大象传媒

Disclaimer
This story was submitted to the Peoples War Site by Gemma Burke and Zoe Stevens from The Folkestone School for Girls and has been added to the website on behalf of Celie Osbourne with her permission and she fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

When the war started, I was just about to leave school. During the war I worked in General Quarters of Montgomery for General Wansborough Jones 鈥� as a short hand typist. Here I worked on the planning of d-day. I joined the ATS in 1942 when I was 17. When I was 19 I was sent to Normandy after D Day whilst in the ATS (the Auxiliary Territorial Service)

I can remember one time when I wanted to go home to visit my mother before she was ill, I asked permission but wasn鈥檛 allowed. So instead I arranged with my friends that during parade in the morning that I would simply just walk off without leave! It must have looked like a carry on film, my whole parade walked one way whilst I walked off to the station! I arrived home but then the red caps came for me, but luckily as I was only away for two days, I was only restricted two days of pay. During my time in central London, I can remember climbing in and out of the window at night to go clubbing with the Americans in Piccadilly! I think that the war wouldn鈥檛 have been like it was without the women, they ran things at home.
I also remember travelling by train to Germany. Again, this train had to guarded by armed soldiers to protect the women from the soldiers!

I can remember seeing a queue of soldiers being guarded by their generals, this was during a trip into Belgium on a lorry, it turned out that they were in fact queuing to go into a brothel. An RSM was standing guarding keeping them in order he said 鈥� my wife thinks I鈥檓 fighting, but Im guarding prostitutes鈥�

During the war I travelled from one place to another, stayed in Brussels for 9 months, (where British spent their leave) These areas were never bombed as they were like holiday areas. I had experience of the war on an international front. However, despite my somewhat exciting time I also had experience of bombing and devastation in the French towns. I will always remember the smell, it stays with you forever.

During my time in the war I was married to one of the soldiers, he was in the army and we met in Normandy. He came after me in the tents and he was in charge. When I left the ATS we were married.

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