大象传媒

In the year 1943 two seventeen years old friends worked together for a firm who made life jackets. I will tell you about their work.
First, they stencilled the jackets. Later, they were promoted to cutting them out. They were not keen on that job as it had a rotating blade, with no guard, and previous to going on the cutting job they had joked about what compensation one would get for part of a finger or even more for a whole finger.
Then, they went on to piece- work, a chance to earn a good wage, but money was deducted for post war credits that were reimbursed after the war ended. It was filling life jackets with kapoc that had to be weighed accurately as the Board of Trade sent an inspector to check every jacket.
On a morning break someone showed them a paper with a picture of war wounded men being sent back to hospitals in Britain.
It touched the girls and they wondered how they could help. One of the hospitals was in their area. Most families kept a large selection of hard- backed books. They acquired about twenty books and just wanted to hand them in at the lodge, but were told to take them to the ward and hand them out.
So they whizzed round shyly placing a book on each bed. A soldier said, 鈥渃ome and have a chat some of us do not get a visitor as we come from all parts of Britain.鈥� So they promised to go back and see them.
They had to take something in, so value for money was an apple. They were able to do that for a few weeks.
Doll and Peg made soft toy rabbits and sold them in work and also had a raffle. They booked twenty seats at the Empire Theatre and asked eight other girls to pay for themselves. The hospital gave permission for ten men to have leave of absence, but to be back at a certain time and no drinking was allowed. They were still under Forces Rules.
On coming out of the Empire there were five big taxis the girls had hired to take them back to Pegs鈥� home. They had tried to book a hall, but it was impossible. So with a lot of
Sweet talk they won Peg鈥檚 Mother round to let them have a nice meal in her house, but the girls had to do all the washing up.
Eventually, the men left the hospital never to be heard of again and there ends Doll 鈥榥鈥� Peg鈥檚 story.

'This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by 大象传媒 Radio Merseyside鈥檚 People鈥檚 War team on behalf of the author and has been added to the site with his / her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.'

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