大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War by Judith Harridge on behalf on Stella Joseph. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
I went from school at the age of 16 to work at the Air Ministry, having first signed the Official Secrets Act. As I lived in Caterham there was a difficult twenty mile journey to work, the train service was often disrupted by air raids, bombings etc. I worked twelve hour a day including Saturdays, and often felt envious of my contempories who had gone into the forces and seemed to be having fun! At one time the Air Mininstry did consider putting us into uniform, but didn't.
Even though I worked long hours I still had to spend one night a week doing Civiliam Defence Duty, I remember spending one particular night sending coded messages.
I lived in "Flying Bomb Alley" and as was very conscious of the German bombers flying overhead. I remember the night of the Coventry Blitz, the bombers going overhead but then seeing no explosions in the distance.
There was also a Spitfire base near Caterham.
Guy Gibson following the Dambusters raid came to work in my section at the Air Ministry; we would go around the corner to a Public House for lunch.
I remember the day the V2 bomber landed on the Air Ministry building, I was smothered in glass. I later went back to retreive my handbag from all the rubble, it contained my wages. Winston Churchill appeared at the Air Ministry only half-an-hour after the air raid.
I rememberbeing in a bus, benid another one which received a direct hit; flying glass cut my clothes. My mother, who was a qualified dressmaker, mened my clothes which were damaged quite often. All the glass and rubble I had to walk over often wore out my shoes. I remember feeling lucky when I had clothing coupons.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.