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"This story was submitted to the People's War site by CSV/´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Nottingham on behalf of Hazel Owens with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions"

In April 1939 I became a teenager. Sept of that year war was declared and we were all fitted with gas masks which we had to carry with us constantly.
The following year, 1940, I was old enough to begin working, it was best to find work at a hospital as being an orphan it was also somewhere to live.
In December of 1940 I became ill with appendicitis. We were at that time sleeping in the cellars in case of air raids, lying on mattresses on concrete white shelves. The hours we worked were long a tiring. I slept but apparently was groaning in my sleep, with the pain. The other 4 girls were of course disturbed. As Christmas was very near I tried to carry on until after the festivities. It was not to be. An older member of staff had reported my trouble, on Christmas Eve I was ordered to bed, the Doctor came, I needed an emergency operation. Because I was a minor my next of kin had to be found to sign a consent form. Kathleen my older sister was sent for. She was working at a local factory making gas masks for the troops. A daylight raid was taking place and the workers had been evacuated to the shelters. Kathleen was found and she signed the form. The operation went ahead. The thing that upset me most of all was not being allowed any food the following day — after all it was Christmas Day.

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