大象传媒

Recalled by Mrs Wynne Puddifoot

of:

Garden Cottage
Priory Road
Warwick.

It was September 1941.

My friends Pat and Joan and I had been the best of pals since the age of five and had been almost inseparable. We even now worked in the same office, and so it was not surprising that now we reached the age of eighteen, we decided to do our best for king and country and join the Army. And so, one lunchtime break, we all cycled up to the A.T.S. recruiting office and signed up.
The worst part was yet to come, telling our parents. I knew this was not going to be easy. Mom was upset, although she knew that after the age of eighteen I could have been forced to join up anyway. Dad was so angry he could hardly speak. I told them that I would not be going abroad because my three elder brothers were already in North Africa and I had, therefore, been given the choice of staying in England if I wished. Mom seemed a little better when I told her this, but dad was still angry.
On the day of our departure Pat called for me and I said good-bye to the family, gave my dear mom an extra hug and told her I would see her again soon.
As I walked up the garden path I was surprised to see that almost all the neighbours had gathered at their garden gates, many with tears in their eyes, to wish us a fond farewell and to wish us good luck. By this time Joan had joined us as well, and she and Pat burst into tears also. I had cried my tears in bed the night before, wondering if I had done the right thing.
We arrived at the recruiting office to find it crowded with young women. There was a very excited buzz going around the room. After all, we were all at the beginning of a great adventure, and it was the first time that many of us had been away from home and the protection of our families.
A sharp rap on the table brought silence and we were welcomed into the service and sorted out into our particular drafts. We were told we were headed for Wrexham in North Wales for our initial training, and we then marched to the railway station.
It was a beautiful sunny day, and when we boarded the train our hopes were high that at last we were going to do something useful to help our country in its hour of need.
As the train chugged its way through the beautiful countryside I decided to stretch my legs and stood with the door of the compartment open. Suddenly the train jerked to a halt and the door closed onto my thumb. I came too a little later with my friends clucking around me like mother hens and a thumb twice its normal size. One wag said, 鈥淚f your thumb had been chopped off, you might have been invalided out before you had even started鈥�. What a comedian!
We arrived at Wrexham only to be told we should have been in Warrington. Our papers had been mixed up. They provided us with a good, hot meal of bangers and mash and told us we would start out for Warrington at 6.30 the next morning. Unfortunately, they chose to have a mock air raid that night and had us all in the shelters for 2 hours or more. We, of course, thought the air raid was real. All I could think of, though, was my throbbing thumb.

We were a sleepy eyed lot who assembled for breakfast next day, having lost several hours of sleep, but after a good breakfast we were on our way back to the railway station en route for Warrington.
After an uneventful journey we eventually found ourselves entering the gates of the barracks. One of the girls had the temerity to walk on to the parade ground, when a voice yelled at her 鈥淜eep off that parade ground. Walk around it unless you are on parade or drilling鈥�. Oh well. How were we to know? But we learned our lesson. In fact, we learned a lot of lessons very quickly.
After a meal we were taken to our living quarters. We were to live and sleep in huge dormitories, and were allocated our beds, on which were stacked sheets, pillows and blankets. We were taken to the stores and equipped with all our small gear like mess tins, knife, fork and spoon, housewife, button stick, ground sheet, shoe brushes, Army shoulder bag, and a host of other small gear. We wondered where we would put it all, but we managed somehow. We were told to make our beds, army style, and were then told we were off to the stores again to collect some clothing. We were beginning to feel a little bit fed up, we seemed to be always on the move to somewhere.
Our next little forage was to get our khaki knickers and a huge groan went up when we saw them. Khaki, with elastic at the knees and quite large. Surely they made smaller ones than this! Next we were given shirts, ties, underwear, shoes and gym kit etc., and I was given a lovely, warm jumper from the W.V.S. , which I kept for the rest of the war. It kept the cold out from many hundreds of freezing days, and I would have liked to have known the dear lady who made it. W.V.S. ladies - take a bow. You helped us all in so many hundreds of ways during the war.
Pat and Joan were kitted out in their uniforms and looked great. Unfortunately, they did not have one to fit me, and I had to wait a few days for it, in the meantime making do with a very large overcoat and a very creased up hat, and I must say I looked a bit of a mess, and my friends took the mickey out of me.
On the fourth day, I was told to collect my uniform from the stores, and it was great - a perfect fit and beautifully pressed, and another far more respectable hat. It was well worth waiting for. That night I polished my buttons, cap badge and shoes until they gleamed, and at last began to feel something like a soldier.
Before we joined up we had talked about what we would like to do, and all three of us had decided we would like to be drivers. It seems that all the others would like to do the same, which whittles our chances down somewhat. Pat said 鈥淲ell, we鈥檝e got as good a chance as anyone else鈥�, but I still felt apprehensive. It would be too good to be true if we got the job we wanted and still all stayed together. We were a pretty mixed up crowd, mostly between eighteen and thirty, but a few older ones also. They came from all over the British Isles and from many other countries too. One was an Australian and another a
Norwegian girl called Ossie, who had been an opera singer before joining up. Tilly, our Scots friend, asked her if she would sing for us. She was a bit reluctant at first as it was close to 鈥楲ights Out鈥�. 鈥淎lright鈥�, she said. 鈥淛ust one. Get into bed, all of you, and I鈥檒l
sing One Fine Day from Madame Butterfly.鈥� I don鈥檛 suppose many of us knew much about opera, but many must have been converted that night. Her voice was pure, beautiful, magical. It affected us all deeply. It affected me for life. I have a great love for many different kinds of music that has taken me through many moods and changes in my life and often given me great comfort.
We woke up next day to the news that we were on the move again, this time to a place in Cheshire just a few miles away - a big, old grey house in its own grounds. Here we were to have inoculations and further assessments of aptitudes.
Good news when we arrived. We could have a weekend pass, but would we have time
to get home to Birmingham and back? We were told that we could get a bus outside the gates of High Legh to the railway station, train to Birmingham and then a bus from the city to our homes. So we found ourselves at the bus stop, thinking that even one night at home would be heaven. As we waited, a little old, grey van pulled up right beside me and a man鈥檚 voice said 鈥渄id we want a lift?鈥� I asked him where he was going, and he said Birmingham. What astonishing good luck! I jumped in the front, Pat and Joan and three other Brummies got in the back, and we started off.
Our new friend was a very pleasant man, married with three children and delighted to have company on the way home. I decided I鈥檇 swap places after a few miles to give one of the others a more comfortable ride. After about 30 miles we decided we would stop at the next cafe for a cup of tea, and we鈥檇 do our changeover then. When we had started on our journey the girls in the back were singing away happily, and we could hear them laughing and joking. Suddenly we realised that everything was quiet, not a sound, or, was that a cough?? And another? The driver stopped the van, raced around to the back, opened up and found all the girls slumped and in quite a bad way. He heaved them out from the exhaust fumes, which filled the van, and they quickly came round, although they still coughed a bit. Something had gone wrong with the exhaust. Our luck was in again, we found a garage, which fixed it and a cafe to recover in, and when it was time to go I swapped places. We had thought we would be taken to the Birmingham city centre and that would be where our lift ended, but our new friend took us to the end of our road. An especially kind man.
Was it only about two weeks before that we had left here? So much seemed to have happened to us and yet here at home everything seems to be the same. 鈥淪ee you tomorrow 鈥� says Joan and disappears down her garden path. As we reached my gate, I said to Pat 鈥淚 hope dad isn鈥檛 still angry鈥�. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l be alright.鈥� she said. I went in at the back door and mom hadn鈥檛 seen me coming. We hugged and kissed each other and I asked where my father was. 鈥淗e鈥檚 having a nap, go up and wake him鈥�. 鈥淲ill he be alright, mom? He was angry when I left鈥� 鈥淕o and see.鈥� she said. I tapped gently on the bedroom door, went in, bent over my dad and gave him a kiss. When he saw it was me, tears filled his eyes and all he could say for a few moments was 鈥淥h, my little girl.鈥�
I was back in the fold again.

*

After a lovely weekend, which passed by very quickly, we all returned by train to Cheshire, and very soon got back into our stride again. We were given inoculations and vaccinations, many lectures and more aptitude tests. We were taught how to march properly and to respond to orders immediately, which didn鈥檛 come easily to some of us, but we learned quickly to do as we were told. I must say that we were already feeling very fit and confident after just a few weeks. The time had come after four weeks basic training to be told which jobs we were to be given, which training regiments we were to go to. I felt very apprehensive, so did Pat and Joan. They were being sent to an artillery regiment to be taught how to work on the Ack Ack guns. A very important job, working side by side with the men on the gun sites. I expected to do the same, instead I was given my first choice of going to a Drivers Training Regiment, and I was delighted about that but sad that my friends and I would be split up after all these years.
The time had come for me and about four others to go to Hereford, where I was to start my driving course. Every day several of us would climb into a truck and take our turn at the wheel for 20 minutes instruction. The driving instructors must have had the patience of Job, but over the weeks they licked us into shape and we began to really enjoy it. We also had to learn to maintain our vehicles and to do small running repairs. Although we ended our day鈥檚 work often covered in oil and grease, I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a great deal.
After a passing out parade, we were given seven days leave, after which we would be sent out to different units. I was told I would be going to Maidstone in Kent. Pat and Joan were also on leave and we made the most of our time together, going out on long bike rides in the daytime and dancing at night at our local Y.M.C.A. Sometimes I would go shopping in the morning with my mother, often waiting in long queues for scraggy little bits of meat and occasionally a couple of sausages or a small piece of liver. It was very hard for my mom to make the food go round. We had been given a ration card when we came on leave, which helped a bit, but it could never compare with the food we had in the army, which was plain cooking, but plentiful.
While I was home a letter came from one of the twins in North Africa, saying that he had just been to visit my eldest brother, Ted, in hospital. He had been driving in a convoy when it was dive bombed by some German Stuka dive bombers, and had been quite badly burned. By the time Les had got to see him, he was recovering well and no lasting damage had been done. It really brought the horror of war closer to us as a family. After all the bombing that Birmingham had suffered over the years, all the nights we had spent in the shelter with Ack-Ack guns pounding away outside, and bombs dropping and incendiary bombs starting fires all over the place, we thought we were getting hardened to it all. But mom and I still cried about Ted, and I know how I suddenly realised how much I loved them all.
The leave ended. I was given reams of advice from my mom about how to take care of myself and I said goodbye again. My next leave would be in three months鈥� time, although I might get the occasional weekend pass.
And so back to New St. station I go, and I am absolutely loaded with my kit.... a kitbag so full I couldn鈥檛 get another sock in, a case, a hat, gas mask and heavy greatcoat. I could hardly move. So my younger brother, Bill, was roped in to help me. The station was crowded as always with members of the forces and the train, when it came in, was packed within minutes. I was lucky enough to get a seat, and a young soldier hoisted my kit up on to the luggage rack. I waved goodbye to Billy and thanked him. The train started up and we were off.
People in uniform are usually very friendly to each other, and within seconds cigarettes were handed round and everyone was chatting away to each other and the journey passed very quickly. We were nearing London and were horrified to see the bomb damage on either side of the railway track, whole streets razed to the ground. We had seen terrible damage in Birmingham, but nothing to compare with this. I felt a sick feeling go through me. How can people do these things to each other? I had heard that people were sleeping in the Underground stations because they felt safer there with their children. And they had been going through this for over two years. I felt such an anger inside of me, and I could see it in the faces of my companions too.
Soon we were pulling in to Euston Station, and a young sailor who was heading for Victoria Station, as I was, and knew how to get there, took my kit bag, heaved it onto his shoulder, and we took off for the Underground, first to Charing Cross and then change for Victoria. It seemed like the whole world had come to London, and there were people in uniform everywhere. I felt a bit overwhelmed and I was glad my new friend was with me to boost my confidence. When we arrived at Victoria Station we parted company, and I found the platform for Maidstone. Once again, the train filled up pretty quickly, and I started on the last part of my journey to Maidstone. I had been told that someone would meet me there and take me the rest of the way by road. I would be very glad to get this journey over and done with.

