大象传媒

THE FOLLOWING WAS PROMPTED INITIALLY BY THE INTRODUCTION OF THE
鈥淪HORT SHARP SHOCK鈥� FOR OFFENDERS.
WE HAD A LONG VERY SHARP SHOCK 鈥�
AND WE HAD DONE NOTHING.

LOIS 鈥� HER WARTIME EXPLOITS

1939

The exact dates of my official postings and movements are now not clear to me 鈥� I should have kept a diary at the outbreak of war but 1939 is still as clear as a bell.

Mary and I {she is and always has been my greatest friend} belonged to the Westmead Tennis Club which had a very full social side as well as six tennis courts and a large membership. We had a wonderful time there for two or three years, tennis, garden parties, dances, competitions, tournaments, dinners, chicken suppers, as well as a crowd of us swimming, more dancing 鈥� everything young people then did with gusto.

Being the age we were, we did not even notice the rumblings of war, until one of the men at the club, a member of a voluntary military unit was called 鈥榯o the colours鈥�, then another to perhaps the RNVR, the talk then was about a war which we never ever thought would really happen.

We were on holiday at the Riviera Lido Holiday Club {at Bognor Regis, West Sussex!}. The weather was wonderful, good company, lots of fun. Even there the telegrams came calling more men to the colours.

Prior to this, however, we thought perhaps we too should do something. Coincidentally there was a call for women to join the W.A.A.F. This rather appealed to us, blue suited both of us, that is how seriously we took it. However, we made enquiries and eventually had an interview with a Mrs. Chitty, unknown to us then, a senior officer. The nearest airfield was at Kenley, difficult to reach by public transport from Sutton, not many people of our age had cars then.

We decided not to join and carried on with our full and happy-go-lucky life.

Then came a letter from Mrs. Chitty, asking if we would consider joining the Women鈥檚 Auxiliary Territorial Service as there was a unit in our own Drill Hall in Sutton. We toyed with the idea and came the day when we called at the Drill Hall and had a chat with a Mrs. Palmer 鈥� in her uniform 鈥� she looked extremely smart and this went some way to our decision to join.

We signed up on the 20th June 1939. Drill nights were a hit and miss affair. Some girls came, some did not 鈥� there was no compulsion. We were taken for square drill by a person called a Corporal. Usually we were dressed in summer dresses and sandals. At this time nobody had explained how the army was organised and we knew nothing of ranks.

Imagine our utter amazement when we were issued with our uniforms. We then realised that Mrs. Palmer, being a Junior Commander, wore a far superior uniform. We were horrified, ours were awful, coarse material and miles too big 鈥� big for me, so for Mary 鈥� enormous! We had a promise that these would be 鈥榯ailored鈥�. Well they were, but not obviously by an expert. I remember the night we collected our uniforms, Mary and I went to the cinema 鈥� utter misery 鈥� the place was practically empty 鈥� people were downhearted and awaiting the unknown 鈥� and we sat there clutching these awful uniforms.

At a drilling session, our Officer said that as she had no knowledge of us, stripes would be given out and the recipients would earn them afterwards 鈥� ie. corporals, land corporals, sergeants and a sergeant major. The scheme misfired in some respects, but who were we to argue. We learned in good time that in the army you do not argue anyway, or not supposed to.

We became the 12th Surrey Platoon A.T.S. My rank and number:- Volunteer Goossens 鈥� W17405. We were not given stripes!!

War was declared, as we all know, on the 3rd September 1939, and I am sure it is still vivid in our memories; the day, the time and what we were doing.

Announcements on the radio told us to report to our units. We all did 鈥� 48 O.R.鈥橲 (other ranks) and two Officers 鈥� that was our compliment.

For three days we sat on flea ridden sandbags outside the Drill Hall with our packed suitcases (kit bags not yet issued) and things called iron Rations 鈥� mostly tinned food, and sandwiches for the day. Our O.C. was each day at War Office collecting her orders for us all and each evening she returned with none, until the 6th September. Whilst we were passing the time outside the Drill Hall, those three days, Mums passed and re-passed constantly 鈥� sad time really.

On the 6th we were eventually shouted at to 鈥榝orm fours鈥� 鈥� the shouting done by Miss Page, our Senior Leader (Sgt Major), who until then ran a tea shop in Cheam with her sister.

Our cases were loaded onto a truck with the help of some men from the East Surrey Regiment and taken to Sutton Station.

We had to march 鈥� this spectacle at that time caused a great stir in the town and embarrassment to us 鈥� but we acquitted ourselves well according to many who saw us, people we knew. At the Cock Hotel crossroads, Senior Leader rushed ahead and stopped all the traffic for our non-stop passage to the station.

