfi etc. I remember a hot summer, sand fly fever, swimming, dancing and a cold winter. I got engaged to my now husband and had my ring made in Naples – so it is quite unique. We exchanged cigarettes for material for the wedding dress – bought at the local market (as there was clothes rationing at home). We were both de-mobbed and married in 1947.
We girls received the Italian Star Medal – the same as the men who had spent months fighting their way north from Africa. I don’t think that we deserved it but I am proud to own it just the same.
We have now been married for 55 years and I always think that it was an awful long way to go to meet a Scotsman.

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