大象传媒

I was 16 years old when I started work at the Aristoc factory at Langley Mill and we were all wondering what it would be like to join the armed forces. The others who had joined up would be coming home on leave and would, of course, come to the factory to see their workmates and girls. We younger ones would be asking about the different services to give us some idea as to which service to join. My dad Percy Annable who had been in the first world war (he was awarded the millitary medal for bravery) used to say to me "never volunteer for anything, but don't be a coward". "You have probably heard of the sergeant who asked his men if anyone knew anything about music, and one man said he did, and so the sergeant said "good, go and shift the piano to the canteen". I dont think any of these men who were in the services had any complaints about their own units, and so we were no wiser. The sad thing was when the girls had a telegram, saying that their husband or boyfriend was missing. Normally we had music on (through big loud speakers) but that was turned off when anyone in the department had sad news. I can remember one girl (they were all classed as girls, up to the age of 60) who had a telegram saying her boyfriend was missing, and she never sang again. Later when I was in the army, I visited the factory and asked where she was and was told that she had died, and the day after she died, a telegram was delivered to her home saying that her boyfriend was alright, but was a prisoner of war. Occasionally the sirens would sound and we would all go into the basement. We lads didn't mind, because our wages would be the same, but the men didn't like it, because when machines were standing, they didn't get paid.

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