大象传媒

War was declared in September 1939 and as I married in the November, my joining the forces wasn't even considered. At that time my husband was in a reserved occupation so he didn't need to join up.

I originated from Debden in Essex, where my parents had a farm and, apart from animals, managed to raise eleven children. At the time I met my husband we were both working for the same farmer; me as a nanny to his children and he in charge of the dairy. As men were called up women were having to take on their work and, in my case, I took over a horse-drawn milk float, along with six girls who each took over a horse-drawn milk float. My delivery was in the country town of Bishop's Stortford, Herts, and to get in and out was quite hazardous due to the steep hill.

In icy weather I had to walk by the horse to hold her head and, also, when there was a rare burst of bombing, or similar noise. Customers would call out to me to shelter with them when there was a raid but, of course, I couldn't possibly leave the horse; it was terrified enough without being abandoned. She also had to suffer the clatter of army tanks rattling past, although by far the worst were the steam ploughs (predecessors of the motor-tractor). She was a London horse and had never encountered anything like the frightening sounds on country roads during wartime.

When steam ploughs passed, the hair on her back rose, and so did she! Once she reared up forcing the cart into a ditch and it took a lot of effort by the men from the plough to ease the wheels back onto the road. The heavy metal crates crashed to one side but luckily it was at the end of my round so were empty. After that she nearly backed the cart into a plate glass window, having been frightened by yet another plough. To force her to move forward quickly I had to use the whip, something I never had to do before and didn't like doing it then. It had the desired effect, as she took off past the steam plough and up the steep hill without stopping. As she reached the top I had to calm her down, as I felt sure she would have a heart attack.

We carried no other goods, only milk and cream. On a personal level, we had sufficient food throughout the war, as we had our own vegetable garden, ducks, chickens, etc.

Although being in the country, we were touch by tragedies of war. The one incident that I remember well was when a German 'plane crashed nearby. It was during the night and there came this dreadful unfamiliar noise. When we looked through the bedroom window a flaming 'plane flew level past us. It was a miracle that it cleared four houses after ours, but it blew up in a field. The two pilots were killed. There were the few incendiary bombs and passing Doodlebugs (explosive rockets) - when these started coming over we would sleep under our study oak table, as they would land anywhere without warning.

War reached every family one way or another, and four of my brothers went into action; two in the Marines and two in the RAF. They each had horrific experiences but, thankfully, each survived, one being awarded the MBE.

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