大象传媒

My mother Amy joined the WAAF 0n 22.10.1940 aged 20 years. First of all she was stationed at Fazakerley, her job title was Aircraft Woman Service Number 897334. On 1.2.1942 she was upgraded to Leading ACW - 'AC FL Mech'. Amy's Grade 11 came on 7.1.1943 and Grade 1 on 1.10.1943 when stationed at West Felton, Shropshire. Amy's favourite Spitfire to work on was the Mark 11, she didn't care much for the subsequent ones that came along.

My father Tommy joined the RAF on 5.7.1941,aged 19 years, and put into Squadron 132 'City of Bombay', Service Number 1335042 W/O Pilot; he flew Spitfires. He was service in the USA 17.9.1941 - 12.5.1942 and on the Continent 26.6.1944 - 5.8.1944.

Amy and Tommy met at West Felton(I think) when he flew in to have his Spit seen to and told Amy to 'see to it', her answer was not one I wish to record here, for Amy it was 'hate at first sight'. Somehow Tommy won her round because six weeks later they were married on the 9.7.1943, at All Saints Church, Denmead, Hampshire.

The honeymoon was a few days stay in a hotel in Chichester, West Sussex, on the south coast. They didn't see much of each other being stationed often at opposite ends of the country, but in 1945 when Amy was then at Keevil, Wiltshire she discovered she was pregnant with me. I was born the following February.

Amy left the WAAF's in August 1945 and Tommy on the 18.6.1946. In September 1947 my sister came along, but by 1951 the marriage was sadly over and they split up.
My mother never remarried, saying that Tommy was the one and only love of her life, and that the happiest times of her life was during the war whilst serving in the WAAF.
Amy passed away 23 October 1990 aged 69 years.

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