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My mum was 13 when the war started, just a typical snot nose kid (her words) who didn't understand the horrors that were unfolding in the rest of the world. She remembered the iron table cum air raid shelter, food shortages and mums doing dads work, but mostly - mum remembered not knowing what was going on.
Even though she lived in a strategically important town for the railway network, not much happened in the little part of the world, the closest she ever came to the reality of war (Thank God) was picking up the chaf from the local rec. after the bombers dropped it to fool the radar, and watching a low flying German aircraft shoot up the local Gas tank. (Which Granddad helped to plug with household putty...)
This disassociation didn't put mum off joining up though - she signed up for the Wrens in the middle of March 1945 as a Cook.

She always told me that Hitler himself heard that she had joined up and cosequently surrendered shortly after - who was I to argue with her when she told me that she had won the War????

Mum passed away a couple of years ago, photos and fond memories are all we have of her now - the lady that won the war.

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