大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Philippa Capon on behalf of Mrs Ramseyer and has been added to the site with her permission. Mrs Ramseyer fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

At the recruitment office of the W.R.N.S, Great Smith Street, London, I said I wanted to be a dispatch rider. When asked if I could ride a horse and a bike, I replied, 鈥測es鈥� without hesitation and tongue in cheek. After the initial two weeks probationary period at Mill Hill, I found myself with two other girls, at a cinder track just off the Old Kent Road. We three novices were to be instructed about the eccentricities of the Royal Enfield 500 cc motorbikes by members of the N.F.S. (National Fire Service). We discovered the bikes were so heavy that if they fell over we were unable to right them without a struggle. Another unknown was, when out on the road we had to avoid the tram tracks otherwise you could end up at the terminus! Inspite of these hazards, three weeks later, we all passed the 鈥榯est鈥�, which took place at Black Heath. Subsequently we were fully-fledged dispatch riders with crash helmets, goggles, gaiters, boots, gauntlets and riding 鈥榖reeches鈥�.

Aged 18 by then my aspirations were dented a little when I found myself drafted to Grimsby, the only knowledge I had of it was from school. My appearance as a dispatch rider caused some raised eyebrows! I learnt whilst there, of the Navy establishment at Immingham and being the only dispatch rider I was entrusted to deliver a signal to the Flag Officer there. Having no idea of how to get there, I was informed that there was a single tram track and I should follow the road beside it, which terminated at Immingham. I set off in the rain only to have my motorbike suddenly stop and as we had no mechanical training initially, I had no idea what was wrong with it. Luckily, a tram appeared in the distance, which I hailed and boarded and I managed to get the communication to 鈥楩lags鈥� at the regulating office in Immingham. When asked, 鈥渨here is your motorbike?鈥� I shamefacedly replied 鈥渋t鈥檚 in a hedge鈥�. I was driven back to the hedge where my motorbike was and a knowledgeable sailor told me that the clutch cable was broken. Eventually I arrived back in Grimsby minus a motorbike.

Some weeks later I was transferred to Admiralty, Horse Guards Parade in London. Motorbikes there were Ariels, Nortons and B.S.A.鈥檚. They also had sidecars in which we carried nervous W.R.N.S officers to their destinations. I recall being nervous myself when I had to deliver or pick up something outside London. Road signs had been removed to confuse the Germans and what with that and the blackout I was also confused.

At this time I changed to four wheels and 鈥榖ell bottoms鈥� and was attached to H.M.S. Turtle, Hamworthy, Poole, combined ops establishment. I was, at first, at the smaller part of Turtle. The Navy had requisitioned the 鈥楽unshine Babies Home鈥� to house the overflow from the main camp. I have memories of reversing a Bedford 3 ton lorry up the sidings of Poole Railway Station with the engine ticking over, left foot on the clutch, gear in reverse, right foot on the running board and using the mirror to aid reversing!

I stayed with HMS turtle until I was demobbed in April 1946.

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