- Contributed byÌý
- 23sarahb
- People in story:Ìý
- Eleanor Mary Tibbott nee Jones
- Location of story:Ìý
- Barrack Chatham
- Background to story:Ìý
- Royal Navy
- Article ID:Ìý
- A4693241
- Contributed on:Ìý
- 03 August 2005
This story was submitted to the War Site by Sarah Bourdice and has been added to the site by Eleanor Jones permission. Eleanor Jones fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.
I enlisted on the 7th July 1943 aged 19 years.
First impression — up at 5am scrubbing fo’c’s’le floor, cleaning ablutions block. Attended lectures. 5th night — visited ablutions block — call of nature — after 9pm. Washing hands afterwards was seen and reported. Injustice I thought, as it was somewhere I had to go. Name called out at Division next morning.
October 1943 — R.N. Barracks Chatham in thick fog. Met my first ever boyfriends, from my hometown of Swansea. It was very cold there, one night my stone hot water bottle shattered in the cabin — mess everywhere, had to clean up before going to Barracks.
June-July 1944 V bombs day and night. The O-in_C Pay office called me in to his office and asked me t o go to Washington, unfortunately I had to decline, - brother was a F.E.P.O.W, my sister had died and father had a stroke, I was bitterly disappointed.
November 1944. My most embarrassing moment of Service Life I was on leave in Swansea and went to a Rugby International Match with another followed him to our seats, only to discover that he had gone into the MEN’s TOILETS! It was ‘Hey Jenny you can’t come in here,’.
October 1945. The Paymaster Captain for whom I worked had a daughter who was a 2nd Office WRNS. She was ,arried consequently we formed a Guard of Honours and I presented the bride with a floral anchor, - a lovely moment. Later my brother was reported safe, the same Paymaster sent me on compassionate leave. He was a dear.
June 1946 drafted to H.M.S. Raleigh. Coming back to Tor Point on the Ferry from Plymouth, one night we asked an officer wearing a raincoat if he could gave us a lift, only to discover that he was an Admiral. He took us right to our Quarters at Anthony House.
Discharged August 1946. How tame life seemed I enjoyed it all, I was only disappointed that I could not go to America.
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