Working Through War

What Did You Do In The War, Grandma?

At the age of 17 in September 1941, I started work at Hamble A.S.T.. Previously, this was a training centre...

Women Learning New Skills

My task was part of section work;each machinist working on a different part of the cape which was more like...

Working in a Male Dominated World

As we were a big family we lived in the old station master's house — a big and cold house —...

The Telegraph Office

Eileen lived in Bristol and after leaving school worked for a paint factory where she met my father who was...

From Liverpool to the Army, via Shropshire farms

I then moved to a farm in Herefordshire to drive newly-arrived tractors and then moved back into Shropshire...

Dressmaking Lathe Operators

We listened to Neville Chamberlain announce at 11 o`clock — I have had no reply from Adolf Hitler so...

Government Work

This involved almost any useful work, from building airfields, farming or forestry and working on the River...

Divine Intervention?

He earned a scholarship to the High School and also to the Nottingham College of Art which was his first...

Meeting Glenn Miller

The Pickie Hotel in Bangor was requisitioned by the American Army for the American Red Cross. Lady Bangor...

My Work in the War: At an Engineering Works Near Leeds

It was a huge place, very cold and very noisy with many lathes each making different parts for...

Marjorie Denton's War

The steel industry and the nearby shipyards were prime targets for the German bombers. Two other brothers...

The Zephyr

I'm Alice Elizabeth Rowe and I was born in the village of Harley, Shropshire. In 1940, I left the...

Flo's Story

Hello, I'm Flo, and I've come to the Thinktank Museum today from The Birmingham Settlement Day...

Apprentice at War

I was fortunate in obtaining an apprenticeship with the Parkstone Joinery, a firm of some repute in the...

Wartime memories

I chose to stay in Ipswich, and went to live with friends... While living with my friends, a lot of time...

Denis Whelan - His Association with Bletchley Park

In May 1942 I was called for an interview at the Forgein Office and, as a result, received notice of...

Driving in Wartime

My Grandfather Reg Hill was a seventeen year old lorry driver when war broke out... So with poor lights and...

Memories of 1944: Working at the Air Ministry

Our offices were on the fifth floor of Harvey Nicholls and I resided in civil service hostels, firstly in...

Number Please!

Thus it was Doreen Hogg became my personal instructor and after some 6 weeks I was able to take up my...

Flyposting in Oxfordshire

He then became trained as a semi-skilled aircraft fitter and he was sent to an airfield at Burford on the...

Cornwall's Gas Cleansing Unit

The leader was a Mr Kernick, and there were five young women: Eileen and Valerie Noble, myself, the...

The V2 at Smithfield Market.

The remnants of the work force, highly skilled silversmiths, were 'lodging' in the workshop of...

Betty Dinsdale's War

I joined a voluntary land army scheme in Lancaster - we cycled to various farms on our bikes. Then I worked...

My life in Portsmouth during WW2

I left school at 14 in July as the war started in September.I spent the next 4years doing various jobs...

Clever Hands: Working in a Dress Shop in Paisley

I particularly remember a military style jumper with short sleeves, piped with red, double buttons down the...

Working in Wartime Norwich

My Mum was worried because my brother was a couple of years older than me and was in the boys’...