大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Bernie Hawkins and has been added to the website on behalf of Margaret Whitaker with her permission and she fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

Life was not always sad in wartime 鈥� I remember one embarrassing incident. My grandmother, in her late seventies, was keen to do something for the War effort, so she offered to wash the WRNS鈥� underwear and shirts (as long as they provided the soap). We were housed at that time (I think it was early 1944) in a house at the bottom of Dover Street in Ryde. Of course there were no washing machines in those days, and a lot of washing, so her offer was very helpful.

Several of the houses in Ryde Road, Seaview, where she lived, had been taken over by the Army and were filled with soldiers. We later learned that they were awaiting their departure for the second front and they found time hanging heavy. When, as a 22 year old, dressed in my WRNS uniform, I passed by on my bicycle, they would often whistle. I found it difficult to respond, so was considered rather snooty. One day I collected the little suitcase filled with clean clothes from my grandmother, put it on the cycle handlebars, and set off down the road. Imagine my horror when the lid of the case flew open, scattering WRNS鈥� underwear over the road 鈥� and the delight of the soldiers as they rushed to pick up the items, waved them in the air, and said, 鈥淢iss, you鈥檝e dropped these!!鈥� I avoided that route for a few weeks after that!

This was at the time when Spithead and the Solent were full of ships and barges awaiting the signal to proceed to France for the Second Front. I often wonder how may of those soldiers survived?

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.