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Typed by a UCN Community Volunteer

I was born on 30th July 1924 and was 16 when war started, and living in Glanymor Terrace, Northampton (near the Fox & Hounds pub). I left college and wanted to go into WRAF but my dad wouldn’t hear of it and threw the papers on the fire !! I remember that my identity number during the war was RIAV273.

So I went to work at Painton’s, the electrical engineers, in the machine shop. I worked on a capstan lathe making screws, plugs and Bakerlite plugs. I started at 6.00am, but waited for 3 hours before anyone joined me in the factory. My work involved drilling and producing countersink holes on square panels and drilling threads for the pilots’ radar systems. This was during 1941 and 1942). The radar system helped pilots target more accurately. There were 4 girls on drilling machines. We were excited to have a mention in despatches (from the government) thanking us for our war effort.

I used to go to dances near the Halfway House pub and paid six pence on Friday nights to dance to records. Later I went to the Salon dance hall, which had dance bands. This was more expensive (up to half a crown). The Americans near Kings Heath had a big camp and I met James Cagney at the camp and got his autograph. I was surprise how short he was.

I met an American who could jitterbug and could swing me around — but I only met him a few times. He let me read a letter from his wife saying how well his daughter was getting on with her singing. She turned out to be Brenda Lee’s father!

I worked until 1944 when I went home to look after mother who was expecting a baby. I got married in January 1945. At this time everything was still rationed, including clothing. We used to get parcels of food & clothes from Canada and I swapped them for clothing coupons to get enough to buy a wedding dress. I later lent the dress was lent to friends for their weddings.

Once married we could not get home of our own, so myself and Raymond went into service with Lord & Lady George Scott of the Beaulew family at Greens Norton and then moved down to Ramsbury in Wiltshire, to Crow Wood House. Sir Oswald Moseley was previous owner, but he’d gone back to Ireland. We were in service from 1947 — 1952.

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