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In 1940 women aged between 20 and 22 were conscripted if unmarried, or married without children. If unmarried they were usually placed in the Armed Forces.

These are some of the memories of Eileen Parsons (then unmarried) WAAF 鈥� Clerk Accountant on joining and later re-mustered to WAAF Police, SIB. Service number 443014.

1940 鈥� I leave my home town, Hastings, Sussex, to report to Reading, Berkshire never having travelled beyond Sussex before. Said Goodbye to Dad and Mum, mum and I shed a tear, both of us wondering what was going to happen to me.

Arrived at Reception Point, Reading, where I joined nine other girls (we all looked lost and forlorn). Interviewed by a WAAF Officer, one by one, and told we were to travel by train to Gloucester to be picked up by a truck and transported to Innsworth Lane, RAF Camp. In order that we should arrive together with our personal files, she was putting someone in charge.
鈥淪tep forward Parsons鈥� she said. I was shocked! I had always been called Miss Parsons and the biggest shock was that I was responsible for getting myself and nine others to a place I had never heard of and never been to! I was told the place to change trains, given the files and railway warrants and we set off walking to the railway station 鈥� quite a long walk too!

Arrived at Gloucester and was met by a Sergeant who said
鈥淎re you the new lot?鈥�
I replied 鈥淵es鈥�
There were two or three Airmen standing on the platform and they called out cheekily
鈥淕o back before it鈥檚 too late鈥� Grinning all over their faces.
We climbed into the truck, holding our skirts down and sat on wooden forms. Up came the tailboard and we were off. Arrived at camp, gates opened, lorry drove in, gates closed and a voice yelled
鈥淓verybody out.鈥�
We were now in the WAAF and I heard someone say 鈥淕awd 鈥榚lp us.鈥�

Initiation 鈥� We were taken by a WAAF Sergeant to our 鈥渘ew home鈥� which was a hut with five beds each side and a black stove in the middle, these were to be our quarters. The Sergeant had a private room adjoining.

Ablutions 鈥� Two long concrete troughs with individual enamel bowls under a cold water tap. Showers against the wall 鈥� I couldn鈥檛 see myself wanting a cold shower! The Sergeant took us for a meal, returned us to the hut and told us to make ourselves comfortable. Coal, wood and paper were there to light the stove and she would be back at 5.30 to take us for tea. We sat on our beds, we looked miserable and dejected, the room felt cold and damp, and somebody cried, others like me probably shed a tear. There was one girl braver than the rest of us. I heard afterwards that she had been in 鈥榙omestic service鈥�.
She said 鈥� Come on girls it could be worse, help me light the fire and we鈥檒l soon feel better鈥� and we did and also got to know each other as we chatted together.

Sergeant came back took us to tea, what we ate remains a mystery to this day. Whatever it was, we washed we washed it down with huge mugs of tea, then back to the hut. Sergeant showed us how to stack our beds each morning 鈥� you don鈥檛 make them. Three small mattresses commonly known as 鈥榖iscuits鈥� are stacked on top of each other at the head of the bed, with two blankets wrapped around them; two sheets and pillows then placed on top. A tin of floor polish and cloths were given to us and every morning after stacking your bed you polished the floor space all round your bed 鈥� it was brown lino. That way if it was done properly, all the room would be polished ready for the Duty Officer鈥檚 inspection each day and god help you if it was not done properly!! Sergeant left us with the words
鈥淟ights out at 10 o clock, no talking after this and 鈥榬eveille鈥� is 6am鈥�

We were in the WAAF.

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