大象传媒

When I was called up in 1941, I was sent to an Army Laundry at School Aycliffe. School Aycliffe is outside of Heighington, it was a hamlet of 10 houses and a hospital, which the army took over in 1940. It was new and had never been used. It had it's own laundry and was under the command of Catterick camp.. We did the laundry for over 1500 soldiers every day plus the sheets ext from the hospital.

We started at 7.30 am - 7 pm, Monday to friday. 7.30 am - 12 noon on a Saturday. Approx number of workers was 50, mostly from Eldon Lane, Eldon, Coronation, Shildon, Heighington, School Aycliffe and three people from D'ton. Saying we washed for over 1500 every day may seem far fetched, but when I tell you what each soldier was allowed to send once a week, you'll not be surprised.

They could only send a shirt, vest , pants and 2 socks, wrapped in a towel. We were a happy crowd. We had 20 mins break in the morning and afternoon and 30 mins at lunch time. If we were lucky to have say a tin of baked beans or soup etc, the girl who looked after the canteen was able to get these warmed up at the cook house (yes, the whole place was taken over by the army, approx 300 - 400 soldiers who were not allowed to go beyond Aycliffe Village or Heighington until late 1944). There was entertainment put on for them eg. dances, boxing matches, shows etc. We were allowed to go to them all.

Amusing things happened. When we washed overalls, these were put outside on the grass to dry, then put in a warm room. Some times when we couldn't get them out they were put in a heap in this room and often took fire. If they happened to be there for a week, then it would be all hands on deck regardless of the weather and out they would go.

You worked in different sections 1st, sorting things (a safety pin with a No. and letter on was put in each artical). It then went to the washing department and washed in a big washer, then to the spinners to get the water out, then the drying department. Going from there to the sorting department where each was put in own piles and lastly to packing department. Yes, of course we often put notes in saying "I'll write to you if you write to me". A few of us, myself included, met and married the lads we met. My husband was killed 6 weeks after we got married in 1944.

The wages at the laundry were 拢1-9-6p, which isn't 拢1.50 pence in todays currency. The Aycliffe Angels wages were much more.

One thing we all remember is my 21st birthday, by this time, end of 1944. The soldiers at Walworth Castle held a dance every week to which we were invited and as at School Aycliffe we had to sign in and out at the guard room. On signing in on my 21st, I was told the Commanding Officer wanted to see me. He took me into a room at the Castle and I found a table laidened with food plus a birthday cake. The soldiers had begged the food and ingredients from the local farmers. The cake was topped with treacle instead of icing. A good night was enjoyed by us all.

Another night, coming home on our bikes, we found a soldier lying in the road. While some of us got him off the road, the others went back to the castle to get help. When they arrived with a light and a van, we found to our embarrassment that it was a local 'Home Guard' who had had a drop too much at their Christmas Party.

There has been in N.E an account of McMillian (Pilot) plane which took fire over D;ton Station. Well, we were on our way to a dance and saw it all.

The soldiers were not allowed passed the guard house, so we were never seen home, although my Father nearly always came to meet our group. To end this I must tell you my sister Maude and myself rang in the New Year in 1944/45. We rang it in on the side bells in the church that one person can ring. They are still there.

I've remembered how we entertained ourselves. We had in the village a G.F.S. 'Girls Friendly Society' run by the members of the church and on light nights we played rounders on West Green. We started as soon as we had, say 8 people, 4 a side and played till maybe 9pm. As people came they just joined in on the fielders side or the inning side. As the last bus to D'ton & Bishop Auckland was 9pm, we couldn't go to the pictures (cinema) and the soldiers could only go to Aycliffe Village or Heighington as the beer was on rations in the pubs, we had some very good games.

Early in the War, 40-42, German bombers used to come over the village almost every night. We used to watch the search lights try to find them and when they got one, passed it on from light to light until they got it over the sea.

Rosemary V Boynton (nee Wright)

p.s We only once had trouble at the Laundry and that was when we got a load of washing from some German Officers who were POW's at Windelson. The girls refused to do it. It was there for over a month. In the end Catterick persuaded the charge hands to do it. We never got any more. Our POW's weren't even given any soap or very little.

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