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My War time experience was of a pea souper fog. I was in the ATS on twenty four hour leave in Hounslow with my mother-in-law and as usual we went to the Salvation Army. When we came out we could not see a thing so instead of catching the train from the West Street, she suggested I went from the East so I went up the steps and saw a train’s lights.

I made a dash for it and went down on the lines. I was too scared to move being afraid of the electric one when I saw my train approaching so I shouted for help and luckily there was a soldier and ATS Sergeant who heard me and got me up and said ‘we saw you dash by but never realized where you went!’.

I had a lump on my shin the size of an egg. When I got to Piccadilly Circus I could not find platform 2 mainline to Forest Gate ‘Z’ site; my torch gave out and I was walking around in circles. What a night! The guard was just slamming the doors. What a relief to sit down at last and a soldier was going my way so I walked with him but I still had to find my billet which was through a plantation so I felt my blindly to the door the Duty Corporal said ‘I did not expect you back tonight in this fog’.

It was 12.45pm and I had been travelling since 8am. What a Pea-Souper that was.

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