大象传媒

I was 17 when war was declared but I already worked for the ATS as a volunteer so I left my city job in London and went to work for them full time. In 1942 I went to Northern Ireland in the "ack ack". There was bombing round Belfast. The battery was then transferred to Gosport. I remember the night before D-Day with all the troops going through.

I went to Normandy and the troops pushed on so well that I was then stationed with a tank regiment in Brussels. I was there for six months. We got to know a family whose son was a communist and in a concentration camp for the duration of the war.

Moving onto Holland, I was stationed in Tilburg at the Netherlands District HQ on the food drop. The two sisters we worked with gave us lovely ice cream. Then to Utrecht and The Hague. We were warned there were still Dutch Nazis around who were worse than the Germans. On a day off we were given a lift by Queen Wilhemina's driver. People were starving and I never forgot the sight of it. They would eat swill and tulip bulbs.

I was stationed at Potsdam while the treaty was being signed We were told to it was an honour to be there. We went to Churchill's house and told that he liked his sheets changed everyday. They were having a big banquet that night so they wanted us to come back later. We asked why and were told we would have to wash the dishes. I said we weren't there to wash dishes We were told it should be an honour to wash for Mr.Churchill. I told them I don't even wash the dishes for my mother. We went and saw our officer and she found someone else. Next day we were sent there again but all we had to do was serve coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon.

I saw the great victory march and met a lot of Russians in Berlin. We were all going into a dance and I couldn't find my Russian pass. I just waved an old ticket I had and got in. In Brussels we had tea dances; there were more men than women. We made the most of life. You forgot the awful things and emphasised the good times. On one occasion a friend was due to sing at a concert and just before she was due on she was notified that her fiancee had been killed in action. She still got on that stage and sang "Lover Come Back to Me". The tears poured down my face.

I was demobbed after the war. As the ATS did not have a good name I wanted to go in the Wrens. However I don't regret going into the ATS. A wonderful experience of feeling "Esprit de Corps".

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