*

Quite a lot of people alighted at Maidstone and when they had gone I noticed there were two other girls in A.T.S. uniform waiting around with all their kit. I asked if they were going to the same place as me, and they said yes. As we spoke, another young lady in uniform came hurrying along the platform, and said she would be taking us to our destination. She asked us what our names were - Margaret, Joan and myself , Wynne we told her, and she introduced herself as Kathleen. She had a beautiful speaking voice and seemed to be very sophisticated. We liked her immediately. She drove us about three miles out of Maidstone and then turned off into a long drive, and then stopped in front of a most attractive country house. We unloaded our kit and went inside into a very large hall with a huge Inglenook fireplace with a log fire burning in it.
There were several women in uniform sitting around, all with a F.A.N.Y. flash on the top of their sleeves, which denoted that they belonged to the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, an elite group of the Women鈥檚 Services. Like Kathleen, they were all well spoken, and made us very welcome.
I must say that after the three bedroom semi that was my home, this new abode was something special for me, I fell in love with the house. We were shown around the rest of the house and shown which room to put our kit. The three of us were to share a large bedroom, which had a view across the grounds. I hoped we were going to get on well together. So far so good anyway.
We put our gear away in the dressing tables provided, and made our way downstairs and into the hall again, which was obviously the main sitting room, and awaited the gong, which was to call us for dinner. I think we newcomers were feeling slightly bashful. This environment was very different to the barracks at Hereford and Camberley, where we had come from. One of the first comments I had heard when I came into the room was a young woman telling someone that 鈥淢ummy was at Finishing School in Paris鈥� with someone or other. Not your common or garden family, I would say, but they were very nice to us.
After dinner the three of us decided to go down to the village to try and get our bearings around the place. There was not very much to see, a few cottages, a couple of shops and a pub - not a lot of use to me as I had never been allowed inside one at home, and anyway I just loved dancing. So if we wanted entertainment we would have to go into Maidstone.
We had a long walk, which made us all feel more relaxed, and we made our way home and decided on having an early night and hopefully a good sleep, ready for what the next day would bring.
We awoke to a rather gloomy day. We had a bath in a very luxurious bathroom, in a black and amber marble bath - very swish, and then made our way down to breakfast of bacon and eggs. I decided I had room for just one piece of toast. On the table there were several jars of marmalade and a large fat jar of what I thought was chocolate paste. I helped myself liberally to it and blushed when I realised everyone was looking at me. One of the girls said 鈥淒o you always eat it like that?鈥� 鈥淵es.鈥� I said, although I had never tasted it before. It was Marmite, and I had spread it one really thickly. My mouth felt like it was on fire, but I had to plod on and eat it, with everyone watching me. All around my mouth was red and sore, and was I glad to leave the table at last. Serves me right for being greedy. I learned to take my Marmite a little at a time if I was to enjoy it.
After breakfast we were to see our commander in her office. She welcomed us into the company, and told us that as it was an ambulance company in the main, she would like to take each of us out for a drive to see if we were up to standard. The other two went first and didn鈥檛 seem to happy when they returned.
Then it was my turn. I was to drive a Morris Brit ambulance, and I noticed two heavy ambulances in the M.T. yard, also cars and a utility.
We started off, and she directed me to a hospital just outside Maidstone and had me reversing in and out of the loading bays there, after which we had quite a good run around the town and the country lanes, and then homewards. I asked her had I passed, and she told me yes and that I would be given my driving licence when we returned. I was so pleased. Unfortunately, the others had not passed. One stayed on as a clerk and the other would be re-trained, although she would remain in the same company. I felt so disappointed for them.
One of the jobs we had to do was night duty at the military hospital. We went on at eight and stayed until eight the next morning. We had our own little room with bed and wash basin etc. and were on call for anything that might happen during the night.
The first night I was on duty the buzzer went and I went to the main desk to be told where I was needed. Two medical orderlies were there and told me two soldiers had been involved in a road accident and we had to go and fetch them in. I was extremely nervous, but when we reached the scene, the orderlies told me to stay in my driving seat, as there was nothing I could do to help. Both soldiers were injured and there was quite a lot of blood around, but the orderlies said they would recover and I was very relieved that all I had to do was drive. The next morning I fetched several bottles of blood plasma from the railway station, picked up some V.A.D.鈥橲 from their billets and brought them to the hospital for their daily shift, and that was my first night duty over. It wasn鈥檛 too bad after all.
On my second night, I reported in at the hospital and was told one of our girls had been brought in with Appendicitis and was to have an operation tomorrow. I was told which ward she was in and said I would pop in an see her. She was a North Country girl . I had noticed her back at the house and she seemed very quite and kept herself to herself. She seemed quite pleased to see me and I asked if there was anything she needed, and she said 鈥淣o, thank you鈥�. I said maybe someone would come in and visit her tomorrow and she replied 鈥淚 doubt it, they don鈥檛 like me there because my father is an industrialist up North and these people don鈥檛 like 鈥榯rade鈥�. It doesn鈥檛 matter how wealthy we are, we don鈥檛 belong.鈥� I was very surprised, and I was sorry for her. I promised I鈥檇 look in on her again, which I did.
During the next few days, I spent quite a lot of time cleaning and doing maintenance in the M.T. yard. Although it was cold I rather enjoyed doing this and there was usually someone else working on the vehicles at the same time. Of course, I knew very little about the way an engine worked, but I was learning all the time, and people seemed happy to answer my questions. I was also given quite a lot of driving to do, most of it locally. My first long trip was to the Queen Mary hospital at Roehampton. One of the older girls was to accompany me, as I had absolutely no idea where to go. We were given some instructions and shown a map, but we were very rarely allowed to carry a map with us. There were also no road signs in wartime. At first, we seemed to find our way around by looking for landmarks like churches and bridges etc. I don鈥檛 remember ever getting lost. Anyway, Jo and I picked up our patient in one of the heavy ambulances from the military hospital. I learned from one of the two orderlies that the patient was to go to Q.M. for amputations. I was so sorry about this, but he seemed quite cheerful in spite of everything.
When we arrived, we went into the admission room, and there were many men in hospital blues sitting around in wheelchairs. One lad looked about my age, around eighteen years old. He had lost both his legs below the knee. His face was so bitter. I鈥檒l always remember him, he had dark, curly hair and beautiful brown eyes, and he looked as if he had nothing to go on for. I hoped that life would get better for him, and that God would help him. This hospital had many such cases but somehow this lad鈥檚 face had a profound effect upon me.

*

The orderlies had returned to us now after getting our patient booked in. Jo asked me if I would like her to drive part of the way back and I agreed, I was glad of the break.
It was the week before Christmas, and the weather had turned really cold. Holly and mistletoe had been collected and a huge Christmas tree had been put into the hall and was now being decorated - everything looked perfect. I was really looking forward to Christmas, although I knew that I would miss being with my family. But it was much too soon for me to expect any more leave. Anyway it would be a totally different experience here and I knew plans were being made for us to have parties at some of the other big houses in the area.
Margaret and I were still sharing a room and got on very well. She didn鈥檛 seem to mind too much about working in the office. It was what she had done in Civvy St. We went into Maidstone sometimes for shopping and sometimes to a dance for to the picture house, and I think we gave each other moral support as sometimes these older, sophisticated women could be a bit overpowering without even being aware of it. It was just their way, but it wasn鈥檛 ours, of course. They were still very kind and helpful to us though.
A Christmas parcel arrived from home, I decided to save it for Christmas day. Also a letter from my dad, telling me what had been happening at home and that everyone was well but missed me. I had been on night duty, last night, uneventful until this morning, when I had to fetch a mother and father from the station, to the hospital. Their son had died during the night. I had strict instructions not to give them any information at all. They asked me so many questions and I had to say that 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know anything, and I had just been told to pick them up.鈥� They were so hopeful and I found it very hard to think what they were about to go through.
My driving has improved greatly, and I am getting to know my way around and going further afield in Kent, and also into Surrey and Sussex. This company has outposts of varying sizes in all of those places and we paid them visits from time to time for a variety of reasons. I really was enjoying my work. No two days were ever the same, and I feel very confident. It is now three and a half months since I first joined up.
Christmas day has arrived and our officers and sergeant served us early morning tea, an old army custom, apparently. Everyone was wishing a happy Christmas to every one else, and the big hall looked bright and festive. The tree was beautifully decorated. The log fire was burning brightly, and to us , the day promised to be a very special one. I missed seeing my family though. This was my first Christmas away from them, and in my heart I was saying happy Christmas Mom and Dad, and all of you, especially Ted and the Twins, who were in North Africa.
After breakfast, Margaret and I went for a long walk. the trees were covered in frost and looked very pretty. We really stepped out to keep warm. When we reached the village, we saw a little girl pushing her new dolly in a pram and we stopped to admire it. Her mother appeared on the doorstep, and asked us if we would like to go into the house for a warm and a drink. We thanked her, but declined, wished her and her little girl a merry Christmas, and carried on with our walk. We met quite a few soldiers along the lanes, and we were invited, once or twice, to visit the Pub for a Christmas drink, but we told them we did not drink alcohol, and would rather not. We decided to turn back as we had walked further than we had intended. The little girl was still there when we got back to the village, and we gave her a shilling to put in her money box, and she ran inside to tell her mummy. Once again we wished them merry Christmas, and carried on back to the house.
Lots of presents had been placed around the tree, including my parcel from home. They were to be opened after lunch. We went upstairs to get ready and waited until we heard the gong. The dining room looked a picture when we went in, with holly and mistletoe on the walls and the table was spread with beautiful white damask cloths and napkins, centre vases of flowers, crackers, bowls of fruit, beautiful cutlery and glassware. We took our places at the table. I don鈥檛 know how we all fitted in, but somehow we did. The meal was perfect, but I suddenly felt choked up with homesickness for my family. I wondered how mom and dad would be coping with four of us being away.
When the lunch was over I collected my parcel from under the Christmas tree and took it up to the bedroom so I could savour it in peace. There was a little gift from everyone, just small things such as handkerchiefs, talc, and writing case and fountain pen, sweets (they had used their precious sweet coupons), writing paper and envelopes, perfume and a small Christmas cake. So lovingly put together shed a few tears. I said before how much I loved them all and I do, I really do.
*

Over the Christmas and New Year period there were many invitations to parties at the other big houses. I went to only one. As I have said before, I had not been allowed to drink alcohol at home, and I was not into standing around making small talk for hours on end, and I had nothing in common with the other guests anyway, most of whom were officers. I was quite happy to volunteer for an extra duty or two. Margaret and I were quite happy to have quiet evenings in, reading and listening to the wireless or gramophone. Our favorite records were Charles Trenet singing 鈥淟amaire鈥�, Richard Taubers singing music from the 鈥淥perettas鈥� and of course Vera Lynne and Bing Crosby.
All very nostalgic stuff. Music was a link between families and loved ones, who were sometimes thousands of miles apart. There was a programme called 鈥淔orces Favourites鈥�, which was played on Sunday mornings, which was extremely popular. Apart from the music I have already mentioned, quite a lot of opera music was played such as Tosca, la Boheme, Intermetzo from Cavaleria Rusticana and Madame Butterfly, and many people began taking an interest in this beautiful music for the first time. There was music for everyone and it was a most popular programme. I loved operetta and ballet music myself. As I said before, there was something for everyone.
We were now into the New Year and the weather was decidedly colder, and for the moment, maintenance on our vehicles had rather lost its attractions, but of course it had to be done. It was nice to pop indoors to have a warm by a lovely log fire now and again, though, and the cook and orderlies were very helpful with cups of tea when we needed them. They were great girls, and the food there was first class. The house was immaculately clean and yet I rarely saw anyone actually cleaning it. They must have been up at the crack of dawn doing their work.
All the main cities were still being bombed and the news on the wireless was almost always stressful. Many ships were still being sunk, but the others battled on protecting our convoys of merchant ships, which were bringing our supplies of food, fuel, and other raw materials in. The German U-Boats attacked the convoys daily and God help any of our ships that became detached from the convoys. The U-boats were remorseless about sinking stragglers who were possibly suffering engine trouble or damage. Many brave men were lost on land, sea and air, every day, and yet we plodded on doing the best we could with a great determination to win through. Sometimes, when I was out driving I could see one of our fighter planes overhead doing a victory roll on his way back to his airfield, and I felt choked up with gratitude to all of them, and a great sense of pride that these young men and all of the others who were in battle zones risked all they had for us. Women, too, were showing great bravery and I had a particular respect for our nursing profession, who did a wonderful job, particularly in the military hospitals.
Sometimes my duties took me to the coastal towns and villages in Kent and Sussex. The beaches were now protected by rolls of barbed wire defences and many of the beaches were mined. There were also Martello Towers from which constant watch was kept. I saw buildings, which had been bombarded by sea and air. Many of the children had been evacuated to safer places, and in most cases great strain had been put on parents and children alike as the family split up and no one knew for how long this would be. I stood on the top of the cliffs of Dover and looked across the English Channel. It was sobering to think that the German army was just 22 miles away. In peacetime people think of moonlight as romantic, in wartime we think of a full moon as a bomber鈥檚 moon. We knew at this time that hundreds of German planes would be passing over Kent on their way to London to offload their hundreds of bombs and incendiary bombs, which started fires all over the placed, many of which had to burn themselves out as water supplies were hit when hydrants were smashed. The defence services were magnificent as they tried to save lives and minimise the damage. Sometimes the huge landmines failed to explode and the bomb disposal squads had the difficult and dangerous job of trying to defuse them, and all the people living in the area had to be temporarily evacuated. But amazingly the Londoners always seemed to come through it with a smile. Many smaller towns in the south east also suffered badly, but I never heard anyone say they thought we could lose the war.
I am being posted to Barming, one of our outposts. I shall be doing the same sort of work as now, but will be nearer the hospital. This is a much smaller house and fewer people, but I think I shall like it here, and I know most of the people here already, and have met the officers too, so there won鈥檛 be that much change, except it will be nearer to Maidstone and some entertainment on my free evenings.
We each took turns to do the cooking as this establishment was too small to warrant a cook. On my day for cooking we usually had fish and chips from the shop around the corner. I thought that was great, at least everyone cleared their plates, I must say the others served some strange concoctions from time to time, but most of the time it was pretty good stuff. When I had first joined up I was just a slim kid and at my physical exam they said that army food would soon put some meat on my bones. They were wrong, I eat everything they put before me, and I have not put on an ounce. Looking around me though, some of the others are a bit hefty. I think I dance it off in the evenings. I feel really fit, and most of the time, really happy too.
I had been on night duty last night, uneventful until this morning, when I had to fetch a mother and father from the railway station to the hospital. Their son had died during the night. I had strict instructions not to give them any information at all. They asked me so many questions, and I had to say that I didn鈥檛 know anything and I had just been told to pick them up. They were so hopeful, I found it very hard to think what they were about to go through.

