大象传媒

This story has been added to the 大象传媒 People's War site by CSV Storygatherer, Coralie, on behalf of Pat McCarthy, who has given her consent and fully understands the terms and conditions of the site.

I was 15 years old when war was declared and the fifth child of seven - 6 girls and one boy. Father had left two years previously.

My sister didn't enter the war effort as she was busy having seven babies of her own. The first to do any service was Elsie. She joined the NAAFI and was stationed at the Citadel. She was there when she met her soldier husband in the R.E.M.E. The next one to join up was Joyce, who at 18 joined the WRENS and was stationed at MANADON. The next to join up was my only brother, Malcolm, who went into the RAF at around 20. He went on to train as a Rear Gunner in Bomber Command. His first 30 ops were over Germany and his story touches me deeply. Such young men doing that long night-time flying, sitting in a rear turret, freezing cold and staring into the dark, looking for enemy aircraft. I asked him if it worried him killing and bombing. He said he just did what he was ordered to do, but now at 82, he clearly remembers the awful details. By the end of the war, he had done around 60 trips and got the DFC st the Palace.

I went next. In 1942, at 17 1/2, I joined the W.A.A.F. and went to Innsworth, Gloucester for square bashing, then trained as a Barrage Balloon operator. A year later, they called for women to volunteer to train as the first women Flight Mechanics. We trained at RAF Cranwell - we were Wing Commander Steddy's girls. We wore battledress and navy berets on the flights, but skirts and jackets onthe Parade Ground. I worked on Oxfords and Ansons to begin with, then (American) Harvards, and finally got on Spitfires. As a Flight Mec 'A', I was on every part, excluding the engine, they were "FME's". We did daily tests before take-off. I remember having to sit on the tail-plane of the Spitfires, to prevent the tail lifting up, as they were 'revved up' to test the engines.

It was a lovely job and we worked alongside the lads. We had camp Ballroom dances on the camp, or we went to Sleaford or Lincoln for trips out. We had top rate wages - 拢1 2s 6d a week, paid fortnightly, and I could send some to Mum. We didn't have make-up, perms etc. but curled our hair with pipe cleaners.

In 1945 I caught pneumonia and pleurisy, working out of doors in inclement weather without sufficient protective clothing. At 21 years of age, after 18 months in hospital, I was invalided out of the W.A.A.F.

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