大象传媒

I am almost 80 years old but in 1942 I was so keen to join the serices that I put my age up a year to be able to enlist. So, in December 1942 I was on my way to RAF Innsworth in Gloucester, to be kitted out before being sent to Morcombe for basic drill training and to discuss future trade training issue. The Bomb Plotting or Balloon Operator which I had opted for were out as women were no longer allowed to enter these trades.

Eventually some of us were sent to Moreton in Marsh and for a while I was a receptionist in the officers' mess. Moreton in Marsh was way out in the country. Sirens were never heard of until one evening we could not believe we even had sirens in Moreton in Marsh. We had been trained in preparation for such an event. We all made our way to number four site air raid shelter, carrying our gas masks, clothing we needed on our arms and running to get to the shelter. We had a red headed Cpl. cook, running and puffing followed by her little dog, which she had been allowed to have on camp. To get into the shelter we had to bend over to allow us to get in. As the corporal was about to enter she screamed that she had been hit. No one had heard anything and we couldn't understand. Eventually we discovered in a panic the little dog had bitten her bottom. This all happened at about 10 pm. We were all doubled up with laughter that no one heard the all clear which apparently went off at 11 pm. The sergeant in command of our billet had to send someone to make us go back to our quarters at 6 am the following morning.

Another time I was on duty in the Admin office at Moreton in Marsh which was prior to going on an Admin Training Course at RAF Hawkinge.

Our Waaf quarters were two miles from the main RAF camp so for us girls it meant a cycle ride to the camp.

It was 8 am in the morning and half way to the main camp, when right across the road was one of our RAF Wellington bomber planes. It hadn't crashed, just missed the runway.

Our main concern was not to be too late for work. I parked my cycle against the hedge and nipped through a gap and raced to the office only to be met by an irate WAAF sergeant with a "Why are you late?". "There is a plane across the road" I said. Obviously she did not believe me and threatened to charge me. Three other WAAFs arrivwed soon after and told her the same as I had. She still could not believe it. She had been in her office since 7 am so the incident had happened during that time. The sergeant went to check this out for herself and on her return had the grace to apologise to we girls for not believing us.

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