大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Elizabeth Perez of Stockport Libraries on behalf of Pat Bristow and has been added to the site with her permission. She fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

My husband was a regular in the RAF from 25th January 1934 to 1st October 1945. He was a NCO fitter servicing RAF aircraft and road transport, based at Royston, Hertfordshire. At one time during the war he was transfered to the Fleet Air Arm and subsequently went to Malta. Most of the time he was servicing bombers eg Wellingtons.

We were married in 1942 in St Mary's Levenshulme and we settled there. I was a shorthand typist and worked for a chemical company in the Royal Exchange. We were separated during most of the war and I lived with my parents. My husband had to deal with a lot of dead bodies. I went into the Civil Service in 1942, and passed my exam to be a Grade 1 Clerk working for the Senior Inspector of "B" Vehicles Western Command. That involved writing reports for a major and six captains, who went round inspecting the vehicles.

My parents had a grocery shop so we didn't want for anything in the grocery line. When I got married I wore my friend's wedding dress and we went to Bispham (near Blackpool) for our honeymoon. I was based at Whalley Range and I worked there until 1945 and then I left to have my daughter.

We moved to Cheadle about 1950. My husband worked as a vehicle inspector for the coal board (N. W. Division) so the skills learnt in the RAF were carried into civilian life.

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