大象传媒

MY STORY

I lived in a village 10 miles north of Newcastle upon Tyne (Prudhoe on Tyne).

During the war I enrolled in a new thing called 鈥� The girls training corps鈥� which was in preparation for joining the forces. I eventually became a cadet officer. We had a training weekend in London, our sleeping quarters was just like a hotel, only it was in the London underground. Our trainers were Lady Megan Lloyd George, Lady Mountbatten and one of the Baden Powells (I think it was Lady B Powell). They were super people and had my passing out parade on Horse Guards Parade. I became a fully-fledged officer and saw many nice young girls join up and enjoy the life. Some followed on to the land army etc, etc.

We did not see much action as regards to the war but stray German planes did come over. One day my father was on the way from work, from the mines, at Hedley and had to jump into some ones dust bin as there were stray bullets coming from a lost German plane.

We had lots of German prisoners come to work on the farms around us. We could see in the distance when the city of Newcastle was being bombed, they were after the dock areas and the big Vickers Armstrong factory. I lost 2 cousins during the war, one in the Canadian Navy (on there first ship to be sunk) and the other a soldier, both young boys with their lives in front of them. That is when the true reality of war hits you.

My sister was sent to work at the ammunition factory in Coventry; my brother went into the army, towards the end of the war and did most of his service in Gibraltar.

Vera Graham nee (Grant)

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