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This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Roger Marsh of the ‘Action Desk — Sheffield’ Team on behalf of Doreen Blore and has been added to the site with the author’s permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

A Day in the life of a N.A.F.F.I. Girl
Weidenbruck 1945

By
Doreen Blore (Nee Taylor)

I Became 21 years of age as the `Second World War' was ending, and volunteered for service abroad, as a N.A.F.F.I. cook. We sailed from Dover to Calais, then boarded a train that did not have any glass in the windows. After a long cold journey, we arrived at Badenhousen, in Germany. The weather was very bad, with snow and rain followed by floods, until Easter time when it began to improve.

Another N.A.F.F.I. girl, called Peggy, and I were pleased when two German ladies, who worked at our Hostel in Weidenbuck, offered to lend us their old bicycles to go out one afternoon. We said that we would just ride as far as the petrol dump at the end of the road and back again.

When we arrived, my front tyre had burst, but the soldiers at the dump offered to help. As they inspected the damage, there was a telephone call in the office from an Officer, to say that someone was coming, to raid the dump, to get the petrol. He was told about our presence, and that we were stranded. He said that he would come over to return us to our hostel, and that they were to keep us in the office until he arrived. We could hear a lot of banging, like gunfire and voices shouting. Through the crack in the hut, we could see dark figures running about in the twilight.

Our Manageress, Miss Gerrity, was very angry with us, when we returned, but she knew the Officer and he calmed her down. He suggested that in future everyone should sign a book to say where they were going, and at what time. I must have been frightened, because in my hand, I had two buttons that I had twisted off my jacket while we were hiding in the hut. A couple of days later, the bicycles were returned, with the tyre mended.

Pr-BR

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