大象传媒

Like most people of my age, my unforgettable memories revolve around World War Two.

They start with thoughts of evacuation with my school, from Birmingham, in September 1939. How well I remember the 鈥済oodbyes鈥� to my family and my particular friend Brenda. (She was not taking part in the school鈥檚 evacuation to Cheltenham).
We went on a favourite walk and sang, with great feeling:鈥漈here鈥檒l always be an England鈥�.

I was very unhappy to leave my family and couldn鈥檛 see the point of presumably, living safely in Cheltenham, when they might die in an air raid on Birmingham.
However, the air raids on Birmingham did not commence until my school returned. Worrying as it was, to live through nightly bombs and incendiaries, at least we were all together in our musty-smelling shelter in the garden.

In a short time I was 17, and volunteered to join the Women鈥檚 Royal Navy Service. However, during the first fortnight, living in huts in the grounds of a castle in Scotland, I again had to become accustomed to living away from home.

After two weeks probation, came the 鈥減assing out parade鈥�, when some unfortunate women literally did 鈥減ass out鈥� (temporarily!). Now we could exchange our depressing, prison-like overalls for a smart uniform and I became a Wren.

The most memorable posting, after volunteering for overseas service, was the one to Trincomalee in Ceylon (or Sri Lanka as it is now known). It was not to be a straightforward leaving of British shores, as three embarkation leaves ensued. This was due to the victorious ending of hostilities.

However, eventually we set sail from Portsmouth in the 鈥淎thlone Castle鈥�. It was a magical voyage for a 19-year old, arriving at last at the palm fringed shores of Ceylon and the sparkling white buildings of Colombo. Colombo had huge homes like palaces surrounded with gardens and colourful flowers. The air was a mixture of blossoms and spices, so different from all we鈥檇 known.

Life was comparitively easy for us as the war was now over. We looked after the Navy鈥檚 mail in an office overlooking Trincomalee harbour and our social life was never to be repeated. Swimming, sailing, picnics and parties and the deep tropical skies like velvet, that made you feel you could reach out and find the moon.

Nine months later I returned home, happy to see my family once more, but sad to leave my new friends.

After the warmth of what was almost tropical paradise, Britain looked cold and worn. But, nevertheless, it was a century full of hope at that time, and most of us eventually settled back into a different type of life.

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Becky Barugh of the 大象传媒 Radio Shropshire CSV Action Desk on behalf of Beryl Tucker and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

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