- Contributed by听
- bestruralbus(iw)
- People in story:听
- Majorie Exley
- Location of story:听
- 77and 102 Squadron, Yorkshire
- Background to story:听
- Royal Air Force
- Article ID:听
- A2885141
- Contributed on:听
- 02 August 2004
Marjorie Exley, 3rd April 2004-07-26
Growing up Experience
I was born in Calbourne and grew up living at the Sun Inn.
In 1940 I joined the WAAF at the age of 19yrs. I had an interview at the Air Ministry in London and was sent straight away to West Drayton. It was rather a shock as I had expected to go home first. After 10 days I was asked where I would like to be based. I said 鈥淗ampshire鈥 and they sent me to Yorkshire !
I was posted with 2 Bomber squadrons 鈥 77 and 102. Just two months later, in August, our bombers were returning from a raid. It was lunchtime and I happened to be outside. To my horror I saw that they were being followed by German Stukas. The sirens were wailing and bullets were being sprayed everywhere. The scene afterwards was terrible. We saw bits of bodies everywhere.
I had grown up fast. In two months I had come from a little village on the Isle of Wight to witness war in all its horrors. I would never be the same again.
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