- Contributed by听
- Genevieve
- People in story:听
- Doris Saunders
- Location of story:听
- Well Hall, Eltham - Greater London
- Background to story:听
- Royal Air Force
- Article ID:听
- A6082698
- Contributed on:听
- 10 October 2005
I was living in Well Hall, Eltham with my Mother and Brothers when war broke out. We all lived together in the same house for quite a while during the war. It all began in 1939 鈥 I was 18. We weren鈥檛 prepared for war at all.
I just worked in sweet shop, and from there I went into the lady鈥檚 house that owned the shop; she had a baby 鈥 a little girl, so I looked after the little girl.
I joined up from there; joined up in the Air Force (WAF). I was on the switchboard as a telephonist and I used to tell them when to put the balloons up [The Barrage Balloons]. We had to put the balloons up a lot, and take them down again when it was all-clear. I had to get on to all the different lines- A, B, C, D you know 鈥 A for apple, I used to plug into them, and then when they鈥檇 all finished I used to get through again and pull all the plugs out.
We had a lot of fun in the W.A.F as it has only just opened 鈥 we were the first girls there, so it was great fun. We used to say to the men in charge 鈥淧ut me in charge and I鈥檒l go and buy some cakes鈥. Then we鈥檇 have our coffee and cakes and take them up to the officers 鈥 it was great fun.
I heard later though that the part where we were- on the switchboard, had been bombed. Girls on there who I鈥檇 worked with were killed 鈥 that was sad.
This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Becky Barugh of the 大象传媒 Radio Shropshire CSV Action Desk on behalf of Doris Saunders and has been added to the site with her permission. Mrs Saunders fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
See more of Doris's stories:
- They鈥檇 all just started, like me
- That鈥檚 how we crossed paths
- You heard the 鈥渟wish鈥 of the rocket just before it landed on the house
- All you could see was his eyes
- You鈥檇 see a queue and just jump on the end
- Climbing trees and fences
- We took notice that time!
- We had some fun with 鈥榚m
- He鈥檇 gone all the way round
- It was lucky I鈥檇 already got married
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