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This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Doreen Oaks for Three Counties Action on behalf of Nora Bayford and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

War was declared in September 1939 and as I married in the November, my joining the forces wasn’t even considered. At that time my husband was in a reserved occupation so he didn’t need to go away.

I originated from Debden in Essex, where my parents had a farm and, apart from animal, managed to raise eleven children. At the time I met my husband we were both working for the same farmer; me as a nanny to his children and he in charge of the dairy. As men were called up women were having to take on their work and, in my case, I took over a horse drawn milk float, along with six girls who each took over a horse drawn milk float. My delivery was in the country town of Bishops Stortford, Herts, and to get in to and out of was quite hazardous due to the steep hill.

In icy weather I had to walk by the horse to hold her head and also when there was a rare burst of bombing, or similar noise. Customers would call out for me to shelter with them but, of course, I couldn’t possibly leave the horse; it was terrified enough without being abandoned. She also had to suffer the clatter of army tanks rattling past, although by far worst were the steam ploughs (predecessors of the motor tractor). She was a London horse and had never encountered anything like frightening sounds on country roads during wartime.

When the steam ploughs passed, the hair on her back rose, and so did she! Once she reared up forcing the cart into a ditch and it took a lot of effort by the men from the plough to ease the wheel back on the road. The heavy metal crates crashed to one side but, luckily it was at the end of my round so were empty. After that she nearly backed the cart into a plate glass window, having been frightened by yet another steam plough and up the steep hill without stopping. As she reached the top I had to calm her down, as I felt sure she would have a heart attack.

We carried no other goods, only milk and cream. On a personal level, we had sufficient food throughout the war, as we had grown our own vegetable garden, ducks, chickens, etc.

Although, being in the country, we were touched by tragedies of war. The one incident that I remember well was when a German plane crashed nearby. It was during the night and there came this dreadful unfamiliar noise. When we looked through the bedroom window a flaming plane flew level past us. It was a miracle that it cleared four houses after ours, but blew up in a nearby field. The two pilots were killed. There were few incendiary bombs and passing Doodlebugs (explosive rockets) — when these started coming over we would sleep under our study oak table, as they would land anywhere without warning.

War reached every family, one way or another, and four of my brothers went into action; two in the Marines and two in the RF. They each had horrific experiences but, thankfully, each survived, one being awarded the MBE.

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