*

My driving had improved greatly, and I was getting to know my way around and going further afield in Kent and also into Surrey and Sussex. This company had outposts of varying sizes in all these places and we paid them visits from time to time for a variety of reasons. I really was enjoying my work . No two days were ever the same, I felt very confident. It was now three and a half months since I first joined up.
I had been brought up by my parents to very decent standards. Look after the elderly and the very young and help anyone in need if I could. One day I was walking home to the billet when I saw a funeral approaching. My old instincts came to the fore and I saluted as it passed by me as a sign of respect. A little later I was told to report to our officer and I thought 鈥淲hat have I done now?鈥� Ma鈥檃m was in the office with another of our officers and I was greeted with big, beaming smiles, and she said 鈥淚 never thought I would be proud of one of my girls, but I was proud of you today鈥�. 鈥淲hat have I done?鈥� I said. I was mystified. 鈥淲e followed up behind you in the car and saw you show respect for the dead and the mourners at the funeral. Very well done. You may go.鈥� Phew, what a relief. You just never know who is watching you. I much appreciated being told that I had done something right though.
One thing that I have noticed is how adaptable people can be. When they are living cheek by jowl, I would expect to hear a few arguments going on occasionally, but it isn鈥檛 so. A few slight disagreements, perhaps, but generally speaking, everyone seems to be very tolerant of the opinions of others. Some very good friendships are formed and you tend to share what you have with your friends and they do the same with you.
One girl very kindly lent me her hair curling tongs as I had a date. I sat in front of the fire on the mat, heating the tongs on the fire. The first curl I made shriveled up and dropped off. The second turned from light brown to ginger. I called for help. One of the girls took over and made lovely little sausage curls over one half of my head. We were winning. Then the door opened and my date stood there. I felt a real idiot as I sat there with one half straight and the other half curly, he found it quite funny and eventually so did I.

*

The summer at Barming was lovely. The weather mostly sunny and hot and I was really enjoying my work. However, there were changes about to happen. Our company was to split into two and each attached to an RASC company, one mainly to work in Sussex and the other in Kent and Surrey. I was to go to Chatham.
I was having a bit of trouble with my wrist, and one day it packed up completely as I tried to pull on the brake of a heavy ambulance. I felt a bit of a fool as I had an officer in front with me. She insisted that I went to the hospital to have an X-ray. It was not as bad as I expected, but I had to have sun ray treatment for about six weeks, so I had to temporarily change places with a girl driver from the barracks. I didn鈥檛 mind at all, in fact I really enjoyed the change. Here we lived in billets, but worked from the barracks, mostly driving trucks and cars. We even had some women dispatch riders. I, of course, couldn鈥檛 drive anything until my wrist got better. When it did, I asked please could I stay here, and after a bit of hassle they said yes. I had been given seven days leave during this period. It was great to see the family again. Mom was still struggling to make the food go around, and she and I were out every day, queuing for anything we could get that was not rationed One of these was dried egg, which came over from America. This could be used in cake making, and it made really good omelettes. This was a real boon as eggs were scarce, some weeks only children getting one on their ration books. There was a saying 鈥淭hey also serve who only stand and wait鈥�. Put the moms of Britain right at the top of the list. Many thousands of them were struggling to keep their homes together whilst their husbands and sons were away in the forces.
Many also trying to do some sort of war work too, and often spending nights huddled in air raid shelters in their gardens, when the bombers came over. Life was tough for them, but they helped each other as much as they could. I enjoyed my leave though, and seemed to be closer than ever to my mother. She said how much I had grown up since I had been away. We talked for hours and read the letters from the lads over and over again. They weren鈥檛 allowed to say much in their letters, but at least we knew they were alive and well.
I went to visit Pat and Joan鈥檚 parents and spent an hour or so with them and compared news about the girls. They were always very good to me as I was growing up and it was always a pleasure to see them again.
Well - leave is over and it鈥檚 back to a different routine to what I have been used to. For a start, some of the vehicles were on their last legs and the fitters in the workshops had an almighty job to keep them on the road. Obviously the best trucks were sent to the war zones and we were left with the dodgy stuff. However, we managed, and gradually better vehicles were brought in. After a short period on an old Ford Thames I was given a Ford 15 cwt, which was in very good condition and rarely needed to be off the road for repairs. We kept our vehicles very well maintained, and with regular workshop inspections we didn鈥檛 have many problems. What I liked about being on trucks was that the work was so different to ambulances, and it was a different job and a different place every day. Our clipboards with out work tickets attached would be brought up to the house and placed on the hall table. We would then find out where we would be going on the following day, and if you had any queries, you would check with the duty sergeant.
The house that I stayed in this time was fairly large and the work varied. One of the jobs was to drive an ambulance to the Detention Centre, when they needed it. Sometimes the inmates would be exercising in the compounds and there always seemed to be an odd one or two near the fence begging for a cigarette. I didn鈥檛 smoke, which was fortunate, because it could have got me and them into real trouble. Once, when I was kept waiting at the gate the guards dragged a man out, searched him and found half a cigarette in the corner of his pocket and immediately upended him into a water butt. I thought this was rather harsh, but they must have had their reasons. I also took the Catholic Priest there to take a service on many Sunday mornings. He ran a Catholic Club for the forces and others where you could dance to records and have tea and sandwiches. He was a very good man and became a good friend to all of us who went there. The Y.M.C.A. was a few hundred yards up the road, and did the same sort of thing. Between them, these two places did a great job providing a cheap and friendly place to spend an evening.
The weather was turning colder and I was finding a minus side to driving my truck. It did not have a full windscreen, just two pieces of glass immediately in front of you and your passenger. Also it had a canvas half door, which could be rolled back in summer and pulled across to give some protection in winter, but no windows, and we needed to wrap up really well, especially during high winds and snow and rain. Not that we complained about it. It was all part of the job. In the winter we had to drain off the radiator every night and fill it up again in the morning, and it was very annoying to find your water can missing in the morning, and after finding another one having to break the ice on the outside tap before you could fill up. It was cold and it was time wasting, and not a good start to your day. Fortunately, it didn鈥檛 happen too often.
All in all, though, if someone had said would I like to change my job and go back on ambulances, I would have replied no. I really love what I am doing now. Just before I had trouble with my wrist I had applied for a Dispatch Rider course with about six other girls, but was turned down because my wrist was not strong enough at the time. Two of my special friends applied, and passed successfully. I mention them now because they really had a hard time when it was cold and icy, and on reflection I鈥檓 rather glad that I didn鈥檛 get to do it after all. My friend, Hester, and I talked sometimes about what we would do when the war was over and thought it would be good to start a taxi service in Minehead. Neither of us had every been there, and why we chose that place, I鈥檒l never know. Anyway, it didn鈥檛 happen. Hester got married and left the army. I really missed her and we wrote to each other a lot to start with, but as so often happens, it finally stopped as other things happened to us. I wish we had stayed in touch, though.
Another of my friends called Jock had sad news today. Her husband had been killed in North Africa and she was heartbroken. I had just called into the billet to see if there was any mail for me when I heard what happened. When I went upstairs to see her, she was sitting on the bed with the telegram in her hand, just rocking backwards and forwards with tears streaming down her cheeks. I put my arms around her and held her and we just sat quietly together until she wanted to talk. My heart ached for her. She had told me so many times how much she loved him, poor Jock, only time will really help. A long, long time, but we鈥檒l all try to help you when we can. Our sergeant has just brought us some tea up and has told me that someone else will finish my detail for the day, so that I can stay with my friend, if that鈥檚 what she wanted. Jock clung to my hand and I stayed. Later that day she went on compassionate leave for two weeks. She would be better with her own folks at a time like this.

*

Later that week I was driving through Chatham when I saw one of our ambulances coming towards me, and to my horror saw one of the front wheels slightly wobbling. I tooted her, she tooted back and waved. I pointed down at the wheels, but she just waved again and drove on. The road was crowded with traffic and there was no place where I could turn. I had to drive as quickly as I dared, doing a detour to where I thought she would be going and finally I passed her and waved her down. Only just in time, as the wheel was just about ready to come off. She was quite shaken up by this. Someone had not given the wheelnuts their final turn and had been called away for a moment. Just a moment鈥檚 lapse, but it could have caused an accident. But it was a lesson to us all to always double check everything. I must say that our standard of maintenance was as high as that of the mean, and it was most unusual that anything like this should happen. We girls did all our own oil changes, greasing of shackle pins and bushes on the springs, steering joints and prop shafts and of course engine maintenance etc. We also had to occasionally move the wheels around so that we had even wear on all of the tyres, and preparing vehicles for monthly workshop inspection. 大象传媒shop lads were rather proud that they kept our vehicles on the road, albeit some of them were quite old. The supervision in the workshops was quite strict and there was very little slacking, except for an occasional visit to the Blacksmiths shop when it was very cold.
We girls were lucky that we had a stove in our changing hut, but we were soon chivvied out if we spent too much time in there, unless the weather was really bad. Kent in summer and autumn is a beautiful place, but often in winter and very early spring it can be very inclement, especially when the icy winds come in from the North Sea and you are out on the road, in driving snow, in your 15 cwt truck, with so little protection, and the snow hits your face like icy needles and you feel as if your fingers are about to drop off.
I blessed the day when two more 30 cwts were added to our little fleet and I was given one of them. It actually had a proper door and windscreen, so that I could stay dry at least. The men drivers all had the 3 tonners, no half windscreens and doors for them, at least in our company. There was almost always a good feeling between the men and women, and they were quite supportive of us. Going back to the 15 cwts. They were brilliant in summer time when you rolled back the canvas, and beautiful cool breezes would cool you off. So there were things to be thankful for also.
We still had air raids on Chatham, Rochester and Strood, with the dockyards as the target. The big naval guns were often to be heard pounding away at night, trying to protect the towns and the ships which were in dock. We also had the smoke screen wagons, which poured out their black oily smoke at night, so that hopefully the targets could be blacked out. It was nauseating stuff if you happened to be caught out in it. It would blacken you and your clothes and make you cough and your eyes stream. Since some of us were sleeping four to a bedroom we sometimes took the heavy black out shutters down so as to get some fresh air in the room, but Heaven help us when the smoke screen wagon discharged its contents right outside our bedroom window. There was a mad rush in the dark to put the shutters back up again and sometimes a few mild expletives were uttered as we got in each others way and feet got trodden on. It was not a pleasant occupation for the men who had to do it either, but was very necessary.
*
Time is passing very quickly and it is coming up to Christmas. I won鈥檛 have Christmas leave, but have been told I will be home in the New Year instead, which will be great. Three days before Christmas I am put on duty at night and a 鈥榩hone call sent me to the barracks as a job had come in for me. I was told that I was to collect an officer from Gravesend. We only had a couple of staff cars, and so he was going to have to put up with my truck, as both cars were out. It was finally decided I would take a fifteen hundredweight out. When I arrived at Gravesend, my officer鈥檚 face dropped a few inches at the sight of his transport, and he was clearly not pleased at all. 鈥淚 ordered a car鈥� he said. 鈥淪orry Sir, there are no cars available鈥� 鈥淚鈥檓 going to a party, and I don鈥檛 want to arrive in that鈥�, he muttered. 鈥淪hall I take it back, sir?鈥� I asked. He was such a miserable devil I would have been glad to do just that. 鈥淣o, if there鈥檚 nothing else, I have to have it but I don鈥檛 like it鈥�. 鈥淭ough luck鈥�, I thought.
All the way to Maidstone where his party was taking place, he hardly said a word. He looked like he鈥檇 been press-ganged into going out. We arrived, he got out, muttered 鈥淲ait there,鈥� and went into the house. I waited and an hour later I was still waiting there in the cold when a major came out for a breath of air. He saw me and asked me who my officer was, and told me to go in with him into the kitchen where I could get a hot drink and something to eat. He would advise my officer where I would be. He also said 鈥� I know how thoughtless some officers can be, as my own wife is a driver鈥�. Nearly three hours later my officer came into the kitchen and told me he was ready to be taken home. He was totally different on the way back, telling me what a good time he had had, and trying to chat away. I could hardly be bothered to answer and when he offered me coffee when we arrived back at Gravesend, I told him no. I asked him to sign my work ticket and he looked a bit abashed when he filled in the time - 12.45 a.m. I started off for Chatham and was halfway there when the truck broke down. There I was in the middle of nowhere in the darkness, trying to find out what was wrong, but having no luck at all. I had to find a telephone but I could hardly see a hand in front of me. I left my truck and walked on a bit along the road in the hope of finding a house, but I hated the thought of knocking someone up at this time. I finally came across a bungalow and after I knocked and waited a little while, the door opened and an old gentleman stood there and his wife just behind him. I explained what had happened and he asked his wife to make me a hot drink while I used his 鈥榩hone. I spoke to our duty sergeant 鈥淒on鈥檛 worry and she said she and one of the fitters would come straight out to me.鈥� she said. 鈥淪tay in the truck and we鈥檒l soon be there.鈥� The old gentleman insisted on walking back with me and waited until they arrived. The officer who had been so unsociable could have taken a few lessons from him in gentlemanly behaviour. He and his wife were great. After a good night鈥檚 sleep I would have liked to forget about it, but I was called into the office and asked what had happened. Our officer was really angry and said she would not have her girls treated in this way, and that she was about to 鈥榩hone to protest about it. I wished that she wouldn鈥檛 really, but she was quite determined about it. I鈥檝e got to say this - our officers all looked after us. They need bawl us out from time to time, but when we were in trouble they were almost always on our side.
*

