大象传媒

I joined E Coy Essex & Suffolk Area ATS at Bury St Edmunds Gibraltar Barracks on 08 08 1939.
On joining the ATS I lived in BARRACKS for about six months before going into civilian billets about half a mile from the barracks.
We were kitted out with uniform and gas masks; the gas mask was used for practice to go through the gas chamber which was horrible.
We had to parade on the barrack square and practice drill and marching.
In the first place I worked with several other girls and men in the Cookhouse and Canteen which was in the CO OP Hall in Bury St Edmunds then was transferred to the Officers Mess in a big house in Whiting Street in Bury and after that to the Officers Mess in Gibraltar Barracks.
Some of the girls in the Barracks were local but others came from all parts of the country, we had to work hard getting food ready, serving it and clearing up and cleaning.
Five of us, my friends Mary, Molly, Clara, Fiddler and myself worked for the Officers, we never got to know them at all because after six weeks they were moved to various places and Units.
Church parades were held, also some drill parades which sometimes were quite hilarious, at other times we were shouted at by our RSM (a lady at that!).
I was given compassionate leave in July 1942, I was sorry to leave because I had met lots of nice people, after August 1942 I then worked on the farm until the end of the war in 1945.

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