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DORIS (DOT) CROCKATT (nee Longstaff)
AUXILLARY TERRITORIAL SERVICE

Dot was brought up in Startforth along with her brother. After school Dot was a nursemaid for a year, then went to work at Woolworths when it opened in Barnard Castle.

I met my husband in Barnard Castle before I went into the ATS, but married a year later after I had joined. He was a reserve fireman. He was also a motor engineer, which was a ‘reserved occupation’ as it was important to keep vehicles on the road. We got married at Startforth Church and then we went back to my Auntie’s home, Scar Foot Cottage which was down by the bridge. My dress and hat came from Swinbanks and we went to an hotel in Scotland for our honeymoon.

I had volunteered with a friend who I worked with, but she was not accepted as she suffered from asthma. I was sent to Edinburgh and didn’t like having to travel by train, but was ‘in’ straight away. People were given their uniform as soon as they were ‘cleaned up’. If people had dirty heads they weren’t given caps, so everyone knew why, if they weren’t wearing them!! I spent 21 days training ~ marching on the parade ground, PE, lectures, etc. and if you were good you got two stripes and became a Corporal.

I became a trainer at New Battle Abbey, in Edinburgh. They needed women to take over so they could release the men. I had never been ‘sporty’ before and although I hadn’t been long there, the recruits weren’t aware of this. I had to learn to shout as they wouldn’t stop otherwise! We would march them everywhere in threes, and I remember when it wasn’t very wide some would be in the gutter with wet feet. I also remember the shorts I had to wear that came down to my knees. The Scottish people were lovely and if you couldn’t get home on leave someone would always take you to their house.

I then came to Newcastle and everything was indoors in a big building ~ Fenham Hall Barracks. If I was the ‘duty sergeant’, which you did every now and again, I was first up in the morning and last to bed at night, otherwise they were normal days. I got 48 hours leave once a month and seven days every three months and remember having two weeks in hospital with chilblains on my heels. You made the best of things once you were there and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the ATS. I was going to transfer to Barnard Castle, but fell pregnant and came out.

Dot has lived in Barnard Castle since and brought up her family. She worked for over 15 years in Eric Anderson’s shoe shop

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