´óÏó´«Ã½

MARGARET SYKES (nee Collinge)
AIR MINISTRY

Margaret was brought up in Ashton-under-Lyne, where her father was a master plumber. After school she did the Civil Servants’ exam for Clerical Officers and was offered a job in London, which at first she refused.

At the age of 19 I decided to accept the job. I was very nervous, but had a friend who had also gone to work in London. I lived at various girls’ hostels, including the Girl Guide Hostel in Palace Street, until I was ‘thrown out’ at the age of 21. I then moved to one in Vincent Square which got bombed ~ the flats behind it were hit by a Doodlebug. It was a Sunday morning and I saw it coming as I was walking onto the stair head. There was glass flying around and I got a cut on my arm. This was the same day as they bombed the Guards’ Chapel and a lot of the guards were killed ~ it was the worst I remember. After that four of us went to live in a flat in Hampstead.

I had worked for the Air Ministry for two years before the War started and this expanded during the War to include the Ministry of Aircraft Production and then later, the Ministry of Defence ~ all in the same office. I did finance work and I had to work on the costs for things for works and buildings related to aircraft factories. I was authorised to spend up to £2,000, which was a lot at the time. I would telephone the factories but would also meet people from them to discuss things.

I used the tube and buses to get to work. You got used to the danger and if the air raid siren went you got yourself into the nearest substantial building. Sometimes I carried a gas mask. I had my lunch at the Ministry and cooked for myself at other times. The food at the time was adequate, but there was not a lot of variety. I enjoyed the weekends and would spend Sundays at Kew Gardens or a museum. I also enjoyed going to the North Downs & Chilterns where there were lots of flowers not found up here.

In 1942 the Ministry was evacuated to Harrogate for two years. The offices were divided amongst various big hotels and I worked in the Crown Hotel and was billeted with a very nice lady. Back in London we put the radio on at lunchtime on VE Day and heard the news about the end of the War in Europe. There were masses of people in all the squares and I joined them in the afternoon, but it all got a ‘bit too much’ for me! There were similar celebrations on VJ Day.

I met my husband, Cliff, on a train. We both had rucksacks, which were a ‘talking point’. I was going to the Youth Hostel in Sevenoaks and Cliff was on leave and we spent the weekend together. Then he was sent to Algiers on the second convoy and I didn’t see him for three years, though we corresponded regularly. He returned in November 1945 expecting all to be happy here, but he said he found a very bleak country after Algeria and italy. We were married in July 1946 at Ashton-under-Lyne.

After getting married Margaret and Cliff came to live in Stainton and brought up their family. Margaret has done surveying of flowering plants and ferns for the Botanical Society in Durham and North Yorkshire. She is also keeping a moth trap for Rothhampsted Research Station.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.