Ciss Collins (on the right) with her Land Army friend, Jess Matthews. This picture was taken on 20 June 2005, after recording a feature for 大象传媒 South East Today.
- Contributed by听
- A7431347
- People in story:听
- Cissie Collins
- Location of story:听
- Wivelsfield, Sussex
- Background to story:听
- Civilian Force
- Article ID:听
- A4547667
- Contributed on:听
- 26 July 2005
This is a story about the adventures we had as Land Girls in the Land Army -- looking after the fields while the men fought.
In 1943 I was 22 years old, living at 28 Bentswood Road in Haywards Heath with my parents, brother and sister. I was in based nearby at Wivelsfield.
One day, I was working with another girl -- I think her name was Phil. We heard a Polish squadron flying overhead. It was chasing a doodlebug. Just before it reached us, the doodlebug's engines cut out -- a sure sign it was about to drop its bombs. It did. They landed 150 yards or so from us, at the Balcombe Viaduct.
The problem was, this line was used by the troops taking the train from Brighton. The train had to stop, of course -- and we found ourselves working as traffic controllers, having to give the train the all clear!
THIS STORY WAS ENTERED BY JOHN YOUNG OF 大象传媒 SOUTH EAST TODAY, ON BEHALF OF CISSIE COLLINS. SHE UNDERSTANDS THE SITE'S TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
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