大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by a volunteer from Lincolnshire CSV Action Desk on behalf of Mrs Marjorie Boothright and has been added to the site with her permission. Mrs Boothright fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

In 1939 I worked in the food trade in Lincoln Co-op. My pal was reporting to the RAF so I decided to go with her. It was at the Newport Drill Hall. The young man there said they were closing the driving course so warned me I would be called up within 2 weeks which I was. My mum was upset. I had to go. I passed the exams and was then kitted out. From there I went on to basic training then on to Military Transport (MT) school. I was trained in North Wales and passed the course on 4th December 1942.

I was then posted to RAF Cranwell where my main job was driving the crash investigating officer to wherever one of our planes had crashed. I also helped to lay landing lights for runways and I took crews wherever they needed to be. I learned to switch off my engine and roll out of the van as far away as possible if enemy planes needed to off-load bombs.

We counted aeroplanes as they went out and hoped they would all come back safely. I sat in one plane as the radar was fitted. I also fetched some top notches, as we called them, when they came to inspect the troops. It was hard work but we got on with it.

Sometimes I would be away all night, depending on where the crash had been. Sometimes the pilot would walk towards us but other times it was fatal and then the officer would not let me go near. We had a dance every Friday night, and church parade on Sunday mornings, and a theatre. We were well looked after.

I got married in June 1943 and got my discharge on 28th August, 1944 to have a baby.

It was a great life but hard work. I never knew when I would get back to camp. If anyone got promotion we all piled into one of the buses and went out to celebrate.

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