大象传媒

"This story was submitted to the People's War site by the Barnsley Archives and Local Studies Department on behalf of Margaret Anne Senior and has been added to the site with his/her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions."
I can remember 3rd September 1939 in Morecambe I was 19 and my boyfriend at that time was in the Merchant Navy.

There were 4 sister ships travelling form Heysham to Belfast taking passengers and cargo. They were the 鈥楧uke of York鈥�, 鈥楧uke of Lancaster鈥�, 鈥楧uke of Rothesay鈥� and the 鈥楧uke of Argyle鈥�. They were L.M.S. boats.

Douglas Maude Marshall, my boyfriend (later husband), was 16 when he joined those boats and his uncle, Mark Newton, was Chief Superintendent of the boats. He lived at Cross Cop, near Strawberry Gardens, Heysham.

That Sunday morning as soon as war was declared orders were to leave Belfast, come to Heysham, deliver the passengers and cargo, unload, reload, back to Belfast, reload, back to Heysham. Douglas was allowed a brief visit to tell me he couldn鈥檛 see me because the Ministry of Defence had commandeered the boats, together with the crew.

Briefly and quickly he had to go to High Bentham, near Lancaster, to tell his mother what had happened. Later, by letter I found out what was happening. It was all a rush job.

The Ministry of Defence had taken the boats as troopships to carry troops from Southampton to Cherbourg. The boats were laid up in Southampton waters for a few days waiting for a check that the waters were clear of mines.

His uncle, Mark Newton, was boss and a very strict boss. Douglas had had a drink one night and his uncle said 鈥淵ou鈥檙e fired, finished鈥�, and he sacked him. Just like that. Douglas went back to Bentham and enlisted in the Royal Navy. He went to St Paul鈥檚 School, Blundell Sands for a medical, passed A1. On 1st April 1940 he joined the Royal Navy.

He was on a mine surveyor at Scarpa Flow. He stayed in the Royal Navy until he was demobbed in 1947.

I was in the Wrens for a short time. I was 14 when I went to Morecambe in 1933, from Thurgoland, I was in service.

My mother was upset when I joined up I didn鈥檛 tell her I had joined up because in 1943 she had received a telegram telling her that her son, my brother, was missing, presumed drowned. A letter followed from the Ministry of Defence stating that if his body was washed up on any British shore he would be sent home for a proper funeral. He is still missing. He was called up at 18 and was on craft they were trying out. The boats were long craft like barges and they were being altered for gun carrying. They were getting ready for the Sicilian invasion.

My husband and I went on leave to my mother鈥檚 and she was very unhappy that I had joined up. I thought that you should do your bit, so I enlisted. I left the Wrens when I became pregnant.

They were very sad and worrying times because you got to know nothing. News was censored and letters were late and censored.

I was working at the Clifton Hotel, Morecambe when the war broke out and the Ministry of Defence took that over as well. All the visitors were sent home and all the furniture was put into storage.

Just before the hotel closed Vera Lynn came, with her boyfriend, later manager. She was singing at the Winter Gardens. I remember that the morning she left to go singing in the Far East my sister and I had to get up very early to make her breakfast that day.

Vera Lynn signed my wedding photograph 9th March 1940. When the hotel was cleared of guests and furniture the RAF were billeted there. The Midland Hotel was made into an RAF hospital.

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