Our billet had been bedecked with holly and mistletoe and decorations, and everything had been polished and spruced up for Christmas. Mostly we kept away from the kitchen area, which took up almost all of the basement. But some delicious smells wafted up from time to time and occasionally we would go down. I don鈥檛 think the kitchen staff particularly liked us doing this, as they liked to get on doing things in their own way, and we tended to get underfoot. One of the girls, Marge, lived in Birmingham, only about a mile and a half away from where I lived and we sometimes went out to a dance together. We would be going on leave at the same time and hoped to meet up when we went home. I had sent a Christmas card to my family and had asked them to hold on to my Christmas presents until the New Year, and I would do the same with theirs.
On Christmas morning the officers and N.C.O.鈥檚 waited on us with morning tea, as was the custom. There was a great atmosphere in the house, and there was music playing for most of the day. Some of us were officially on duty, although there would be very little to do. We were on call from the billet and as long as we kept off any alcohol during the d ay, we could party with the rest of them.
After breakfast everyone sat around the big fire in the living room and opened up their Christmas cards and presents. Several of us had bought small presents for each other, just little things because army pay is small and so we couldn鈥檛 afford much, and so we just bought for our special friends. In no time at all our tidy sitting room was transformed into a mass of string, paper and discarded envelopes. We decided to string our cards around the walls, and after clearing up the debris, the room looked great again.
Lunch was beautifully prepared by the cooks. They were acclaimed by everyone and rightly so. No one could have served up a better meal, considering the war time shortages, and we all tucked in with a vengeance.
Some of the girls went out for a walk afterwards and others sat around the fire to recover from their excesses. A number of the girls had invited their boyfriends around in the evening. The music had been going for most of the day now, and the dancing started. The dining room had been cleared of everything but the buffet table and a few chairs so we could jitterbug to our heart鈥檚 content, and the lucky girls who had brought their boyfriends could enjoy a smoochy dance to the slower tunes. It was really one of the best parties I had every been to and as I looked around at these girls with whom I spent so much time I thought 鈥淵ou are great to be with鈥�.
Some of us stayed after the party to help clear up. It was the least we could do after all that the kitchen staff had done for us.

*

I was due to go home in three days鈥� time and was looking forward to it so much . A weekend pass was not much use to me, as it was quite a journey, but sometimes I was lucky and got off on the Friday evening and I could manage it comfortably then, and so I had seen my folks about three times since my last leave. I had missed them a lot and was longing to see them again. It wasn鈥檛 too bad travelling either because we didn鈥檛 have to take all our kit with us, not a bit like the first time I had travelled down here with what seemed like a ton of gear on my back.
Most of the next couple of days were spent on maintenance, so were quite uneventful. On the third day Mary and I set forth for Birmingham on a rather gloomy day. We were not going to let that dampen our spirits and were lucky that we were given a lift to the station, which was a good start to the journey. As usual, the trains were packed. We managed to get a seat to London, but at Euston we had no chance at all of getting one. The train was packed full already when we arrived there and was about ready to move out. Hands reached down to help us in to a packed corridor and the doors closed behind us. We were packed like sardines and ended up like everyone else, sitting on our suitcases all the way to Birmingham. Mary and I had to get the same tramcar towards home, but she got off a couple of stops before me. I gave her my address and she arranged to come over to seem me on New Year鈥檚 Eve. I looked forward to it.
I knocked at the door, and when it opened I could hardly get in, it seemed as if all the family was wedged in the hall in a great big welcoming party. I felt as if I had been away for years. After all the hugs and kisses were over and of course the inevitable cup of tea, we sat there and caught up with our news. First of all that my older brothers were still safe and well. My dad was the chief letter writer in our family and kept the boys in touch with all that was happening at home, and they wrote back as often as they could, but their letters were very heavily censored and we could glean little news from them. It was just so good to know that they were safe. I have told about my elder brothers, but little or nothing about the younger ones in the family. I was the middle child, there were four older and four younger. One married sister, Louisa (called Doll by everyone), three older lads, myself and then Billy, Mavis, Jean and Alec. We were mom鈥檚 second family born after the First World War when my dad came home from Germany. It was rather nice being the middle one. The older ones were very nice and generous to us younger ones and the little ones were pretty good kids too. Sometimes a bit of a bind when I had them tagging around after me. My friends, Pat and Joan used to complain about us having to take them places with us. Mom must have been glad of the break from them sometimes. They seemed to be growing up very quickly as I found out when I looked through my clothes to find something to go out in.
The first thing I came across I n my drawer was what had once been my little evening bag, which was a present to me and very prettily covered in sequins. Not any more. It was a scruffy piece of material with a fastener on it, not a sequin in sight. I did find my sequins, though, when I opened the wardrobe door. There were my dresses liberally sprinkled with them, and as I investigated further I found the tacking stitches around the shoulders, which they had used to make the dresses smaller. I fumed for a little while, but it was understandable. They only had a few clothing coupons to use, and my things must have seemed like a gift from the gods. At first I complained to mom, but she said to me, 鈥漌ynne, you don鈥檛 really need them now, and when the war is over, I鈥檒l buy you a whole new lot, and anyway there are still a few left untouched, the ones that you really looked good in. Dear old mom, like all other mothers, pouring oil on troubled waters, which she had to do again when I saw my bike. It was unbelievable. Alec had tried to jump a brook with it or some such idiotic thing. First I wanted to thump him and then as usual I cooked off as everyone did with our little Al.
Jean was the next youngest. She was a beautiful girl, now aged thirteen, with long dark brown hair with bronze glints in it. Jean had been deaf from birth, but was as bright as a button. She had been going to school since the age of three, and had been chosen to be Cinderella at the school pantomime this year, and she really thought she was 鈥榯he cat鈥檚 whiskers鈥�. Well! Didn鈥檛 we think so too? She had one advantage over us. If we got mad with her, she would keep turning away from us, she just would not look. It was always she who won. Except for one thing. Jean would laboriously do any repairs to her clothes at night, sewing on buttons, etc. but Mavis, who was a year older, would come down earlier in the morning, would get in first and when Jean came down a little later, another little war would start, and if you got a wallop from our Jeannie, you knew you鈥檇 been hit. Mavis was a pretty girl too, and this little thing about their clothes and their make up was an ongoing argument between them. Billy was two years younger than me, a nice, good looking boy, who mostly seemed to keep out of any trouble. Mom worked like a beaver to keep the peace, but when dad had had enough, he would roar and everybody took notice. He was the master of his own house alright. There was to be No Smoking, No Drinking, and No Bad Behaviour in his house. Even the older lads, who were all smokers, never allowed to light up at home.
I told my parents that I had invited Mary around on New Year鈥檚 Eve and they said she would be welcome. My sister Doll and her husband Alec and daughter Mavis would also be there. We started baking goodies with sugar and butter and fruit and all sorts of things that my mom had been saving for weeks from the rations, and my elder sister was also bringing along a selection of pastries too. She was a brilliant cook, as was my mom, but Doll would also put on the pretty finishing touches that my mom didn鈥檛 have time normally to do. Anyway, everything looked splendid for tomorrow night鈥檚 fiesta. All we needed now were eyes in the backs of our head to keep the kids away from them.
Mom and I did some last minute shopping on New Years Eve. In spite of all the shortages, we managed to get a few extras. Our friendly butcher gave us some sausages, black puddings and some cooked ham when, fortunately for us, the shop was empty for a while. 鈥淧ut it in your bag quickly before anyone else comes in.鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd you lass, enjoy your leave鈥�.
We also managed to buy some apples, oranges and a tin of rhubarb from the greengrocers.
鈥淚鈥檓 glad you wore your uniform鈥�, said mom. 鈥淚鈥檓 sure it makes a difference.鈥� I feel rather sorry for the traders, they take a lot of flak from disappointed customers, but at least they don鈥檛 go without food, and it hurts me to hear the pleading in the voices of older people who haven鈥檛 the energy to go from queue to queue and are too proud to ask anyone to do it for them.
We are getting more shortages at this time of the year. Things are a lot better when we get our home grown products in the summer and autumn. Bless our farm workers and land girls, but most of all our fishermen and merchant navy, who with the colliers (the little ships that ply up and down the coast bringing our coal from the mines to the ports and facing wind and weather, minefields and the German navy to do so. And the miners and Begin Boys who produce the coal from underground as their part of the war effort. So many people, each in their own way, trying to do their best to help. It chokes me up to think that in spite of all the wicked things that are happening, so much that is wonderful and good is happening too. We will win through, we will.
When we arrived home, mom told me to take some sausages around to our elderly neighbors and to invite them around for the evening with us. Tell them we鈥檒l be a bit squashed for room, but two I.E. chairs will be reserved especially for them. Don鈥檛 take no for an answer. Old Mr. & Mrs. Rodgers was lovely people and got on very well with our family. They used to sit out in the garden in the summer when we were in bed in the late evening and listen to us youngsters singing to each other and laughing at each other. I was always sent up with the younger ones to get them off to sleep. I often complained to mom. 鈥淚鈥檒l still be doing this when I鈥檓 eighteen鈥�. Mom would grin and say 鈥淕o on with you鈥� and I did. Upstairs with the kids again..
Mary arrived and made herself 鈥榓t home鈥�, and after we had all eaten, we started the music going and sang away like larks, plus a few crows, and one or two did their party pieces. Occasionally I would catch my mother鈥檚 eyes and I knew where her thoughts were. They were with her older boys, and when a tear welled up, she would brush it away, hoping no one would notice, but I did. My mom and I were very close. It was a good evening, and when it ended my father insisted that Mary was accompanied home by Billy and me. Doll, Alec and Mavis were collected by friends with a car and given a lift home.
It probably seems a bit confusing, us having Mavis for a sister and also for my niece. Also Alec for a brother and also a brother in law. My father was Ted, my eldest brother was Ted, and so was his little boy who was about four years old. It was so sad that his daddy was so far away. His mother, Lily, missed my brother badly and absolutely doted on their little boy, who when they visited, followed my dad around like a little puppy. I can see him now, walking down the road with his granddad, both of them with one hand behind his back. My mother was called Louisa, as of course was my older sister, Doll.
Doll was sixteen years older than me and she could be great company at times. The only snag was that sometimes we were 鈥渁ll girls together鈥�, and at other times she was 鈥渙ld enough to be my mother鈥�, and so I was never quite sure which Doll I got. We clashed at times, I could be very cheeky and she tried her best not to let me get away with it. I was a bit cheeky to my dad too at times, but never to my mother, who got me out of trouble with him for being too outspoken. He was a good dad though, hardworking and generous and he thought his family was the best in the world. He passed on some good values to his children.
I have said he didn鈥檛 like us drinking and smoking, and he would have raised the roof if I had dared to go into a pub. He and mom would have an occasional drink at home, and dad would sometimes go to the pub on Sunday lunchtimes while mom got the dinner cooked. But it was all in moderation. Mom was asked to go with him, but always refused. She always hated pubs and would sometimes have a frown on her face when dad came home. I think her mother had turned to drink at one time when she was widowed and mom remembered this.
To get back to my sister, Doll, though. We were fond of each other in between the arguments and I think she was trying to keep me on the straight and narrow as much as anything. The trouble was I was a teenager who thought she knew everything and she had yet to learn to be tactful.
*
Well, we are now back in Chatham. All the excitement of the Christmas period is over and it鈥檚 back to the grindstone again. No, of course that鈥檚 not true. I love my work. Perhaps not quite so much on these cold, murky winter mornings, but we have to take the rough with the smooth.
I see from my detail, that I have to take provisions of some kind to Sheerness, and have an early start in the morning, so I will have to notify the cook that I鈥檒l need an early breakfast. A lovely fry up to fortify me for the road.
Well, it鈥檚 morning. Breakfast is over. My thanks to the cook. She asks 鈥淲here is my tip?鈥�, but doesn鈥檛 get one. Can鈥檛 encourage them into bad habits. It鈥檚 nice to start the day with a smile though.
Down to the barracks I go. I fill up my radiator, I wish all our vehicles were allowed Anti freeze. I didn鈥檛 have this chore to do when I was on ambulances, but never mind. I take my truck to be loaded up and then I鈥檓 away. It鈥檚 grand to be out on the road early when other people are still sleeping, you kind of think the world belongs to you. I haven鈥檛 been to Sheerness many times before this, perhaps about three times. This time it feels strange, sort of sombre as I head for the docks where my load has to be transferred to one of the merchant ships.
I am stopped at the gate of the dockyard by a sentry who studies my papers and points me in the right direction. As I get back in the truck he says if I want a cup of tea, to come back and he will direct me to the cookhouse. Where would we be without our good old cup of tea? It makes the best of friends out of strangers.
I find my ship - a small merchant ship, quite rusted up and I would think rather old. A petty officer was expecting me, arranged for the load to be transferred to the ship and every so often smiled in appreciation as he came across something that was badly needed. I was invited aboard, and I was amazed at the cramped conditions these men lived in. You could hardly swing a cat in their living quarters, as every scrap of spare space was needed for their cargoes. No wonder they call sailors 鈥渙ld salts鈥�. To me they are the salt of the earth. They suffer gales, freezing conditions, being bombed and torpedoed, lack of sleep and so many other privations, one wonders how they can cope with all the stress and physical pain so many of them have to face.
I find when I get back to my truck that a few crates have been loaded on to it. I think they must be repair jobs or scrap or some such things. I am given papers to go with them and told to take them back to Chatham. During the few hours I had been here I had built up a rapport with a few members of the crew, especially one who was a lot older than most of the others. He told me his wife and son had been killed in the Liverpool bombing and his daughter was in the A.T.S. He had hoped to see her but they were not going to be in port long enough. As I shook hands to say goodbye, I wished him and all his mates good luck and safe journey, and I hoped he would be safely reunited with his daughter some day soon.
After I had delivered the contents of my truck and the papers from Sheerness to our stores, I drove to the billet for my lunch. I was a bit late and most people had finished their meal and were getting ready to go back down to the barracks for maintenance etc. One girl said she鈥檇 wait for me and I would give her a lift. I was surprised, she had only been with us for about a week before I went on Christmas leave and although she slept in the same room, I hardly knew her.
鈥淐ome upstairs鈥�, she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e got a bone to pick with you.鈥� I was quite taken aback. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 the matter?鈥� I queried. 鈥淛ust come and see .鈥� I was baffled and she quite obviously was not pleased. She opened the drawers in her part of the chest of drawers. She had the two bottom ones, I had the top two. Hers were a mess, most of her clothes were covered in treacle, my treacle.
My mother had given me an extra large jar of cod liver oil and malt to bring back with me. Somehow the top had come off and it had been knocked over, the contents had spilled right through into the drawers below. Apart from one pair of stockings, my clothes were alright, but the drawers in the bottom were in an appalling mess. She was livid as she held some of her clothes up, still dripping and sticky. Shirts, underwear, stockings, spare skirt, private things, letters etc. - all gooey. She then proceeded to tell me quietly but with quite a lot of venom exactly what she thought of me, and it wasn鈥檛 nice, it wasn鈥檛 nice at all. I was called everything in the farmyard except a duck. I found myself wanting to laugh, but took one look at her face and decided not to, so I humbly apologised and offered to pay for the cleaning of her garments and for any other damage, and to help her to clean up. We got permissions to do this, took her clothes down to the laundry, scrubbed out the drawers, put her letters in clean envelopes and within an hour or so were back to normal. It cost me a few shillings to replace writing pads and a few bits and pieces, but that was fair enough, I was in the wrong.
I asked her if she still wanted her lift down to the barracks and when we got there I found we were having vehicle inspection that evening, and so I spent the next couple of hours cleaning the mud off my truck. Treacle and mud. What a day, and to think I volunteered to join up. I am happy to say, the girl went back to her 鈥渙utpost鈥� the next day, and I didn鈥檛 miss her one bit.
*

