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Kathleen Logan

My name is Kathleen Logan and I am 82. I was born in 1921.

In World War II, I was18 and worked in the forestry service. I worked from 6am to 6pm every day. I was paid 10 shillings a week which is 50 pence now. I cut down the trees to use for repairs to ships and to build new ships, also for aeroplanes and other transport vessels. Every time we cut down a tree there were four trees planted in its’ place. This was done so there would still be enough to use in case or more war. I had one brother. He was a guard. One day when he was guarding the barracks, a bullet went over his head, it ricocheted off a wall and went into his foot.

I was born in the slums of Tyneside, but I loved it. Although every mother in the street was allowed to smack the children it wasn’t that bad. It was like having a lot of mothers to look after you. Anytime the sirens went off we had to grab rations or something to take to the shelter. When I was old enough, I was called away to the forestry service. I was in Coventry and that night they bombed Coventry to pieces. Part of the house collapsed and we were short a storey. It had hit the ladies house that I was in. The lady cried for the dog and the budgie, but not for her husband, I was ok and I walked out of the front door and at that time the Air Raid Patrol were on duty.

My uniform was riding britches, leather rounders for my ankles, because of all the snakes in the forest, shirts and coats. Once my uniform was taken to make clippie mat, which was a normal thing at the time, Luckily I didn’t have to pay for a new one because I was supplied with one when they heard the whole story.

At one time I lived in a cabin for a year and a bit. We chopped down all the trees in the area. We had a chemical toilet and had to go quite far into the forest. We would have to take turns to cooking. We had to cook on a log fire. To cook on a log fire it took about an hour to make a proper meal, which was quite easy.

After I came out of the forest and the war had ended I went back to my old job of caring for children. Now I live in St. Peters Residential Home Wallsend North Tyneside.

As told to the student’s of Churchill Community College on Friday 28th November 2003.

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