- Contributed byÌý
- cambslibs
- People in story:Ìý
- Mrs D Apthorpe
- Location of story:Ìý
- Cambridgeshire
- Background to story:Ìý
- Civilian Force
- Article ID:Ìý
- A3000574
- Contributed on:Ìý
- 14 September 2004
This story was submitted following a Peoples War Reminiscence event at St Neots Library.
When the war broke out I was living at home with my parents in the village of Werrington, four miles from Peterborough. I worked five days a week at L.N.E.R Revenue accountants office in Peterborough.
I joined the W.V.S. and was issued with an arm band, gas mask, and tin hat. My weekend duties were at the first aid post in Mountsteven Avenue, Walton, a mile from our village.
One weekend the sirens went and I was on call so I put on my arm band and my tin hat and put the gas mask in my cycle basket, and then I set off on the mile long journey.
I hadn't gone far when I was aware of a whistling sound, so I pedalled faster. The noise got louder so I went faster, thinking that the bombs were dropping much closer to me. I was very frightened.
It wasn't until I got to the First Aid post and got off my cycle and the noise stopped that I realised the noise was from the wind blowing across the air holes in my tin hat -one on either side, just above the ears.
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