大象传媒

"This story was submitted to the People's War site by Lois and has been added to the website on behalf of Enid Cooper with her permission and she fully understands the site's terms and conditions."

At one point during the war, girls were conscripted to replace men. I did a year with Ack-ack attached to searchlights, it was a change from office work. Then when Ack-ack was disbanded I was sent to Finsbury Circus in London with the Pay Corps.

It was one evening, while I was in the Ack-ack; we were on duty in the ops room with the telephones to the Search Lights when a message came through 鈥淭ake post enemy action鈥�. Three of us stood around the board with the Officer, which is a map of the area divided by zone search lights which gave us the zone number. The cry came up 鈥渢hey鈥檙e here鈥� so we told the airport and we could hear the aircraft circling around and dropping bombs. The men in a nearby Nissan hut were blown out of their beds. The men coming off duty came over to the ops room looking very pale. In the middle of all this the Officer put the kettle on a tortoise stove so we could have a cup of tea when it was over! Only an Englishmen could do that! The next day when we walked around we saw 6 craters.

One of the things I remembered most was belonging to the 鈥淯nited Nations Forces Witness Team鈥� for Forces in London from different parts of the world. An American rented a property near Marble Arch, and apart form other ventures, we were 300 to Bible Study and prayer meetings. On Sundays supported the small churches in London.

The other thing I shall always remember is VJ day when I knew what it was, to be moved along with the crowd. We were so many that we just couldn鈥檛 move, but the wonderful thing was that everyone was so happy, no bad behaviour or drunkenness.
We passed Winston Churchill鈥檚 place. He came out on the verdanah wearing his siren suit with a cigar and he made his famous V sign, we all sang 鈥淩ule Britannia鈥�. Then we were moved along to Buckingham Palace and shouted with the others 鈥淲e want the King鈥�. They came out on the balcony with Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret Rose. Everybody was happy, no bad feeling or behaviour. It was a wonderful day.

Then when we were demobbed it was rather an anti-climax. Having been clothed, fed and watered for 3 陆 years, we were given a ration book and 拢10.00 with a handshake. That was it, and were left to face the world on our own. I shall always remember that moment.

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