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This story was submitted to the People’s War site by a volunteer from ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio Berkshire on behalf of Joyce Earney and has been added to the site with his/her permission. Joyce Earney fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

I was 20 years old at the end of 1939. I was in Mychett working at the record office of the military police. We were living in a large house that had been commandeered for the Army. I think there was about 6 of us in a downstairs room. We moved in at night time and we had been told that gas smelled of cloves. We thought we could smell it so we put on our service gas masks and went to sleep. When we woke up we saw a beautiful herbaceous border under the window and that must have been where the smell had come from.

I didn’t really sleep much. You always used to have your gas mask with you. I carried it over my shoulder. It was a very interesting time but I’m ashamed to say I enjoyed it. If it wasn’t for the war I wouldn’t have moved out of Crowthorne.

We all moved to Winchester. Our unit were invited to a dance just after Christmas, in Winchester and it was all in the blackout. At the dance you had to wear uniform. I went to this dance and I met Ted in 1940 and we married in 1941. My maiden name was Sheffield. I came out of the ATS when I had my daughter Susan in 1943.

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