- Contributed by听
- 大象传媒 Open Day
- People in story:听
- Mary Hayzen Mears (nee Smith)
- Location of story:听
- Bromley, Kent; RN Air Station Hatston, Orkney Islands
- Background to story:听
- Civilian Force
- Article ID:听
- A8003099
- Contributed on:听
- 23 December 2005
Mary Hayzen Mears (nee Smith), Nov 1945
September, 1939: Whilst still at school I joined an amatuer concert party, organised by friends of my parents, for the purpose of entertaining service personnel and giving public concerts to raise money for various wartime needs- Spitfires for instance! I was part of the dancing troop- six altogehter. I also took part in sketches. We performed at airfields, gun sites, Woolwich Garrison Theatre and to the cadets at HMS Worcester- a training college for the Merchant Navy. We were called The Twerps- about 20 people altogether. This was my spare time activity until I joined the WRNS. I remained at college until;
April 1941; I became a shorthand typist in Civil Defence, Bromley, Kent. The Department was responsible for requisitioning empty houses, so the poor unfortunates who lost their homes in air raids could be rehoused.
November 1942; I volunteered for WRNS, but had to wait for my age group to be called up.
June 1943; I joined the WRNS at Mill Hill Training Depot for two weeks general training, followed by one week at Westfield College, Finchley, to learn about the workings of a Signal Distribution Office. I was sent to Dunfermline- a holding depot for final posting to the RN Air Station Hatston in the Orkney Islands. The signal distribution office responsible for all communications coming into and out of the station by teleprinter, telephone of via wireless office. Some signals were in code which I was taught on the spot.
I started as a messenger working day time Watches. After two or three months, I became Leading Hand of a Watch, responsible under the Petty Officer for running of the Office. The Petty Officer worked only 8.30 to 16.30 hours, Monday to Friday 8.30 to 12.30 hours Saturday and Sunday, so for the rest of the time, the Leading Hand was on her own- with access to Duty Officers...
Hatson was a training station for Squadrons before joining Carriers and also worked in conjunction with the Home Fleet based in Scapa Flow.
At the end of the European war, Hatson was closed down gradually and we were all moved to Halesworth in Suffolk where squadron training was continued.
Spring 1946; Demobbed.
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