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Life At The Wallops

This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Sylvia Perry, a volunteer from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Essex, on behalf of Dorothy Child (Howard) and has been added to the site with her permission. Dorothy Howard fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

As soon as I was old enough, seventeen and a half, I went to London to sign on as a WAF and I took various tests – maths, colour-blindness etc. – and waited to hear whether I could join as a Clerk, Special Duties. Quite quickly I heard that I had to report to Bridgenorth in Wales where I was issued with my uniform which thankfully fitted quite well. Then I went to Morecambe for training and inoculations. After about two weeks there and the photograph and passing out parade we were all dispatched to our jobs. I went to Leighton Buzzard for the Specialist Plotter training. About five or six weeks after signing on I arrived at Middle Wallop in May 1942. I was there till 1946 when I was demobbed. I did keep putting my name down for a move abroad but I was never successful. My memories of this time are very happy – the company, the feeling of being at the centre of things, the social life all made it very exciting. The Canadians were on the station and the Americans were at Bulford and Tidworth and we went to lots of dances and we were always allowed, by invitation, into the Sergeants’ Mess. The Ops Room was very busy with Army personnel there too but it was very quiet and we had to concentrate hard. The Controller would order the aircraft off the field if there was danger of an air-raid. I could get home on a 48hour pass either by train or, if I had a friend, we’d hitch – rarely in a car though, there weren’t many about - more often in an army vehicle or jeep. My home in Wood Green was fortunately fairly free from bombing. The Forces could get free theatre tickets from the crypt of St. Martins-in-the-Fields I think it was. In those days everyone smoked and drank light ale and had bicycles and the local pubs were full and noisy – they always had a Joanna and had sing-songs. On one occasion I was late coming in, after midnight, and for some reason I made the mistake of going in through the guard room instead of under the fence and I got 7 days jankers – I had to peel potatoes the whole time which was a great change from my ordinary work! The village people were very kind to us and invited us into their homes, one very large house had a tennis court so we played there.
I wouldn’t have missed any of it for the world.

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