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Below is a memoir written by Elizabeth Bevan, (Betty Bevan) from Godr-er-graig, Pontardawe. Typed by Karen Gibbins of NPT Libraries and added to the site with Elizabeth Bevan permission.

Betty joined the Waaf at the age of 22 in 1941 at the YMCA in Swansea. She accompanied a friend to join up and enrolled herself. Her friend was refused. She went to Illingsworth near Gloucester after missing the first train she arrived in the middle of the night.

She stayed at this base for 2 weeks and was relocated to London. The train arrived in Paddington which was Betty’s first visit to London. Wearing full uniform, gas masks and a hold all. She was very unsure of what to do and very confused at the station. Soldiers passing by made fun of her accent and teased her.

Special Police took Betty to service offices where she learnt she was going to work as a medical orderly. They visited a local pub and returned to her lodgings which had beem bombed while away, Nr Selfridges. They were then moved to Hallum Street.

Later she was located two floors below ground. There were miles of corridors under ground and you never quite new where you would appear.

Churchill slept a few floors above and Betty remembers that he slept very little. She also remembers that water had to be pumped away back up to the surface.

Staff lived and worked in the same place underground on 24hour shifts.

Betty took care of medical needs of Officers such as Archibold Sinclair and dispensed tablets and other general medical procedures.

Betty had spoken mostly only Welsh and had a strong accent. She was interviewed live on the Radio to promote WAAF as a Welsh conscript. Betty had to talk in Welsh for 4 and a half minutes. Betty’s mother would send her the local welsh paper every week so she could find out what was happening at home.

The services Welsh club was a useful place in London for Welsh people. Betty had lunch with Lloyd George at the club whose Welsh was very correct. A famous Welsh broadcaster interviewed her and the whole of the village listened. Betty was paid 4 and a half guineas in a cheque so was unable to cash it.

Many evenings were spent in Convent Gardens in the Opera house which was converted into a dance hall. Betty was lucky to see many of the films and plays on in London at the time. Paid 9 shillings a fortnight.

A lot of tragedy was seen as well. At one point patients were being moved and the laundry was being done and a buzz bomb hit the buildings near by. They hid under the beds but fortunately the bomb was caught in a tree. Many of Betty’s colleagues were not so lucky. They had to continue to evacuate patients.

Strangely the terror of the situation was lost on them at the time and the bombings had become a part of every day life.

Betty stayed there for 4 years then to Warminster – Lord Baths estate – Longleat
Had the best of foods.

She was demobbed in 1946

Betty could ring her cousin who was a district nurse and had a phone who could pass on messages to her family back home in Wales.

Betty accompanied her friend on one occasion to identify family members who had been caught up in an accident on the underground, the only one to survive was a 6 month old baby. Betty sent her friend IVY home to her Mams. She arrived in Swansea late but stayed for 6 weeks. Ivy was a cockney Londoner and was very different from Betty’s parents. Ivy ate very little.

One day she asked for a cheese sandwich and a beer. They were teetotallers themselves. This was the first time Betty’s Dad had been to a pub.

Many years later Ivy got back in touch. But this was just the one letter she received.
Kitty another friend – Betty was a bridesmaid in her wedding. Kitty lives in Ashford in Kent.

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