大象传媒

I Margaret Longmate give Valerie Oxford permission to add my written or transcribed material to the 大象传媒 People鈥檚 War Website

Dried eggs, Doodle Bugs and Bing

I was a corporal wireless mechanic with Flying Training Corps. In 1946 I wanted to celebrate my 21st Birthday so three of us cycled 14 miles to Culverhall to have poached eggs on toast which was bliss after dried eggs. Only air crew had real eggs at base.

In 1944 I was sent on a course to Woolwich it was the day the doodle bugs started. We were in full uniform and had to carry our gas mask, bag of books and a tin helmet It was the hottest day of the year and was in the 90鈥檚, we were overwhelmed by the heat. Woolwich Polytech was by a market right outside Woolwich Arsenal. We used our helmets to carry fruit and while we shopped a doodle bug landed and we were nearly put on a charge for not having our helmets on.

We used to go into London at the weekend to the Queensbury Club which was free to forces. It was lovely and we saw Bing Crosby the day after the worst incidence of doodle bugs London had. The 大象传媒 announcer informed us that Bing would be singing a song that we were not to react to as outside forces would be listening and would gain information about the success of the raid. The song was 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 sleep a wink last night鈥�, everyone roared with laughter because no one had slept because of the doodle bugs.

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