We get some strange old jobs from time to time. Take my detail for tomorrow. 鈥淒eliver faulty gas cylinder to Slough. Red flag on truck鈥�. It has been said in jest that some of our drivers should always have a red flag. Now it鈥檚 really happening to me. I put up with a fair amount of leg pulling and then get hold of a map to find out how I get to Slough, which is not exactly on my beaten track. I did say earlier I could not recall ever getting lost. This could be the first. I jotted a few details down and was lucky enough to find someone who lived in the area, who was a little mine of information. It鈥檚 a pity she didn鈥檛 get the job instead of me. As I have said before, we did not carry road maps with us generally speaking, for security reasons, and there are no road signs at all. It really is quite amazing how we find our way around. Our main concern was to get to our destination using as little fuel as possible. It looked as if my journey was going to be through central London. It should be quite an experience. I hope people give me a wide berth, and my little red flag. In fact, the gas cylinder must have been sealed off in some way, or I would obviously not be allowed to travel through heavy traffic. One thing is for sure, London taxi drivers are a breed of their own, and one little red flag was not going to stop them from going exactly where they wanted at the fastest possible speed. Cabs to the left of me, cabs to the right of me, and in the front and at the back. It seemed to me to the 鈥楥harge of the Light Brigade鈥� on wheels. I would have loved to stop for a cup of tea, but didn鈥檛 dare. Every so often I would have a quick look at my directions, and surprisingly I finally got there, where I had my duff cylinder swapped for a new one. As usual, a cup of tea was produced, also something to eat and I felt a new woman. One of the soldiers, whose home was in London, studied my route and said he couldn鈥檛 fault it, but advised me to get back to the Blackwall Tunnel before rush hour in the late afternoon, as the volume of traffic would be heavy. Could it be any heavier than the one I had just made? At least this time I knew where I was going. I thanked him for his concern and his advice and he said he was glad to help. And so I, with my new gas cylinder and my little red flag, departed towards Chatham and more familiar ground. It was still a bit of a crazy journey, with so much traffic on the roads, you can鈥檛 relax your attention to your driving for one minute. My admiration for the London cab drivers knows no bounds. The way they drive is little short of amazing.
I was tired when I arrived back at our barracks. When I drive around Kent, Surry and Sussex, I have learned to know them like the back of my hand. Not just from town to town, but even places well off the beaten track are now so familiar to me, as these are the places where the army camps are established. I have often worked ten or even twelve hour days quite cheerfully. Why on earth do I feel so tired after one little trip to the 鈥淏ig City鈥�. Roll on bedtime. I look at my detail for tomorrow, I am on maintenance during the day and duty driver at night. Hope it doesn鈥檛 rain tomorrow. I hate spending most of the day in the changing hut because it is too wet for maintenance.
My first thought on waking is the weather. It鈥檚 raining, really pouring down. Our sergeant tells us girls on maintenance 鈥淭here鈥檚 no great hurry to get down to the barracks, as there won鈥檛 be a lot to do in this weather.鈥� So if we want to tidy our room and drawers we can do it for an hour or so, and perhaps the rain will ease off later. It does, and we鈥檙e glad. We would all rather be doing something constructive than hanging around. I actually managed to get quite a lot of cleaning done. When I had cleaned the mud off and done a spot of greasing underneath the truck, I felt quite pleased with my efforts. In the middle of the afternoon it started to rain again and we decided to pack up and go back to the billet. First though, I have to top up the radiator and fill up with petrol and oil, as I am on duty tonight. I will take my truck up to the billet.
I am just about to go out of the main gate when a sergeant from the men鈥檚 section asks me if I will give a lift out to a young officer up to Huntsman鈥檚 Corner, which is quite near to the billet, A very down in the mouth officer too, not a glimmer of a smile. His kit was put in the back and he got in beside me. I started off up the hill. The rain was coming down in torrents and just ahead I could see one of our girls walking up towards our billet. It was quite a long walk, especially in the rain and so I stopped to give her a lift.
The young officer, who hadn鈥檛 yet said a word, suddenly came to life. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 give you permission to stop.鈥� he said. I couldn鈥檛 believe my ears. 鈥淗op in the back, Meg.鈥� I said. He looked furious as I started the truck up again. 鈥淒id you hear me?鈥� he said.
鈥淵es, I did sir.鈥� with heavy emphasis on the sir. 鈥淏ut it seems to me that I am just doing you a favour. You are not on my work ticket, and what I do in my truck is what I am detailed to do or at my discretion, sir.鈥�
The young pip squeak. Probably just fresh from OCTU, and trying out his authority. He buttoned his lip. He鈥檇 got a lot to learn. I hope he鈥檇 just learned a little lesson. None of our girls would have left another one out getting soaking wet in the rain just for the sake of giving them a lift. It鈥檚 the little considerations like this that help people to get along together, and a good officer learns that he should not take his bad temper out on his subordinates.
I mentioned it to the sergeant in case he got stroppy about it and reported me.
鈥淚 doubt it, 鈥� she said, 鈥渂ut if he does he鈥檒l soon get his comeuppance.鈥�
I thought afterwards perhaps I should not have snapped back at him so quickly. He may have had real problems to cope with for all I knew. This is a difficult time for everyone and this incident was just a silly little pin prick. I passed him in the barracks many times and gave him a snappy salute as I did so, but he remained as unsmiling as ever.
Our relationships with the officers were usually very good. Our women officers were great and looked after us very well. They stood no nonsense from us, but were always very fair and understanding towards us.
The older men officers, generally speaking, were a bit on the fatherly side. I dare say many of them had youngsters of their own, who were much the same as us. With the younger men officers, we had a sort of friendly rapport without stepping out of the bounds of rank. Discipline always had to be kept. That was of paramount importance, but I think we girls get away with far more than the men did.

*

Last night we had another air raid. It started as I was coming home from an evening out dancing. My companion was a civilian who worked at the dock yard. He saw me safely to the house and then hurried back to the dockyard to see if he could help. It would be dangerous and noisy down there. Unless one has been through a really bad raid, it is difficult to imagine what an impact this can have on you. The ear splitting barrage from the naval guns, the flashes of light, the bombs falling, the drone of the bombers, people screaming out orders to each other, fires to put out, injured to help. It never ceases to amaze me what strengths people have inside them to enable them to cope. They are just ordinary people like you and I. And they go through these sort of situations again and again in most of the big cities in the country and in the coastal towns too. I know from personal experience.
When I was sixteen, I was on my way home from visiting a friend, when suddenly the air raid siren went off. Within minutes the searchlights were switched on and soon I could hear the drone of the bombers coming in. I quickened my pace, not in panic, but I had a mile to walk and I was being sensible. Suddenly the Ack Ack guns started to go off. The noise was appalling and shrapnel from the shells was pinging against the wall of a pub I happened to be passing. One large piece whipped past my face and hit the wall beside me. I bent to pick it up. It was red hot. I picked it up in my handkerchief and carried it home with me. It was about half the size of my hand.
鈥淕uess what nearly hit me in the face, mom?鈥� I said, and showed her my trophy. She nearly hit the roof. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 it!鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e staying in at night in future. You could have been killed.鈥� And as she said it, she burst into tears. She was right though, it was a close call.
Another night we were all huddled in the air raid shelter when we had the worst raid I personally remember. There must have been hundreds of planes involved. My dad was an air raid warden and was in the thick of it. Bombs and incendiaries were dropping all around, and although we could now take this in our stride, on this night we were scared stiff. An extra loud crash which must only have been yards away and then my father was helping two of our neighbours into our shelter. Theirs had been smashed and miraculously all they had were cuts and bruises. As we looked out we could see all the gas mains were on fire. My dad鈥檚 stables were on fire, thank God the horses were out. Dad said it was better for them to take their chances than to be burned to death and he was right. One of my school friend鈥檚 home had a direct hit, but they were at her grandmother鈥檚. That night was like Dantes Inferno, and I realised just how much resilience ordinary people have in them to cope.

*

Back to now - the raid on the dockyard was over. Thank God for the peace and quiet again and for the gunners and all the other people down there who fought back.
Today I have the laundry run. We all detest it, it is totally boring. Just collecting the dirty stuff and delivering the clean. We do, however, catch up on people we haven鈥檛 seen for a while, but there is never enough time to hang around and talk to them, as there are so many places to go to. We (almost all of us) have to take our turn at this job. I鈥檓 so glad it isn鈥檛 permanent, and at least it ensures that we all stay clean. I have a look at my work ticket when I finish for the day and I find I鈥檓 to go to the Isle of Grain tomorrow. That鈥檚 better.
It鈥檚 a lovely day, sunny and bright. I鈥檝e had a good breakfast and I鈥檓 ready for anything. I have to pick up a couple of privates and take them to a camp out in the wilds somewhere. They were quite chatty and we soon got to our destination. I drove the truck inside the camp after showing my papers and one of the soldiers went in to an office to get further orders.
A few yards from the gate was a wooden crate, which had been made into a cage with wire mesh around the front of it. Inside was a ferret. Obviously some of the lads here went out rabbi ting. The ferret just lay there looking at us. The soldier made a clicking noise through his teeth and put his finger through the mesh. Like a streak of lightning the ferret pounced. There was a scream and a tug of war started with his finger. Backwards and forwards it went through the mesh. The ferret must have thought it had been offered an early dinner and wasn鈥檛 going to let it go. I raced back to the gate and got some help. When we got back the tussle was still going on. The finger was still attached to the hand but the ferret was also still attached to the finger. The ferret鈥檚 handler prised its mouth open and its dinner got away. The poor lad was almost passing out with the pain and the shock.
Now why is it that when something unexpected like this happens, one gets this instinct to laugh? It doesn鈥檛 matter that you are desperately sorry for someone鈥檚 pain. This inane laughter bubbles to the surface and it鈥檚 the devil鈥檚 own job to bite it back, and when I looked around everyone else seemed to be doing the same.
I went with him to the medical room, where he was patched up and was told it could have been much worse and after he鈥檇 had a few stitches in he wouldn鈥檛 lose his finger. I bet he wouldn鈥檛 click his teeth and put his finger through a kitten鈥檚 cage from now on.
Well, my job at this camp is now done. I鈥檝e delivered my men, albeit a bit bashed and battered, or should I say chewed up. Now I have to carry on to our outpost and deliver some things that they need. I reach the village and coming towards me is one of our girls, carrying a bunch of flowers. I know her quite well, but we were not working together, so of late I had not seen much of her. I had heard that her husband was missing in action. He was in the Air Force and his plane had crashed and it was not known what had happened to him. From a normally outgoing kind of girl, she had become very quiet.
I stopped the truck and we smiled at each other.
鈥淲here are you off to?鈥� I said.
鈥淚鈥檓 just going to put these flowers on a grave.鈥� she replied.
鈥淐ome with me. I won鈥檛 be long.鈥�

I parked the truck and walked he few yards to the graveyard with her. It was so peaceful, the sun was shining, there was a slight breeze blowing amongst the trees, the occasional twittering of birds made the war seem so far away, as if it had nothing to do with this place.

