大象传媒

Ethel was at home in Chatton at the start of the war. As the men were all going away to war, the women needed to take up jobs to fill the empty posts. Ethel felt she had to do something, she saw there was a postgirl in Chatton, and thought she could try that. She got a job as a postlady, had a bicycle and had to go as far as Linkylaw and Brownrigg, often with heavy parcels. Sometimes the men that were left would help with the heavier items. One day in particular she remembers there was a terrible storm. It wasn鈥檛 a very exciting job.

Ethel then found a position at the bank in Belford. She was a clerk. There were 4 staff in the bank at that time. The first time she was put on the counter she was told, 鈥淣ever repeat anything you know from here鈥�. She was shocked that the manager would even think she might, and felt rather offended! It all seemed rather overwhelming at first but she soon got the hang of it. But again she didn鈥檛 find the work particularly stimulating.

More women were getting jobs linked more directly to the war, so when the opportunity arose, Ethel accepted a post to train as a nurse in the Newcastle General Hospital. She became a VAD in the Red Cross, an auxiliary nurse. She met two girlfriends at Newcastle, Nancy Crisp and Renie Willis, and they remained friends ever since. The three of them used to go out together. Ethel worked on the babies unit, where the sister, Snaith, appeared terrible to Ethel in the early days, but later became great friends. When Nancy first started on the maternity ward and saw the truth about becoming pregnant and how babies came into the world she told Ethel it was terrible, adding 鈥淚鈥檒l never get married!鈥�. Any premature babies would then be sent up to Ethel鈥檚 ward.

Ethel would get the odd trip back home to see her family. One time she got to Belford station to return to the hospital, Fred Murray from Hepburn Farm had taken her there, and then she realised she鈥檇 left all her money at home. He gave her everything he had on him, to help her out 鈥� he was like a brother to her.

The three nursing friends got the chance to go and work at a naval hospital in Portsmouth. But Ethel became ill with a haemorrhage in her stomach. She never got her posting, and the friends were split. Later Nancy had a heart murmur and was sent home, and Renie got married, so Ethel was the only one left nursing.
Another nursing friend was Mary Miller, whose mother was a matron, now Mary Miller.

Then Ethel wanted to work in a military hospital. She got a posting to Colchester Hospital, HQ SE Command. At one time she had to look after two German prisoners of war who were terrified initially. They were nice boys though said Ethel, as good as our lads. Then Ethel was given another posting to Northampton. She became a VAD, Voluntary Aid Detachment. After working in Northampton Ethel was then moved to Hallington Hall, near Hexham.

Hallington Hall was a hospital for wounded soldiers. Often she had to help with removing shrapnel form the soldier鈥檚 backs. Ethel was quite happy there and made many friends, one of whom was Stevie, Dorothy Stevenson, who became a lifelong friends. (She went out to South Africa, and died only a few months ago.) She used to visit Ethel here in Chatton. One of her sayings which Ethel remembers is, 鈥� The almonds in life come when you鈥檝e no teeth to eat them with.鈥� She was posted with Stevie to Northampton and liked it there very much.
She remembers the two of them huddling from doodlebugs when working. The MO there was a big man with a big heart. They had sent Ethel off on one mission which involved taking a mental patient, a young woman, down in an ambulance to a mental hospital in Chesterfield. Ethel had been nervous at first, but got on alright with the girl, who was no bother. They had tea together and Ethel stayed the night at the hospital when she had dropped her off. The MO was angry that they had given Ethel so much responsibility on her own, however. On the way back, they were nearly done for speeding by the military police, but the ambulance driver got Ethel to pretend there was an ill patient with them, even though the van was now empty, and they got away with it!

Ethel鈥檚 final posting was to Bletchley Park, which was the head of the Intelligence Corps. At the time Ethel didn鈥檛 realise quite how secretive it was. I was a very interesting posting. The characters there were quite different form the normal soldiers, a mad crowd 鈥� they would come for their injections and often pass out! Ethel was there for a long time, even after the war had ended. Bletchley was where the Enigma Code was cracked, although she didn鈥檛 realise it at the time.

Ethel enjoyed her nursing days. She is now living back in Chatton again

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