大象传媒

I was glad to join up in the W.A.A.F.s in 1941. I was almost 18 and I was feeling thankful that I could leave London and the bombing and air raid sirens each night. We had an unexploded bomb drop four doors away and they evacuated 3 and left us to sweat it out while the brave soldiers defused it, luckily for us they managed. Also West Hendon where I lived had one of the 2 largest bombs ever dropped on it, this wiped out several streets, luckily again ours was not one of them. Much later when the buzz bombs were being sent over one came and stopped just above me as I waited for a bus. Again I was fortunate it glided away and exploded about a mile away. Seems I was fated to escape. Similarly after I left the Forces before the end of the war I was working in Bond Street and the rockets used to come over and when we heard the crunch we knew we had been saved yet again. I obviously had a guardian angel, or it wasn鈥檛 my time. Now to continue with my story. My Father was not happy about we joining up, he felt I was too young so he took me to the Station to get the train to Gloucester, which was to be my training camp. On the station he noticed a woman standing with another girl. Much to my disgust he approached the woman and asked if her daughter was also joining up, this proving so, much to my chagrin he asked if I could travel with this girl, the woman readily agreed.
Kay, as I later knew her name and I, looked at other a bit warily, not knowing then how much our lives would be interwoven.
On arrival at the camp we had chatted on the train journey and decided we would try and stay together. Luckily we were put in the same hut in adjoining beds. What an eye opener that was. Narrow iron beds with 3 squares of hard mattress and two rough sheets and a hard pillow and one pillow case and 2 gray blankets.
Then for two weeks we were drilled, clothed, taught to recognise the officers and other ranks . With new shoes I soon developed blisters on both heels and I began to wonder just what I had let myself in for, especially as all the injections against various diseases we were given gave me a temperature, and I had a nightmare where I woke up screaming that a plane was crashing on our hut. Still no relief. Then we had to try out our proper gas masks, go in a special room and for a few seconds pull the rubber to one side to get a whiff of the gas before we were allowed out. I am afraid I cheated on that one, no way was I going to breath in toxic gas so I pretended and got away with it.
Also during this 2 weeks basic training Kay and I found we had entered for Pay Accounts/Equipment, so we would be going to Penarth Wales to train for that. This pleased us as we had got quite friendly by then, although she was 7 years older than myself.
Arriving at Penarth we were lucky enough to be billeted out with an old couple who lived in Station Terrace. We ate all our meals in camp, where we were learning the ropes but went home each evening and had the weekends free. So the old couple told us if we would like to bring anyone home, they would light a fire in a small lounge for us. We only availed ourselves of this once, after we had met 2 soldiers, and having seen the picture at the one cinema, we took them home. They gave us some cups of tea. The poor dears would long be dead now, and I can鈥檛 even remember their names. I thoroughly enjoyed our 5 weeks at Penarth such a pretty little place and so peaceful, no raids at all. We used to walk up the hill by the sea and look out at the calmness of it all.
Then the end of this course. I to my disgust was posted to a Camp at Stanmore, too near my home for my liking, Kay was sent to Compton Bassett in Wiltshire where she spent the whole war. After a while I was able to transfer to Compton Bassett but Kay was in Equipment and I was in the Pay Department ,so although we all worked in a large hut. I was up one end and she the other. This did not last long though, after a few months I was posted to a succession of sites all round England but I was lucky, the only time I seemed to be in danger was when I returned to london on leaves. Kay and I often met then, arranging leave for the same time and we kept in contact with letters, and we met each others families. She became a bridesmaid to my Father when he married my stepmother, my own Mother having died soon after I joined up.
So eventually the wretched war came to an end. I was engaged at the time I joined up, and I only did that, as my Fiance had been sent to Egypt, we had met when I was 16 he was 18. When I knew he was on his way home ,I arranged for Banns to be called at our local church and all the arrangements were made for our wedding.. Unbeknown to me, Kay who was also engaged had arranged her wedding for the same day, and same time but at another church, so we were unable to attend each others wedding but another coincidence. My husband and I spent 2 nights in Earls Court, and when we were in a tube train going up to Leicester Square for the evening, who should walk into our carriage but Kay and her new husband John, they were going to a railway station to get a train to Bournemouth, we had chosen Boscastle, Cornwall, and no train was running until the Monday morning ,so we had to spend our wedding night and one other at this place in Earls Court. It just seemed our paths had to cross again.
After that we had children, met each other frequently and then my husband and I decided to emigrate to Australia with our then 4 children. We asked Kay and John to come with their two but no they would not leave England. Then every year on September 8th ,we always got an anniversary card from them, and we did the same. Until a few years ago, when sadly John died with Cancer. Kay is still alive and we write to each other and as she always has Sunday lunch with her Daughter, I usually send an e. mail there, to keep in touch. As we both find writing letters tedious.
On two visits back to England in 1973 and 1978 we met them and one coincided with our anniversary, and she gave a big party for us. I am still a British citizen I have a valid British passport and am known as a resident of Australia. Neither my husband or myself have taken out Australian citizenship. In fact we would have returned to our beloved England, if it wasn鈥檛 that my four children produced 12 Grandchildren and in turn between them there are 13 Great Grandchildren. So we have stayed here but our hearts remain in England.
The end Marj Busby

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