I was wrong.

Muff stopped by the grave, which had a small epitaph saying it was the 鈥済rave of an Unknown German Airman鈥�. She stood there in thought for a moment or two, and then bent down and placed flowers upon it.

I was lost for words. Muff鈥檚 voice was very soft when she said. 鈥淚 suppose you think it鈥檚 strange for me to do this, but he is someone鈥檚 son or brother or husband. He may even be a father. My husband is still missing, and I hope one day he will come back safely. But I hope some woman over there will do the same for him that I am doing for this lad, if he doesn鈥檛 make it back to me.

*
Oh Muff! You touched my heart as you said it. I shall always think of you as someone special from now on.
I am going on leave today for seven days. I鈥檓 really looking forward to seeing the family again. I got a lift down to the station and there are quite a lot of people waiting to get the train up to London. It is already quite full, but I found a seat quite easily. I hadn鈥檛 got much luggage with me. I didn鈥檛 really need a lot as I still had a few things at home that I could wear. Or had I? I suddenly remembered what the girls had done to my clothes the last time I was home. I鈥檝e got visions of undoing more rows of tacking stitches on my remaining dresses. The trouble is that sometimes this leaves holes in the material. I think that I鈥檓 in a 鈥渘o win鈥� situation here. When I arrive home I am pleasantly surprised to find my remaining clothes have been left alone by the kids. Mom had really read them the riot act. I don鈥檛 think I will have any more trouble with them. I hadn鈥檛 got that much left to worry about anyway.
It鈥檚 funny when I come home really. The inevitable cup of tea appears and for the first hour or two I feel like a V.I.P. Even the kids hang on to every word I say, and I say plenty with people firing questions at me, right, left and centre. I want to catch up on their news, but it looks as though it will have to wait a while until they know what has been happening to me. There was a lot of laughter. Our family is easily amused.
Mom showed me the latest letters from my brothers, which were still heavily censored. The lads did their best to avoid anything they shouldn鈥檛, but even so, there was usually something crossed out. Anyway, if they only said
鈥淒ear Mom and Dad, I鈥檓 still safe and I still love you.鈥� it would have been enough for my parents. It鈥檚 all they really wanted to know. I felt sorry for people like Lil and Ted, though, who couldn鈥檛 really write down all the things they wanted to say because they knew they would be read by other people. How the time must drag for them.
My sister, Doll, has invited me to visit. She has a cottage in the country about fourteen miles out of Birmingham. Everyone enjoys their visits there. As I said before, she is good company, a great cook. She鈥檚 just got a bit of a temper sometimes and can be a bit impatient, but as I can give as good as I get, we usually end up the best of friends. I must say I am really looking forward to it. We are having a good spell of weather at the moment, so I tell Mom I鈥檒l probably go in a couple of days鈥� time.
Meanwhile, it鈥檚 back to the old routine of popping in to the neighbours to say hello and to Pat and Joan鈥檚 parents to hear the latest about the girls. I should write more often than I do, but they are as bad. It鈥檚 just that we have so many things going on for us that there never seems to be time to do all the things we want to do and the time goes past so quickly. They always seem to have their leave at a different time to me. I send them my love. Maybe we鈥檒l catch up with each other some time.
I go out shopping with Mom, back to standing in queues again. Mom says she hates this job normally, but she quite enjoys it when I鈥檓 home. I love to look and listen to the people as they await their turn. It鈥檚 strange how comical people can sound, when they are at their most miserable. Add to this the Birmingham accent and you have instant comedy. I love people to make me laugh and Mom and I have a great time when we got home recalling the things we鈥檝e hear. No doubt someone, somewhere is doing the same about us, but we don鈥檛 mind.
I still can鈥檛 get over what a big thing it is to get a bit of liver or cooked meat extra to your paltry rations. To get a few eggs is great and even to get a few pork bones with which to make a stew for the family. (My mom is a dab hand at this with added lentils and vegetables and dumpling). I love it and so do dad and the kids. It isn鈥檛 much to ask out of life, is it? Pork bones stew..
There are hoardings all over the place with messages on them, such as.
鈥淲alls have ears鈥�.
鈥淏e like Dad and keep Mum.鈥�
鈥淐areless talk costs lives.鈥�
鈥淒ig for victory鈥�, and so many more.

People are growing more of their own vegetables these days. Back and even some front gardens are being cultivated. Ours seems to be turned over to potatoes, cabbage and rhubarb at the moment, plus a few carrots and onions. The lucky ones are the ones who have mature fruit tress. People tend to swap things with each other. One thing for sure everyone really is tightening their belt. We cannot waste anything. People are using only a few inches of bath water and saving in any way they can.

*

Our merchant shipping is getting a drubbing from German U boats that are stepping up their campaign. I think about the people I met in Sheerness when I took suppliers to their ship and pray they are safe. Our Royal Navy protect the convoys as much as they can, but the U boats often hunt in packs and if they infiltrate a convoy, they cause havoc.
We listen to the news bulletins on the wireless. Often the news is bad. We hear that huge bombing r aids are taking place over Germany and though the targets have been reached and successfully attacked. Many planes don鈥檛 come back. Surely this war can鈥檛 go on for much longer.
I am taking my two young sisters to the Y.M.C.A. dance this evening. Mom says if I take them early and bring them home at nine o鈥檆lock, they can come with me. I鈥檝e warned them that if they are any trouble they won鈥檛 go again, so I know they will be alright. We have a lot of fun dancing to Victor Sylvester records. Although Jean is deaf, she can dance quite well. She says she feels the vibration from the floorboards through to her feet. All of us girls dance with each other from time to time. Occasionally, the kids get asked by other partners, but I keep a close eye on them. I bet they think older sisters are a pain in the neck. A bit like I think about Doll, I expect, which reminds me about my trip out to her cottage.
It takes two bus rides to get there and then quite a long walk. It is outside the village of Bickenhill and is surrounded by farmland. I love it there. So do all the rest of the family, with the possible exception of Dad. He evacuated us there when the bombing was particularly bad. We didn鈥檛 stay long, although Doll had begged us all to come there, there were too many of us in one small cottage, and when Dad decided we would go home after two weeks, I don鈥檛 remember that she begged us to stay. If I had been her, I wouldn鈥檛 either. Anyway, when the bombing started in Coventry, many bombs missed their targets and the village had a few of them. One big landmine ended up a few hundred yards down the lane from where Doll lived, so we were as well off at home. We were very grateful to her for the break, but at least I didn鈥檛 have to cycle 14 miles to and from the office anymore.
And so here I am back with Doll and her family again. We have just been for a lovely walk over the fields to the next village. Everything is so peaceful here. Doll and I have the same wacky sense of humour and every so often a herd of cows would turn their heads as we burst into peals of laughter. We recalled a visit I made just a couple of years back, when Doll and I spent some time in the garden picking raspberries. The crop is a big one and we picked enough for the four of us, Doll, Alec and my young niece, Mavis. We set the table with Doll鈥檚 best tablecloth, spread bread and butter and put the cakes Doll had made in the centre of the table, then the raspberries which Doll and washed were put in dishes in front of us.
鈥淭here you are.鈥� said Doll. 鈥淭uck in and enjoy yourselves. There鈥檚 the sugar and cream.鈥�
Since I was the guest I reached for the sugar first, sprinkled it on and added the cream, the others followed suit. Doll left the table to make the tea. When she came back we were all sitting looking at our dishes.
鈥淐ome on,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 the matter with you?鈥�
There were hundreds of little white maggots rearing their heads out of the sugar and cream.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 really like them,鈥� I said.
鈥淒o you think I鈥檝e wasted my sugar for nothing.鈥�
Doll wasn鈥檛 very happy. And then she saw them. Her face was a picture. They were still writhing around. It looked like some kind of weird dance.
鈥淵ou eat yours and I鈥檒l eat mine,鈥� I said, and even Doll had to laugh. Just a daft little episode, but one of many which we recalled as we walked together.
There鈥檚 a lovely thing I鈥檝e noticed about trips to the country. It鈥檚 the generosity. They seem happy to share what they have with you, such as bunches of flowers from the garden, jars of jam, pickles and salted beans, and any fruits and vegetables that are in season. In addition to this Doll had made a large cake and had also managed to get a dozen eggs. My mother would be delighted. I was quite loaded up with all these goodies.
Doll and Mavis accompanied me to the bus stop. I had really enjoyed myself and thanked them for making my day such a good one. The bus came and I made my way back to the bosom of the rest of my family.
*
When I was a child I sometimes used to wish I was an only child like Pat, when I felt a bit beset by all the kids. But the advantages of belonging to a big loving family are so many I wouldn鈥檛 change my lot with anyone. Now that鈥檚 a nice thought, isn鈥檛 it?
As before, the leave passed by quickly, the last two days in particular. The weather had been good and I had enjoyed myself and now it was time to go back. I never felt down about this, because I enjoyed my job so much and it was always nice to see my friends again. But I always know, no matter when I am or what I do, I will always miss my family too.
The first person I see as I go through the door of the billet is Jock.
鈥淕reat to see you back,鈥� she said. 鈥淗ave you had a good leave? I鈥檓 just off out now, how about the pictures tonight?鈥�
It鈥檚 good to be back with my mates, especially Jock, who always talks a hundred to the dozen and rarely waits for an answer.
I go upstairs to put my kit away. Most of the drivers are out and it鈥檚 very quiet. This will not last long. In about an hour鈥檚 time there will be a rush of girls trying to get to the bathroom before all the hot water gets run off. It鈥檚 not a lot of fun trying to wash off oil and grease with cold water after you鈥檝e been doing maintenance all day. Then we all sit down to our evening meal together and there is one big hubbub going around the room. I can鈥檛 believe sometimes that I used to be rather shy. The Army really brings you out of yourself.
I would say our girls were predominantly Londoners or at least Southerners. I was lucky enough to be invited to spend time at the homes of some of them, and their parents treated me as one of their own. I was taken down the river to Hampton Court by one of them, Petticoat Lane Market by another and to a party at Poplar when a cousin came home from the Navy. Gosh, that was a party to remember. It was still going on at 4 o鈥檆lock in the morning. That young sailor had a real welcome home and rightly so. He had been plying across the Atlantic for eight months helping to protect the convoys. Nothing is too good for him. We all know what we owe to lads like him.
I remember Betty and her Mum who were so good to me. When Betty鈥檚 Mum sent her a parcel, there was quite often something included for me. And Joan鈥檚 mother who insisted vainly that Joan and I go in the shelter with them when an air raid started.
She knew better than us, I would have gone, but had to stay with Joan, and when the raid really got under way we were both so shaken up, we couldn鈥檛 get to the shelter quickly enough.. It was the daddy of all raids and it was certainly not the time for bravado.
We can be very stupid and selfish sometimes, most times our parents really do know best, and we worry them when we shouldn鈥檛.
What is so good, is that most of the girls are from ordinary backgrounds like my own people. I feel comfortable and happy with them and I know they are always going to pull their weight, and stick with you through thick and thin.
I am going to Haywards Heath for a couple of weeks, as they need a truck and driver. I don鈥檛 mind at all, I shall probably meet some of the people I knew when I first came down to Maidstone, as this is an outpost of our sister company which we split up from. Also there will be jobs to do around the coast and I shall really enjoy that.
Wouldn鈥檛 you know ? The weather has changed. We are now having torrential rain and gale force winds. The coast road at Hastings has been broken off in some places by flooding, and huge waves are coming in from the sea. I had my window down and got drenched. How daft can I get?
I have to go to Dover to deliver provisions to a gun crew, positioned right on the edge of the harbour wall. not much fun for them, I would think, but they were a cheerful bunch of chaps, I had the usual cup of tea with them, then headed back inland towards Haywards Heath, and to a somewhat safer place. The weather is wild, which is why I鈥檒l give Hastings a miss on the way back. I have not seen anyone I know yet, down here. A couple of girls tell me they are going dancing in the evening, and invite me along with them. I jumped at the chance. As I said before, I just love dancing. I am a good dancer, and rarely lack a partner, and I had a really good time. I told my new friends I would love to repay the pleasure of their company, should they find themselves in Chatham sometime.
During the next ten days, I was busy doing trips to Romney Marshes, Battle, Brighton, and one more trip to Dover. The weather had abated and it was very pleasant driving around this area. My last job was towing a fire pump to a Canadian Camp, where I put up with a fair amount of teasing, for some reason I couldn鈥檛 fathom. Had they never seen a woman drive a truck before?.
I am now back at Chatham. I鈥檓 glad to be back, although, I have enjoyed myself for the past two weeks. I check my detail for tomorrow and find that I am going out to the Isle of Grain again, but it will be a late start, as my next load will not be assembled until mid-morning. I spend an hour after breakfast doing a few odd jobs, such as washing a few things, and polishing shoes, etc. I also wrote a letter each to my brothers. They are identical, to save time, but they keep me in touch with the lads. How I wish I could see them again. It鈥檚 been such a long time and I miss them so much.
I make my way down to the M.T. yard where I get my truck ready. Filling up the radiator, and checking my petrol and oil again, and then I take it to be loaded up. It鈥檚 loaded to capacity with provisions, and I shall be welcome as 鈥淭he Flowers in May鈥� when I get to my destination.
When I arrive I find that 鈥淢uff鈥� has returned to Chatham, not to our barracks, as she drives an ambulance. She is at the billet I was at when I first arrived at Chatham.
We had got on well together last time I was here, and I was a bit disappointed not to see her again.
I was given my lunch. Had a chat with the girls, and then started back to civilisation. The farmers had been busy and as far as the eye could see, there were miles of crops of all kinds. I came across a farmhouse with a sign outside, saying they were selling strawberries. I stopped the truck and walked up to the door. It opened before I could knock, I don鈥檛 suppose they get many visitors out here, and the farmer and his wife met me with big beaming smiles. I asked for a punnet of strawberries, and was invited into the house for a drink of lemonade, while they got them for me. The man asked me, could I use a larger amount of them, for me and my friends. He said he went round the fields three times, and there was still a lot left, and they wouldn鈥檛 cost me anything. His wife brought some large cardboard cartons, and the three of us picked for about half an hour, until the cartons were full. I was so grateful. What a treat. Strawberries and cream for the whole billet! They were delighted to do us the favour, and I was profuse with my thanks to the two very kind people. The girls really enjoyed their treat for tea that evening.

