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This was told to me by my Mother, Jenny Siddle.
Soon after WW2 started I volunteered for the Army and became a teleprinter operator in the ATS Signals stationed at Topsham, South Devon. As the allies pushed across Europe I volunteered to be one of a handful of British signallers to join the American personnel based at S.H.A.E.F. (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force) at Versailles, France. However, getting here was not plain sailing!!

After travelling to Portsmouth overnight we marched along the Dock Road at dawn to embark on the ‘Cheshire’. It was still a passenger ship operating 1st and 2nd class service, just requisitioned to carry troops across the Channel. We, being ladies, were accommodated first class with officers only, on ‘B’ deck. An area had been cleared into which we were packed like sardines, sleeping on the floor. After riding out a storm during the night, unable to land, we all had the same idea to get into the ablutions early. Into the loos we packed when a little Chinese Bath Steward appeared, ‘Ladies, please! I clean first, you go, I clean, please.’ So we went only as far as the door. Two armfuls of toilet rolls were carelessly tossed on the washbowls. Reader, do not underestimate the lure of the humble toilet roll, they can be a beautiful sight, especially to ladies when they have not got one between them, not even an old newspaper to cut into squares with a hole and string through to hand on a nail! Upon leaving Portsmouth our orders had been ‘You will carry out orders unquestionably at all time to the best of your ability.’ Having no orders regarding toilet rolls, we used our own initiative and scooped the lot while the Bath Steward cleaned. They were replaced and no recriminations so we must have been forgiven. We discovered that a forward party that had gone ahead had managed to get a message back, ‘Bring as many candles and toilet rolls as you can.’ The ship carrying the initial stores had been sunk — hence no toilet rolls.

Due to the delay the ‘Cheshire’ had orders to shed it’s load and return to Portsmouth for another pickup. Next morning dis-embarkation of the American troops, packed in like sprats in a salt barrel commenced; in parties they were transferred to open landing craft two or three miles off the French coast. Before leaving the ship everyone was issued with a bottle of water and a 24 hour emergency pack containing a small tin of Spam, a packet of hard biscuits, a concentrated dried fruit bar, a bar of chocolate, strip of chewing gum and two sheets of toilet paper!! What we did not know then, was that this was to last us two days. Our party of ladies were amongst the last to dis-embark in the afternoon. Owing to circumstances, we found ourselves stranded for two days where we should have not been. All available transport had been used to convey troops straight up to the front. There we were, just where we landed and not allowed to move. As night came it turned cold and rain began to fall. The beach guards brought us a pail of coffee, half a mug each, even the drinking water was rationed. Later they erected a few tents to give us some protection into which you pushed to gain a footing. ‘Regulations’ stated that we had to travel in skirts and our trousers were to be folded in our kitbags. During the second night, an officer of the American Beach Re-construction Unit, whose engineers wee working there, blew his top when he discovered us there on his beach. The next morning some British trucks arrived with an officer, drivers and guards. We were given our orders — quote — ‘ We will be travelling through the night across the minefields which stretch extensively back inland. Mines have been cleared from the road and the road only. Repeat road only. There will be one stop during the night. On no account much anyone move on inch away from her truck. Everyone must do exactly as they are ordered. Is that clearly understood?’ We understood, the one stop was a comfort stop only. The Officer led us up the road to the where the trucks were waiting. Another 24 hour emergency pack was issued and our little convoy set off across France. Eventually in the middle of the night we came to a halt, a small gap left between each truck. The tailboards were let down and the men assembled in front of the lead truck. Our ladies climbed down, spent a penny behind each truck, climbed back in and the convoy continued on until we reached Versailles in the afternoon only to find more problems awaiting us there………..

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