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15 October 2014
WW2 - People's War

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Fun in the ATS

by Ian Billingsley

Contributed by听
Ian Billingsley
People in story:听
May Lander
Location of story:听
Isle of Grain in Kent.
Background to story:听
Army
Article ID:听
A3991476
Contributed on:听
03 May 2005

May Taking Five Minutes Outside the Blackrock cafe which was used as the canteen.

During the war, I was in the A.T.S. I was stationed with the Heavy Ack Ack Battery 614 on the Isle of Grain in Kent. Of course we had to make our own amusements in those days. One evening some of the gunners, wanted one of their mates to play the piano for them; all he wanted to do was lie on his bed. Not to be put off by this lame excuse, they picked him up, bed and all, and carried him over to the N.A.A.F.I.
Another evening a fancy dress party was organised. The same gunner shaved his head and with the aid of a sheet, shoe polish and wire glasses, he dressed up as Gandhi. His costume was so good he won the first prize. A pair of hairbrushes.
In 1944 our section battery was sighted on the miniature golf course at Black Rock Brighton. We lived in constant threat of Doodle Bugs. We were in the dark about D.Day, but were aware of the constant flow of traffic and Landing Craft. In the evening, as we slept in tents on the gun site, we could hear the massing troops as they marched by quietly singing. D-Day itself, was very spooky. There was no sign of ships, soldiers or traffic. It was unusually quiet. Of course, we found out the reason why, a little later on.

May Lander.
Northleigh Oxon

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Auxiliary Territorial Service Category
Kent Category
Sussex Category
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