- Contributed by听
- East Ayrshire Libraries
- People in story:听
- Mary Sorley (nee Brown), John Sorley
- Location of story:听
- Belguim and Germany
- Article ID:听
- A5826350
- Contributed on:听
- 20 September 2005
Mary Ann Sorley (nee Brown) was a Corporal in the WAAF. About 60 WAAF sent to France, about 6 of us were cooks. We were to look after the rest of the women. The lowest rung was Air Craft Woman (ACW) then Leading Air Craft Woman (LACW) then a Corporal. Promotion was first by exam and then by recommendation.
Mary was from Coalburn in Lanarkshire. She had offered to join earlier in the war but was rejected as she didn鈥檛 have all her back teeth! Later on she was conscripted. When she first joined up she served in England 鈥 Honolay, Birmingham, Coventry. Before being sent to France, it was rumoured that they were being sent to France. Mary鈥檚 name was added to the list by an Officer who thought Mary, as a Corporal, should set an example. They were inoculated before going out.
The task in France was to get across the Rhine into Belgium. It was under canvas and after getting across the Rhine we were moved to Ghent, Belgium (18.9.44). She spent about 2 years there and thought it was lovely town. The war ended when she was based there.
Mary served 27.6.41-12.7.46 on leaving the service her record was described as 鈥渧ery excellent worker conscientious and is thoroughly dependable.鈥 After the war she got leave to come home but not during the war. After the war ended she was moved to Hamburg (10.7.46) and stayed there for a year and a half.
For her service Mary got 4 medals 鈥 Defence, France & Germany Star, 1939-1945 Star and a War Medal 1939-45. On handing in her greatcoat when she left the WAAF Mary received 拢1/10/0.
Mary featured in the Sunday Mail when she cooked for some soldiers. While in Belgium, a British tank came along a wee narrow lane they thought the women were French and they were all hungry. They raided a local apple orchard which the women hadn鈥檛 touched as it was rumoured to be booby-trapped. We made them apple pies etc and they went off very happy.
Mary met her husband on the way back from Germany. They came back on the same boat that docked at Cookshaven. The men and women were segregated and met at the railway station at Cookshaven. He landed at her feet after his friends threw him through a train window.
John Sorley had served most of the war in Africa 鈥 he was a desert rat in the 8th Army. He was a gunner/driver and joined up on the 24th April 1939. John got 6 medals: 1939-45 Star, Africa Star, Italy star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-45.
When was Mary was still in Germany, John came to visit. He turned up in the camp with Prisoner of Wars in a three-ton truck and he started looking for Mary and an announcement was made over the tannoy. Mary went out to see him and was a bit embarrassed.
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