大象传媒

The day War broke out, i was on Ilford Station seeeing my mother and three young children off to Ipswich as evacuees and thy were also carrying their gas masks. The air raid sirens went and my father pushed them onto the train and stayed with them. I walked home with everyone shouting to me, "take cover"! That was the 'phoney war', which lasted for approximately one year.

I was 17 and a half (both my young brothers were called up for the Army). I tried to joint he Air Force, but my parents refused to sign the consent form, so I eventually joined at 18.

I went to Bridgenorth in Shropshire for my basic training and wanted to be a driver. I was at various stations - Melksham, Morecambe and Gloucester, then I passed my driving test. After this I had my first leave at home.

I was stationed at Holmsley South in the New Forest and eventually became an ambulance driver. I was there wehn the two aircraft collided and found myself in the middle of two crashes. There were no survivors. The airfield was Holmsley and Beaulieu, the town connected with Lord Montague.

I moved to St Davids in South Wales - we all went together in a convoy with hooded headlights. There were no signposts and very few maps, all in case the Germans invaded. It took three nights to take all the mbile Motor Transport Unit to South Wales. We stayed in the YMCA Camarthen, only to be invaded by American troops who were stationed nearby.

I started as an ambulance driver, then graduated to coach driver, and drove air crew out to their aircraft. We used to take them to their mess to eat (usually bacon and eggs), they were given a packet of sandwiches and a bar of chocolate to take on the plane, then they collected their parachutes and had a briefing. We took them out to their aircraft and said goodbye and after twelve hours or so we collected them and did the whole thing in reverse.

We did this until D Day, and even for two days afterwards, when we actually heard the news of D day. We put in very long hours and continuous service over this period and only found out why later. The squadron was sent to Stornoway and the drivers were posted to other stations.

Later I was posted to the Victory Parade through London, with the King, Queen and two Princesses taking the salute. I drove and ambulance being one of the eight WAAF Drivers. There were fourteen of us in the Squadron, we all kept in touch after the war, now there are four or five of us surviving.

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