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This story was submitted to the Peoples War site by Jas from Global Information Centre Eastbourne and has been added to the website on behalf of Ms Goodman with her permission and she fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions

1938 September - the week of the Munich crisis I enlisted in the ATS

1939 I went on summer camp with the R Sussex Regiment

1939 Coming home from the office in late August my mother handed me a telegram which informed me that I should report to the drillhall next day.
My poor mother did not know where I was going and neither did I We lived in Brighton at the time After a long day in which we had our medicals we climbed into the waiting coaches and we were on our way
Journeys end was to arrive at Ditchling all of 5 miles away I was attached to the 459 Battery 70th Sussex Regiment (Searchlights) RA TA

Following this we moved to Offham just outside Lewes

Then in 1940 we moved to a purpose built camp at Broadbridge Heath near Horsham During that lovely summer some of us were relaxing in a field at the back of the camp when we saw a plane coming overhead thinking it was one of ours we stayed put then instead of the familiar roundels of
The RAF, we saw the German Cross Having no shelters to go to we made for the ditches at the edge of the field I think, the pilot was lost and thankfully
went on his way

Later that year we moved to Boyton Cross near Chelmsford

We had a Battery song, which went like this

Soldiers stand together fall in line

We're the Battery 459

Our detachments are the best they make

On the target all the time

We have pledged our loyalty to the King

To defend old England's name

So take a warning enemy aircraft

And beware of the 459

Following promotion to Sergeant I was transferred to another regiment This was in 1942.

Due to the complications following having my appendix removed And several hospital admissions I was discharged due to ill health in August I943.

After a period as a civilian I joined with other girls on the canals to transport steel from the London docks to Birmingham then we travelled to the coalfields at Coventry, Nottingham, Leicester.

In 1945 we were travelling to the Docks on May 8 not realising that it was VE Day

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