大象传媒

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While I was going through basic nurse training in readiness for the Normandy landings, I was based in Hampstead within easy reach of my home in Henlow.

We were allowed weekend passes and those who were able to took full advantage of this. London was being bombed regularly at this time. Ack-ack units were firing at the German planes and the sky was lit up with searchlights from all over Hampstead Heath when the raids were on.

One weekend I was detailed for kitchen duties and fire watching. When I鈥檇 finished in the kitchen, I asked the Corporal if I could slip off home till the next day and he agreed. I put on a smart service dress which I鈥檇 acquired, picked up my gas mask and set off for the tube station. I was soon stopped by a sergeant who asked where I was going dressed so smartly. I told him I wanted an evening paper. He looked at me a bit old-fashioned but he let me go!

When I got home I said to my brother Albert, who had been badly wounded in Tunisia and was a past master at going AWOL whilst serving in England with the London Irish Rifles, 鈥淚鈥檝e now taken a leaf out of your book and will be on a charge when I get back tomorrow evening. I鈥檓 supposed to be on duty fire watching.鈥�

When I arrived back at Hampstead tube station the next evening, the platform was covered with people taking shelter from the air-raids. It鈥檚 the deepest tube station in London so I got the lift to the top and when I reached the street the ack-ack was pounding away at the German planes and searchlights filled the sky. Flak was falling all around, so I donned my steel hat and ran for all I was worth to my billet which was a good mile away. When I got there, the corporal was standing at the door. I said, 鈥淕ood evening Corp, I suppose I鈥檓 on a charge now?鈥� He looked at me with surprise and said, 鈥淒on鈥檛 be silly, we look after one another in this unit.鈥� That鈥檚 esprit de corps at its best!

The next morning we were called early and told to get breakfast quickly as several houses had been demolished and we were required to dig out the casualties. It was a very harrowing task. At one stage I helped dig out two small children. One had obviously tried to protect the other by using its own body as a shield.

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