大象传媒

I went to Boulton Paul Aircraft early in 1938 (aged 18) as a fully trained and experienced accounting machine and comptometer operator and worked in the Cost Accounts Department. When war was declared, many young men volunteered for the Forces, to be replaced by women and some older men - aged 25 plus. The General office staff was greatly increased to around 500 (in one office) comprising of accounts, cost clerks, Hollerith (mainly young girls aged 14 to 16 years as punch card operators), typing pool, shorthand-typists, dept. secretaries, wages and salary departments and Air Ministry auditors; so crowded that before dinner and tea breaks, all females had a rota to go to the toilets - 20 at a time. We were allowed 5 minutes before the next 20, there were only 12 toilet cubicles and six wash basins. Supervisors would give permission in case of emergency! We went to dinner and tea in shifts - no choice of food! Staff, aged 18 and over, worked 7 days a week at the height of the war, 1940 to 1944, overtime till 10p.m. Monday to Friday, 4p.m. on Saturdays and 2p.m. on Sundays. Many of us joined the Civil Defence, going on duty straight from work every 3rd night, 2 hours on and 4 hours off and next morning going straight back to B.P.A.

We had to register at the Labour Exchange (women were conscripted like men when they were 18), we were not allowed to leave B.P.A (war work) and if we made one error in calculations, we were discharged and then were directed to other war work and, if single, called up for the Forces. We had time and motion study in force as well. When the Gun Turret factory was completed about 1942 we, the Cost Clerks, Hollerith girls and the 'Comp' office were moved from the General office to there. Some of the men Cost Clerks had been appointed as 'Messengers' and Air Raid Wardens to act in case of emergencies. The most memorable night was when the bombs dropped, no air raid siren. All lights went out, files and thousands of clock cards shot across the floor of our office, windows shuddered, chaos reigned and the following poem was composed by the 'ladies' of the Comp office and distributed around all offices.

You'll have heard before of our cost clerks
Who work over every night
Midst bombs and anti-aircraft
And show no signs of fright.

At least that's what we all believed
Till one moonlit night
When 2 bombs dropped not far away
And put them all to flight.

There were messengers and wardens
Their duties they forgot
They said "To hell with all that lark"
And made off at the trot.

In the adjoining office
Young girls were running scared
They didn't stop to go to them
Or even show they cared.

All save one brave stalwart
Who sat firm upon his chair
Through all the noise and fury
He didn't turn a hair.

When the fuss was over
They drifted back - in pairs
Some out of the cloakroom
And two from under the stairs.

So remember, all you maidens
When Jerry makes a din
Don't rely on the men folk
Save your own blue-pencil skin.

Needless to say, relations were somewhat strained between the male and female members of staff after this. We were next 'evacuated' to the Masonic Hall in Darlington Street, Wolverhampton and whilst there a new directive order came into force, whereby all PERSONNEL over 18 were compelled to 'fire watch' at the premises of their employment at night, also on a rota basis. We moved back to the General office where I started, at Pendeford before the end of the war.

I finally left B.P.A in December 1945 having obtained my release from the war work order. I have many memories of good and bad times and the good friends I made during my 7 years stint at Boulton Paul Aircraft.
p.m

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