*

The news on the wireless was very mixed these days. There were huge bombing raids over Germany by our Airforce and also the American Airforce, which were stationed here. There were thousands of planes involved. It was a tremendous sight to see as they came from many aerodromes from all over England,. but mostly eastern areas, and they seemed to converge over the Kent coast.
It seemed as if the drone of their engines would go on for ever, and then the bombers and their fighter escorts would disappear and we were left alone to worry about them, and to wish them Good Luck, God Bless, and a Safe Return.
Our troops had defeated the Germans and Italians in North Africa, and were now fighting in Italy. The Italians were beaten as a fighting force, but the Germans deployed more troops to Italy and there were many bloody battles going on.
We heard that my brother Les was there. He was now a sergeant in the Royal Engineers.
WE were devastated when we heard that he had been wounded, when a truck carrying mines had been blown up. He had concussion, and other injuries, but some of his mates had been killed, including his best friend 鈥淟ofty鈥�.
When Lofty had visited my home on one of his leaves, he had promised my mum 鈥淒on鈥檛 worry about Les, I鈥檒l look after him for you鈥�, and as he was a big fellow, about 6ft. 3ins. tall, you kind of thought he would do it. 鈥淚f I see anything coming, I鈥檒l stand in front of him鈥� he laughed. Imagine the feelings of mum and dad when they heard that he was dead, and their son was wounded, and such a long way from home. It took Les some time to get over his injuries, and then it was back into the fighting again. He must have felt shattered about Lofty and his other friends who were killed and injured. All you can do is to go on trying to do your best, and trying to shut out the horror of it all. But its a savage blow to lose people who have shared everything they had with you through good times and bad. I feel like this about my friends, I know how we all stick together. How much stronger must these feelings be, when you depend on each other for your very lives.
We get a sense that the tide may be turning in our favour. Our bombers seem to be finding their targets, and having an effect on the German factories. The Germans occupy almost the whole of Europe, and are fighting against the Russians also. Many people say this is a big mistake, as the Russian winters are unbelievably severe, and the people are formidable foes. Since all those German forces have to be fed, clothed, transported and armed, the strikes against German industry are vitally important. The effect on the civilian population must be catastrophic as the raids go on night after night. But of course, we know just how it feels. Our women, children and old sick people have suffered, and are still suffering these agonies. We feel compassion for them but we did not start the war. They did. But how we all wish that it was over, but I know we have a long way to go.
I was at the railway station in Seven oaks and while waiting to have my vehicle loaded, I heard a gentle little whistle. I turned and saw a number of Italian Prisoners of War unloading a goods wagon. One of them was a most handsome man, dark curly hair, beautifully tanned skin, and a smile to melt not mine. He stood there in the sunshine holding out a big red apple, and offering it to me. I鈥檓 ashamed to say I looked through him as if he was not there, and I saw the smile go from his face, and heard his mates laugh at him. But you see, my brother was still out there fighting, and there was no way in which I could fraternize with one of his enemies. I know, however, that his face is imprinted in my mind, mostly because of my own cold behaviour. As a prisoner of war, he would return safely to his own country when the war was over. I wish I could be as sure that my brothers would come home safely to us.

*
One of the really good things about this job is the changing scenery of the different places we have to go to, and the changing seasons. Most people seem to love the spring, when everything is starting to life again after the long winters rest. I think perhaps I love the autumn best, the time of plenty, the golden time when farmers and their laborers are out in the fields gathering in their crops, and the fruit from their orchards. I love the colors, green, gold, russet and reds of the leaves. I love the little village churches and their Harvest Festival services, and their giving thanks for a bountiful harvest, and the look on the faces of the parishioners as if they are so proud of a job well done. What would we have done without them during the past few years. How would we have kept ourselves fed. There are few easy jobs on a farm, it is back breaking work. But especially during this war, the farming communities have surpassed themselves in hard work and effort.
One of the loveliest places I went to was Opted in Surry. I found the colors of the trees there quite breathtaking. I hope one day, when the war is over, that I will come back here again.
A few months ago, a rather nice looking young man appeared in the workshops. He had fair hair, was quite tall, and had a pleasant but rather shy personality. He was about the same age as me, and we became friends. I can鈥檛 say that I was romantically drawn to him, but sometimes we met by chance at the Y.M.C.A., and I tried to teach him to dance. He was not a bad pupil but my feet suffered for quite a few weeks after they had been trodden on by his army boots. We tended to dance the slower dances, like the waltz, and slow foxtrot, it was easier on my toes. It was not the ideal place to learn, as it was full of other people who couldn鈥檛 dance either, and there were always so many people trying, that we all tended to get in each other鈥� way. It was good fun and when we had had enough of dancing, we would sit and have a bun and a cup of tea, and watch the others suffering. Every so often, a couple would flash by who could really dance, and I used to really enjoy watching them showing off their fancy steps . 鈥淥ne of these days, John鈥�, I said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l be doing that.鈥�
It was coming up to my twentieth birthday, and he asked me if I would like to spend the day with him in London, and I agreed. We decided that we would travel up on the milk train, which left at about five o鈥檆lock, so that we would have a nice long day seeing the sights.
On the train up to London, we had a compartment to ourselves, because of our early start. The weather has started off warm and pleasant and I am hopeful that we will have a good time. Usually when we were together, there were other people around, but now we were alone, we could really get to know each other. We didn鈥檛 stop nattering to each other all the way to Victoria Station.
He told me he had one sister, Nora, who was three and a half years older. His mother had died when he was twelve, and as he told me, I could see that he still felt the hurt of it badly. When he was five months old the little family had emigrated to Australia to make their fortune, but it was not to be. After trying to find work in the towns, they heard that a new mill was to be constructed at a place called Nannup. This was way out in the wilds and when they arrived there with several other intrepid families, they found they quite literally had to start from scratch..
At first they lived in tents, but after a while, the men combined their skills and when their day鈥檚 work was done at the mill, they set about building their own houses, and so a little community was born. He told me of the time his mother badly scalded her feet and pushed herself around in an old tea chest with the ends knocked out; of the time when he got trapped in the tent with a deadly snake and his father chopping it in two with his tree felling axe. How his mother used to teach some of the children who wanted to learn and how his father, who had been a musician in a Military Band, used to entertain them with his clarinet. His father, like mine, had been in the horror of the first world war, my dad as an infantryman who later became a sergeant, John鈥檚 dad as a stretcher bearer. You would have thought that World War 1 would have been enough for people to take, but no, here we are again.
And here we are at Victoria Station, and I will hear the rest of his story later. The journey has flashed by and a friendship has been really established. I really like you, John. We had made plans to meet his sister at lunchtime, but until then we would just sort of follow our noses and see where they led us. I had been given enough sandwiches and biscuits by our cook, the night before for the two of us, plus a couple of apples. We found a park and had some for our breakfast, found a little cafe for a cup of tea, and we were ready for anything..
London was really springing to life now, as people were on their way to work. There were uniformed people everywhere, the traffic was heavy and there seemed to be a hubbub of noise and movement that at times was almost bewildering.
We made plans to see Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and after that we would meet Nora for lunch. On our way through Hyde park, I got stung by a bee, right through my thick army stockings. My leg swelled up and I was in quite a lot of pain with it for the rest of the day, but tried not to make too big a thing of it. I didn鈥檛 want to spoil the day for us.
We went to Buckingham Palace. It was still very imposing in spite of wartime conditions. There seemed to be sandbags around all of the big important buildings. The King and Queen and the young princesses had stayed here in London with their people and the people honoured them for doing so. We saw the resting place in Westminster Abbey of the 鈥淯nknown Soldier鈥� from the first World War. What would he think of us, making the same terrible mistakes again.
At lunch time we made our way to Lyons Corner House at Marble Arch, where we were to meet Nora. We found a table and about five minutes later she arrived. She was a very attractive girl with a lovely smile and a big dimple in her cheek. We got along well together.
I asked to be excused to go to the Ladies room and asked John to order for me while I was gone. I took some salt from the table, thinking I would bathe my leg and maybe ease the pain of my bee sting. The ladies room was crowded, but I managed to remove the sting, after which I bathed my leg in warm water and dabbed it with salt. A lady offered me a medicated plaster and I felt much better.
My meal arrived at the table just as I got back and I enjoyed the food and the company very much. They had been discussing where we would go in the afternoon, and suggested we might go to a matinee. They were quite keen to see Cyril Fletcher, so I agreed and we spent a very pleasant afternoon there and had a lot of laughs.
After the theatre, we went to Nora鈥檚 home for tea, spent a couple of hours chatting, after which we made our way back to the station. We were not able to carry on our conversation of the early morning as the compartment was full. It will do another time. We had enjoyed our day, though. We might do it again sometime.
*