We had no idea where we were going but we were told that when we boarded the train we would eat our lunch between Sutton and Victoria 鈥� so we did.

Alighting at Victoria we once again 鈥榝ormed fours鈥� and marched smartly off the platform on the suburban side, to the continental departures and onto the gate marked 鈥楧over鈥�. We were horrified 鈥� France at one go. On the train the ghastly news spread that during the 14-18 war, the women had to shave their hair off and use paraffin to keep the lice at bay!!

The refreshment service was still operating and a nice attendant brought our tea when ordered. During this journey, we wandered from carriage to carriage chatting to each other and got to know the people we were to live with for goodness knows how long and where.

We were truly apprehensive about our future 鈥� we were told nothing of course 鈥� secrecy had started.

Eventually, our train halted at Dover Priory. We did not know it then, but one stop further on would have been Dover docks. We alighted and got the instruction to form fours on the platform and a very handsome army officer met our Platoon Commander and proceeded to have a discussion. She then came to us and called for four volunteers, two clerks and two shorthand typists. Mary and I were scared of being separated so we looked at each other and decided to step forward. The two others were Vol. Muriel Sherriss and Sgt. Ada Cook, neither of whom we knew. We four were then taken off by Major Ashley 鈥� (terribly handsome) 鈥� to be billeted on a Mrs Gumbrill in the Buckland area of Dover. I cannot remember much of her but I can remember our bedroom. When you opened the door, it was easiest to step straight on to the bed for the door would not go the whole way, there was not room.

Before I go on, I will explain what was happening.

The 34th Signal Training Regiment RA was in the process of being formed. The number of personnel was minimal at this time. Our ultimate destination was to be Dover Castle, at the outbreak of war, occupied by the 1st Battalion Black Watch, they too were very shortly to be moved into battle. The bulk of our Platoon who we had left on the station, were all marched off and billeted in the town in houses at the foot of Castle Hill, more of them later.

I would explain here too that we had no knowledge of army life, knew nothing about it at all. We did as we were told. By this time, rank meant something to us, not a lot.

I cannot recall our first evening, but the next morning, Sgt.Cook 鈥榤arched鈥� the three of us in the gutter from our billet to the Church Hall which was a typical wooden affair, small, but with a stage and usual offices adjacent to the Vicarage and Church. Here we began to put the regiment together. I worked with a Major King and as men arrived in ones, twos or whatever with their details on scraps of paper, or cigarette packets, we began the nominal roll. We had an Adjutant, I remember, one or two Sergeants and Warrant Officers 鈥� all regular soldiers or reservists, either recalled or posted in.

It was terribly hot weather and we were not allowed to remove our jackets without orders from above. We wore thick lyle stockings and very serviceable shoes, imagine, after wearing those summer dresses and sandals.

During the day Major King offered me a cigarette, which I declined, 鈥渄on鈥檛 you smoke?鈥�. 鈥淵es鈥� I replied, but we are not allowed to whilst wearing our caps 鈥斺�淲ell take the bloody thing off鈥� he said. See how raw we were.

Whilst we were there, we used to be invited by the Vicar鈥檚 wife to take mid-morning and mid-afternoon refreshment in their garden, which was lovely, we did not feel quite such outcasts.

One evening we were let off early and we made our way down to the sea-front, which was normal then, before being later covered with barbed wire and out of bounds. To our amazement some of our girls had been having 鈥榮wimming parades鈥� as had many of the men of our regiment. I can remember too, the soldiers of the Black Watch, in their gorgeous uniform, kilt etc. looking so smart. This Battalion was practically wiped out when they did leave Dover, they went straight into the war zone.

The weather was still wonderful and walking along the prom was very acceptable.

We four were at Buckland for three or four weeks. After a few days we asked 鈥楥ookie鈥� {Sgt. Ada Cook} if we really had to march in the gutter, could we not just walk to work- after a little thought she agreed.

On our first Sunday morning at Mrs. Gumbrells, we awoke to hear a very strange noise and on looking out of our window, I think in every back garden as far as we could see, men were digging away, preparing their air raid shelters. Little did we realise then how they were to be needed, Dover really suffered.

Whilst we four were working in our Village hall, the remainder of the Platoon, after their initial relaxed time, were then starting to go up to the Castle. The 34th were gradually overlapping the Black watch and some of our girls were issued with dreadful brown overalls and put to work getting the cookhouse clean 鈥� it was filthy, they discovered that the black floor was in fact, red quarry tiles.

