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In WW2 I served in the Women’s Land Army from 1941 — 44. I was one of about 20 girls (average age 20-24) on a big farm near Guildford in surrey. We were billeted out with families nearby.

Our day started at 6.30am when I would cycle from my billet. Air raids were very bad in London and suburbia but we had the odd ones as well.

The V2 Rockets or the doodlebugs as we called them began and were terrifying. A lot of our work was in the fields and I can remember vividly the chug-chug of the doodlebugs high above us, then the sudden frightening cut-out and the eerie silence while we waited for the swish of air and then the explosion, near or far . We had nowhere to run for safety and so we would throw ourselves on the ground and wait….something I will never forget!

After our labours, in the evenings we would go down to the Troop Inn for tea and buns or the local pub for a shandy. Here we mixed with the Americans or Canadians in camp wanting to go overseas. They were a friendly lot of lovely lads who shared their chocolate, spearmint gum with us and sometimes we were lucky enough to have the nylons — oh what bliss!

What wonderful, happy, sometimes sad, sometimes exciting, dangerous often, times they were. I tell my grandchildren how we used “to beat the bloomin’ doodlebugs” they are incredulous, but I know better it was real life, but we lived it and we have remembered it!
Roma J Thacker dob: 18.07.20

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