I checked on my detail for tomorrow. I was to go to Lingfield, in Surrey, not an early start fortunately. I usually like to get on the road very early, but today has been rather hectic, so I鈥檓 glad there is to be no rushing around in the morning.
I had to take some equipment to the racing stables at Lingfield. I had a couple of soldiers with me to help unload the vehicle. It was a lovely day and they were looking forward to their day away from the barracks. One got in the back, and the other sat in the front with me. He offered me a cigarette, which I declined, thankfully, I am still a non smoker. I don鈥檛 think I could afford it anyway. he was a pleasant man in his thirties, happily married and his wife was expecting their third baby. She was in St. Thomas Hospital in London and the baby was due tomorrow. He already had two daughters, and was hoping that this one would be a boy. He said he had been promised a forty eight hour pass when the baby arrived. His mother had the two little girls, and she doted on them. He said that he had phoned the hospital this morning before we had started out and they had assured him the baby would not arrive today, but to phone again this evening if he wished. It was obvious that he was on tenterhooks, though how much worse is it for the men who haven鈥檛 seen their children for so long. My brother Ted is one. He has been away for over three years, and has missed out on little Teddy鈥檚 growing up. All the best years when a toddler is learning new things all the time, and when they are at their funniest and most lovable.
I say as much to the soldier, and he agrees, and says he counts his blessings, being on a home posting at this time.
We arrive at Lingfield and make our way to an Army Site where we unload the truck. It鈥檚 a nice place here, very peaceful. Most of these sites are off the beaten track, you would never know they were there from the road.
We are in such a pretty place. This part of Surrey in autumn is a lovely place to be. The soldiers have enjoyed their day out of barracks and say they wish it could happen more often.
On my way back to the billet, I meet up with one of my friends, Freda. There is a show we would both like to see in Chatham, and we decide we will get tickets for the following week. When we get back to the billet, I give her the money for my ticket, as I shall be in Maidstone tomorrow, and she is working locally. She is good company, and I shall look forward to going out with her again.
After our evening meal, I arrange with Jock to go down to the Catholic club. Neither of us have much money, so we opt for a nice cheap and cheerful evening. Father Young spots us as soon as we go in, and comes over for a chat.
鈥淚鈥檓 glad you young ladies have come in. there is a young chap who needs some company. He鈥檚 just arrived here and does not know anyone. Look after him for a while, will you.鈥� We were glad to do this for him, after all, Father Young was kindness itself to everyone who went to his club. Everyone was made welcome, no matter what religion they belong to, and he was really liked and respected by us all.
I am really happy about my trip to Maidstone. I have to take one of our Officers to the beautiful country house, which was the first place I came to in Kent. I had never been back there, since I had left it to Balming, but had often thought about it. It really was my dream house, and I told my Officer so, as we turned into the drive, and she laughed as I said 鈥渋f I start saving now, it would take me ten years of Army pay to pay for the garage鈥�.
One of the first people I met when we went into the hall was my Officer from Balming. She made quite a fuss of me, and I was very pleased to see her again. When I knew her before, I was such a shy little kid and very much in awe of her. It鈥檚 amazing how much confidence I now have, compared to those days.
She took my Officer away to conduct their business and I was free to wander around. It was just the same and I loved it just as much. I wondered who was the lucky person who owned it. I looked across the parkland from a huge picture window on the first floor landing, and I thought 鈥淔ancy waking up each day to a view like that.鈥� Dream on Wynne, I expect your future lies in a three bedroom semi-detached, and even that seems a long way away from now.
I stayed for a lunch, and there were quite a few people that had been there before, and remembered me even though I had not stayed here for long. It was really nice coming back, and I was quite sorry when my Officer told me it was time to head back home. She seemed to have enjoyed her day just as much as I had mine.
As we go into late autumn there is a bit of a nip in the air at times. We also have had quite a bit of foggy weather, which I really hate. Perhaps if we had some street lighting it would be easier? But after dusk there is no light from houses which are heavily shuttered or curtained, so that not a glimmer of light can escape. No streetlamps, just complete darkness. Our vehicles have masked headlamps which are not much help at normal times, but in fog, are completely useless. we tend to go very slowly and hug the hedges quite a lot, but so far, have managed not to run into any ditches. More by luck than by judgement, I think.
When we sat down to our evening meal Freda produced the tickets for the show. She also told me that she had received a letter from her Canadian boyfriend to say that he was arriving in Chatham on the same day as the show and that he was bringing an Engagement ring with him. I was delighted for them both, and told Freda that they must have my ticket and see the show together. She protested, but not too much, she was so happy, she was almost walking on air. However, when her boyfriend arrived, he would not accept my offer. He went to the booking office and they very kindly sorted out three seats together. I felt awful, I certainly did not want to play gooseberry to a couple of lovebirds on the day of their engagement, but they were adamant. In the event I don鈥檛 think they knew I was there half the time, but it was lovely to see them so happy. They took me for one drink after the show so that I could celebrate with them, and then I left them to be together, and I wished them happiness.

*

As I drive around these days, I am conscious of many more Army camps springing up. Canadians and Americans and many more of our own troops seem to be coming south. There is a feeling of a change coming, but of course, everything is so hush-hush, we don鈥檛 know what it is. There are quite a few rumours going around, but we have learned to discount most of these as figments of peoples imagination.
Two U-Boats have been sunk by our Navy in the north Atlantic, but more of our Merchant fleet have been sunk in the Mediterranean by German planes, and we have lost at least one of our Destroyers. Each time we hear that something like this has happened, it is like a blow to your heart. I can鈥檛 bear to think of the anguish of the telegram boys delivering their tragic news to the relatives of the casualties, it is happening to thousands of people. It could so easily happen to my three brothers.
To Cyril, at the evacuation of Dunkirk, it was four days before we knew he was safe.
Then Ted, when he was burned in North Africa, when his convoy was dive bombed.
And more recently, with Les, when the truck loaded with mines blew up, and he was injured.
Nobody knows when something like this is going to hit their family, so keep busy and try not to dwell too much on these things. Everyone seems to be trying to keep a grip on things and not to be too pessimistic.
There is a group of people who really help our overseas Forces in this respect. They are called 鈥淪tars in Battledress鈥�, and they go abroad to entertain the troops. People like Vera Lynn, Anne Shelton, Charlie Chester, George Formby. Well, there are hundreds of them, well known stars and lesser known acts. They all work so hard to bring a smile to the faces of the lads and girls who are so far from home. When Vera sings, she brings tears to the eyes of many of them as they think of home, but minutes later she has them all joining in, singing with her. All of these stars (and there are too many to mention by name) often risk their own lives to help our fighting men and will be remembered long after the war is won for the wonderful job they do.
Even in the factories they have music playing as people work and sometimes during the lunch breaks they may have live entertainment. The workers are so dedicated to their war effort that it does them good to be able to relax during their meal break.
At the moment things are pretty routine here. We are just doing our ordinary day to day jobs, and finding some of them a bit tedious. Occasionally we are sent to one of the outposts for a few days when they find themselves short staffed. Most of us welcome the change of scenery once in a while, but we are always glad to return to our own friends when the job is done.
I have been having an occasional evening out with John.. He鈥檚 a quiet lad, but I expect that I make enough chatter for both of us. Gradually I have pieced the rest of the story together, that he started on the train to London on our first proper date.
He told me that his years between five months and five and a half in Australia were happy, but then his parents became ill and they decided to return to England. To do the hard work required at the mill in Nannup, they had to be one hundred percent fit and they were not. It was becoming a struggle to keep going and there were two young children to consider. They knew they would have the back up of his mother鈥檚 family back in England. They were a big and close family and would welcome them back with open arms.
During the time at Nannup his mother had purchased a sewing machine, which was her pride and joy and invaluable to them. She insisted this came back with them too. That surprised me and amused me too. I know, however, that people do get attached to things. They had worked hard to get it in the first place. Anyway, his mom wanted to bring it back with her, and back to England it came, as a reminder of a great experience in Australia.
When they arrived back in England they stayed at first with John鈥檚 grandmother for a few weeks, after which they rented their own home in Paddington. His mother was far from well, and was told that she needed an operation on her throat. Towards the end of her stay in hospital, John鈥檚 father was taken in also, with colitis.
These first few months back in England were very stressful for the whole family, but John鈥檚 aunts and uncles rallied around and took care of the children, as well as helping out in many other ways. John always remembered their kindness to him, Nora and his parents.
After a short time working as a porter, his father began work at the Mount Pleasant post office and things began to look up. His mother also got a part time job. She had made up her mind to save for the deposit on a house of their own. Sadly, she had other operations during this time, but as soon as she was feeling better, back to work she would go. The children both won scholarships to good schools and their parents were so proud of them.
They had at last saved the money for a house of their own at Ruislip, which was another source of celebration. Two of their dreams fulfilled. They were happy, but things were not destined to stay that way. His mom became ill again and after a year of going in and out of hospital she died in her own home. Towards the end John was sent to stay with his aunt. Nora helped care for her mother. The two youngsters were shattered when they lost their mother.
Their father found it impossible to carry on and at fourteen and a half John was signed on as an apprentice fitter in the army. Nora went onto college and the house was sold. John could have gone to live with an aunt if he had wished, but chose to go to Chepstow instead. He was so very young to start a completely new life, but as I look at him, it doesn鈥檛 seem to have done him too much harm. He鈥檚 a lovely lad, very quiet and respectful. I think I will take him home to spend a weekend with our family in the New Year. That will probably be quite a shock to his system, but he won鈥檛 be allowed to stay quiet in our house for long.

*

I will not get leave for Christmas this year. I don鈥檛 mind really. Every leave seems to be a celebration when I go home. They give me such a wonderful welcome.
I must do some shopping around Chatham. I would like to buy a few presents for my family. I have been trying to save a bit out of my pay, and dad sends me a five pound note in his letters, and so if I shop carefully, I should manage quite well. The goods on sale have become more sparse as the war goes on. I have asked mom if she can spare me a few clothing coupons and I can get the youngsters something they really need. They can have all my coupons. There is not very much I really need. My uniform fills most of my requirements.
I have decided to do my shopping alone as I shall get around quicker, but will meet my friends for a coffee later on. My first purchase is a jumper for my mom and then a shirt for my dad. I like them both and they will be well received. I also bought jumpers for the girls and socks and scarves for the boys. Stockings for Doll, scarf for my brother-in-law, Alec, and box of handkerchief and some sweets for my young niece, Mavis, and a ball and sweets for little Teddy. I was spent out, but had clothing coupons left to send back home for mom. I managed to find a box of beads for the girls to share, to pretty up their dresses, which cost very little. These would really please Mavis and Jean, who loved pretty, sparkly things. I headed for the coffee shop to see how the others had got on, and they seemed to be as self satisfied as I was.
There would be other things I would need to buy, but they would have to wait until my next pay day. Thanks Heavens for the Y.M.C.A. and the Catholic Club, and some more inexpensive evenings for the next couple of weeks.
As this is a Garrison Town, we are invited to quite a few parties by the different regiments during the Christmas and New Year. They are usually held in their drill halls, and their regimental band play dance music and buffet meals are provided. We are also asked to the Royal Naval Barracks and we girls have a great time. I went to a couple last year before I went on New Year鈥檚 leave, and they were very good. We always had a good supply of dancing partners, some of whom would have done better to watch and learn how to dance. I鈥檓 being very uncharitable, aren鈥檛 I? No! On second thoughts, I鈥檓 not. I would never refuse anyone. It probably takes a bit of Dutch courage for some of them to ask if they are a bit on the shy side.
John and I had decided to get married. We chose February 24th 1945 as the big day. Mom and Dad were quite happy about it because they liked John. The only thing Mom said was, 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot to prepare in a short time.鈥� We said we just wanted a quiet wedding in a Registry Office and to be married in our uniforms would be fine, and a modest buffet at home and a drink with the family was all that we wanted. I should have known it wasn鈥檛 going to happen that way.

*

Mom made plans for a white wedding, coaxing clothing coupons from the family. I didn鈥檛 want this at all. The mere thought of a long white dress after years in uniform didn鈥檛 feel quite right. We had to give way though. It would make my mother happy and that was a rare thing these days. Mom and I had a good time shopping for a dress. We had three in my size to choose from in the third shop we tried, but we couldn鈥檛 find a wedding veil or headdress anywhere. My dad said I had better try Chatham. I was lucky to get a lovely one. We bought material for the bridesmaids in a beautiful pale turquoise, and a friendly neighbor made it up. My two younger sisters and my niece were the bridesmaids and were very excited about it. everything went well, and my mother was happier than she鈥檇 been I a long time. One of my brothers had just been invalided out of the army with heart trouble, and so at least one of the lads would be present. he would be best man.

February 24th arrived and I got up early to help Mom in any way I could, a bit tricky with a large family under your feet, but eventually all was done to Mom鈥檚 satisfaction, and we chivvied the last of them off to the church and there was just my father and me left. We were to have the wedding buffet at home after all. All the available church halls and Drill Halls were being used as first aid posts. But everything looked lovely, darling Mom had done a wonderful job.

Dad said he hoped so much we would be happy and was near to tears, and so we set off with high hopes for a happy wedding day. It was a lovely sunny day. A good omen I hoped. As we started off in the taxi, my father held my hand, just for a moment. Something unusual for my Dad. We smiled at each other; there was no need for words, and suddenly we were in the church. The family said we marched down the aisle rather than walked. Oh well, after being in the army for three and a half years old habits die hard.
It was a nice homely kind of wedding and there were a few tears among the smiles. Mom and Dad had done us proud. The reception was equally enjoyable with our friends and neighbours around us. But two of my brothers were still overseas as were my friends Pat and Joan. How I wish they could have been with us. We had been given a seventy two hour pass only for the wedding. Our next leave will be due in May. Can鈥檛 wait.

I am back in the old routine once more. We are occasionally asked for the odd truck or staff car to help our sister company in Sussex. Things are going our way now. the Germans are being attacked from different directions by our troops and allies. God bless them all for giving up so much for us. So many have lost their lives and been wounded. I remember Dover again and think of fetching them off the ships and taking them to Shornecliffe. They looked so tired and weary. You had to hold back the tears.

We are still working long hours but we know it will all be over soon. Its now April 1945 and its our turn now to do all the bombing and shelling. We feel for the people who are suffering and pray it will all be over soon for everyone鈥檚 sake.

We are now into May. There鈥檚 great excitement in the air. It can鈥檛 be long now. None could take the bombardment from all sides that the Germans are getting. It must be hell over there and it must be over soon. We have been told we can leave on May 7th, so John and I are having a belated honeymoon. We are going down to Ilfracombe for a week, but we鈥檒l call home to see Mom, Dad and family first.

May 8th 1945. The war is over. I鈥檓 crying, so are all my family. Oh God its really over. We all pulled together and we won, but at such a cost. Now we have to make this world a fitting place for all our Heroes to live in. God Help Us to do it.

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