Eventually the whole platoon left the billets and made our way to the Castle 鈥� to our new home 鈥� Hudsons Block {now demolished} 鈥� a gaunt read brick Victorian building comprising entrance hall, boiler room and ablutions and two barrack rooms downstairs, upstairs two more barrack rooms and ablutions, and one small room, referred to as a bunk.

At this stage I would explain we did not know what a barrack room was, neither had we ever met the word 鈥榓blutions鈥� before. Our room was to the left of the front door, the one on the right was empty, upstairs both were occupied, one by cooks and orderlies, the other by clerks and some orderlies. We had iron bedsteads, above which was a cast iron locker and a chest of drawers between each bed. No curtains then, but blackout boards, which took two people to put in place each night and take down in the morning. On the beds were things called 鈥榖iscuits鈥�, three of them, which fitted the bed when laid end to end 鈥� hard they were. Two sheets, and I think, three blankets and a pillow. Now each morning, this bedding had to be folded neatly and stacked in a certain way and had to pass inspection every day, and we were not allowed to make our beds until after midday dinner.

Halfway down the barrack room there was a fireplace, besides which was a huge coal container, and in front, a table and two forms. We were not allowed to light the fire until 5pm, and this during the ensuing winter was awful. We had no chairs, hard or soft, no mess room, or any other comfortable room to go to. After dinner one could sit or lie on one鈥檚 bed or go out, which we mostly did and of course, to pubs which were warm. Our favourite rendezvous was a licensed restaurant called 鈥楾he Crypt鈥�, underground and safe. There were 16 of us to a room. These girls we had to get to know.

Now the 鈥榓blutions鈥� will almost defy description. There were three or four wash basins, three or four lavatories, then a 鈥榰rinal鈥�. No women had ever trod this ground before. No bath. We mentioned to the powers that we needed to have bathing facilities, and after a while were provided with old-fashioned HIP BATHS!! We put ours in the urinal, which was unused by us and hung a blanket across the entrance for privacy. The whole arrangement was awful really, but had to make do until a row of derelict bathrooms were repaired for our use. These were known as 鈥楰ing John鈥檚 baths鈥� and were a short walk from Hudson鈥檚 Block, so we had to make sure we had everything before we went out. One entered straight from a footpath into a bathroom, and the door had a gap top and bottom, a large bath and hot water. I never used them once the weather began to cool, for one thing I remember, the plug was too small so the water drained slowly away and it got very, very cold in there. Later we used to go down to the Grand Hotel in the town where one could have a hot bath for a shilling, cold one for 6d 鈥� quite a lot to come out of our 8/- a week. Once or twice I went to the public bath house 鈥� that was super, I think the attendant felt sorry for us because we had gallons more that the 5 inches allowed 鈥� she controlled the taps from outside the bathroom. I would tell you here, that graffiti had been scratched on the walls of our ablutions which made interesting and enlightening reading.

In Hudsons Block was a coke fired boiler which had been there since the place was built and was the most temperamental rotten thing you ever came across. The lighting of this was done by two people, on a rota system.

Not only did we have these chores to do, but after breakfast we were taken on a route march around the Castle grounds and P.T. on the green outside the Church. This had to be attended by everybody not on duty, which meant clerks, every morning because we were usually at our office by 8.30am. The cooks started about 5.00am or 6.00am. We had no recognised working hours. We stayed until the Sgt. said we could go, often being told to go back to work after tea. We could sometimes twist our Sgt. round our little fingers, we had never worked with lady soldiers before. The old soldiers did not really like us.

Also, one evening a week we were confined to barracks for a thing called 鈥榤ake do and mend, darning, washing etc.

It was some weeks before we were issued with army clothing. We all had a uniform, but wore our own underwear, night clothes and our own top coats, so we looked a very odd motley crowd in 鈥榗ivvy鈥� coats. After a while we were given 鈥榞reatcoats, mounted鈥�. Now these were designed for soldiers who rode horses and the back of the coat was made to drape over the horse! We looked rotten in them, so preferred to be cold and not wear them. We also had to wear at all times, gas masks in a khaki canvas holder with a shoulder strap and had to be worn correctly, diagonally across the body. This we did not always do, preferring to sling it over one shoulder hoping not to be caught, either by our own officers and N.C.O鈥檚 or the Redcaps {Military Police}. In later months as we got crafty, we used to go to civvy dances wearing dresses under our greatcoats, silk stockings under the lyle 鈥榠ssue鈥� stockings, and our dance shoes and make-up purses in the canvas holder, leaving the gas mask itself at the barrack room.

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