- Contributed by听
- Sutton Coldfield Library
- People in story:听
- Margaret Ward (Ex Private Bennett)
- Location of story:听
- Devizes, Aldermaston, Tonfanau, Walssend, Scotland, London, Sutton Coldfield
- Article ID:听
- A2835290
- Contributed on:听
- 14 July 2004
A day in the life of A.T.S on a gun-site.
This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War web site by Sutton Coldfield Library on behalf of Mrs Margaret Ward and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the sites terms and conditions.
1. 鈥淩ise and Shine鈥 Sergeant comes round to see everyone gets up.
2. Wash room.
3. Return to Barrack room, dress, fold up the blankets and sheets, one blanket folded lengthways, then put other folded blanket in centre of long one, then sheet, blanket, sheet, blanket. The long ends of the first blanket were then wrapped around the whole, but each blanket has a label (stitched by the owner), this has name, rank and number on it and all have to be in line. On top of this is placed the 鈥淭in Hat鈥, the respirator, mug, knife, fork and spoon, placed on mattress with shoes, soles upwards and clean, overcoat hung up, but folded to show all buttons shining. (Cleaned by owner using a Button stick, brass and slotted to take buttons while using metal polish and brushing) Uniform jacket also hung to show clean buttons. On a gun-site, the kit consisted of jacket and skirt. Trousers and battledress top to wear in camp only. Dungarees for working, cleaning the power unit, filling it with diesel oil, etc. Keep running board and everything spotless. The transmitter, the receiver all to be kept clean and in working order.
4. Breakfast in the dining hall. I believe each table seated 12 girls, when the cooks were ready then we could go up to the line, take a plate and be served with what we wanted from the food on display. Tea was bought to each table in buckets and served in our own mugs. Later I think we had metal tea pots.
5. After breakfast return to Barrack Room and if all was tidy, we chatted until the call 鈥淥n Parade鈥. This was done quickly and military and the officer came round each line. Hair must not be on the collar."Sick parade鈥 anyone needing to see the doctor 鈥渇all out鈥 the rest dismissed
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