ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

I was called up when I was eighteen and I was twenty-three when the war finished. It was either the forces or land army. My father had been in the 1914 war and because of that I wasn’t allowed to go into the forces; I was put in an ammunition factory as a shell inspector. We did have some easy moments, some men coming home sick and wounded would be brought to the Warrington area and we would entertain them in Risley providing them with lunch, you were chosen to be a hostess.
I had to work three shifts, I went to work on the train in Central Street, St. Helens. Our shifts were eight hour, a bus would meet you to take you there. I’d leave at five in the morning and get home at four in the afternoon. During night shifts we’d often have to walk home during the blackout, we’d try and pick people that lived by us for company. One night, I fell of the kerb and sprained both my ankles. I was allowed only one day off work to get them better, I had to hobble after that, you weren’t allowed time off, though sometimes you got a long weekend, we’d all go dancing. I met my husband at one of these dances.

'This story was submitted to the People’s War site by ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio Merseyside’s People’s War team on behalf of the author and has been added to the site with his / her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.'

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.