大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War website by Plymouth Library Services on behalf of Dorothy Jeffrey. The author fully understands the terms and conditions of the website.

I was called up as a volunteer in the WAAFs in 1942. After initial training at Bridgenorth and then at Morecombe we were chanelled into our chosen trades.

I chose to be a barrage balloon operator, women were to replace men freeing them for other trades, and was sent to Cardington, Bedfordshire. The huge hanger where the R101 was built was used for our training which was quite arduous. (we had to wear mens boots and overalls) We had to learn how to 'bed down a balloon' anchoring it with sand bags and guy ropes, how to tie different knots and about the workings of a motor engine and how the balloon was attached and let out from the winch - not an easy operation.

I was posted to Manchester - Old Trafford, one of a crew of ten girls, two of which were corporals in charge. We were quite independen and lived in a big nissan hut which had double bunks, a stove in the centre, a small cook house and dining room. Our duties included guarding the balloon at night in pairs for two hours at a time.

We made friends with a family nearby where we took a bath! A cake factory provided us with treats from time to time and an elderly Italian couple occasionally gave us eggs from the chickens they kept. Being near the railway line we used to scramble down the bank to pick up coal lying around as fuel was quite short.

On the whole we were a happy bunch making our own fun. Coming from different areas and backgrounds made it interesting too.

Eventually when the threat of low flying aircraft was no longer there, and the order to 'fly at so many feet', no more, we were disbanded. I then went on to train as a wireless operator, wearing sparks on my sleeve and reaching the status of lab class air woman.

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