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I served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (A.T.S) and the Women’s Royal Army Corps (W.R.A.C) from 1940 to 1951. I was aged 23 when I volunteered to join the A.T.S at the recruiting office in Trinity Square, Nottingham on 12th September 1940. A week later I was embodied at Neville’s Cross Recruiting Depot, County Durham on 20th September 1940. After 3 weeks training and being kitted out in uniform I was posted to Central Ordnance Depot (C.O.D), Chilwell, Notts, Platoon 4, Hut 48 on 11th October 1940.

From then my work was in the Depot M.T. (Mechanical Transport) Stores, Building 157, R.A.O.C (Royal Army Ordnance Corps), with the road and railway bringing the stores in at one end and the rail and road taking the stores out to all the war zones at the other end.

The A.T.S were billeted in a camp on the hill overlooking the Depot brick huts with the so called ‘Donkey Store’ (hard to get going). These huts housed 24 girls each. They had to be meticulously cleaned each day, except weekends, for inspection, with all bedding barracked perfectly. This was before we marched on parade to and from work, twice a day to the Depot.

The stores we were packing were for the R.A.O.C and we had to be Trade Tested and learn about stores. This meant that we were given an increase in pay when we passed these Tests and then allowed to wear the R.A.O.C badge over the lapel coat pocket. After that we worked hard to earn promotion, I was fortunate to gain a quick year of holding Lance Corporal, Corporal, Sergeant, Staff Sergeant ranks in 1942/43. Then finally I was promoted to Warrant Officer II in 1945, which is shown in my records.

Trade Testing gave us a foresight into stores we could be handling in the course of our work, particularly the areas due to receive them in all corners of the world such as in the African Campaign, the North Atlantic (Mumansk) and Japanese (Far East) where stores were specially treated for the climatic conditions for example Tank Sealing (Arcticisation) for Russia, (Wax Dipping) South East Asia Command for humidity. Welding and tyre re-treading was a speciality done by A.T.S as well as Clerks, Cooks, Orderlies and Admin. We had Russian representatives stationed in the Depot to oversee the Arcticisation of tanks, vehicles and spares.

Night shift was introduced as the war intensified and bunk beds were introduced to accommodate more A.T.S up to 5,000 in Chilwell from all over the country and the British Empire e.g. Jamaica. D Day, VE Day and VJ Day will long be remembered by the A.T.S. who were stationed at Chilwell.

At the end of the war we still had plenty of work to do as stores were returned to Chilwell by the troops coming home. This continued until my demob number was due and after careful consideration I decided to accept my recommendation for a Commission in the A.T.S.

I attended War Office Slection Board (W.O.S.B) at Hobbs Barracks, Lingfield, Surrey on 17th September 1947. Then onto Pre OCTU (Officer Cadet Training Unit) at Guildford Barracks, Guildford, Surrey on 14th October 1947. On then to A.T.S. Officers School at Winston Imperial College OCTU from 30th December 1947 to 17th March 1948. My service number registered on 18th March 1948 is 388905.

I was appointed to Subaltern and posted to C.O.D. Old Dalby, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. I resigned my Commission on 15th March 1951 and granted Honarary Rank of Lieutenant.
During all my service I had been a volunteer for overseas posting and had regular inoculations, but no such luck came my way.

The A.T.S became W.R.A.C. on 1st February 1949.

Disclaimer: Story added by Christine Rome at Spennymoor Library on behalf of Mrs M Waggott (nee Newbery)

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