大象传媒

TITLE: Air Raid Warden, Billeting Officer

LOCATION: In Leicestershire and time as a Wren

AUTHOR: JOYCE MASON (nee Robinson)
Typed in by Helen Sykes and Teresa Marsh, and is being entered
On the Peoples War website with your permission.

I became an Air Warden in 1939 鈥� 6 months before war declared. My responsibility was to find out where everyone was in the event of an air raid. This was in Lutterworth, Leicestershire. Had to go round the villages fitting gas masks to everyone. During the war, as soon as the sirens went 鈥� had to report to the warden鈥檚 post. Would be on duty times during the night. During the raid on Coventry 鈥� the sky over Lutterworth was just like a bus lane.

As Billeting Officer, we had to meet the train that came from Marylebone. When it drew in the pathetic little faces were at the windows 鈥� they were all locked I the carriages 鈥� and they came from the Sacred Heart School in Hammersmith 鈥� and the nuns came with them. We marched them crocodile style up to the central school for tea and cake. Previously been round to houses, finding out who would take little girls or little boys. Each given a quota to take to the area we were serving 鈥� mine was Woodmarket.

Things got a bit quieter then, and so I decided to join the WRENS 鈥� in 1941. Went to the Naval College at Greenwich as a probationary WREN. There for a fortnight 鈥� after which you could leave if you didn鈥檛 like it and vice versa (it was a volunteer service). I stayed there for 5 years, during which time at night if there was an air raid had to go and work on the plot 鈥� plotting aircraft from the coast to London. One night we were down there with all the captains and commanders standing behind us saying 鈥淐4 discontinued 鈥︹�� C5 discontinued鈥�. Thought we were shooting down a lot 鈥� but in fact they weren鈥檛 planes, they were doodlebugs.

One night I was out with friends at Deptford 鈥� and was buried by a doodlebug falling 鈥� we were sitting at a table which fell on top of us and protected us. We were going out later.

I was Chief Petty Officer, and was marching a squad of girls through the college, and a plane came down between two buildings of the college. We actually saw the face of the pilot, and saw the bomb leave the plane and fall onto King Charles block 鈥� killing Commander Chalmers.

When I was demobbed I got 3 shillings and 5 pence a day (plus 4 pence a day for good conduct).

Joyce has photos and demob certificate being scanned.

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