Working Through War

'On the buses' during the blackout

This particular evening dad was called upon to drive the bus that went from the city centre towards...

Finding out Father was dead

Both my parents, James Smith McInally and Janet Ferguson Gibson McInally belonged to Ayr. One year before...

War Work in the factories

Bournemouth was quite lucky regarding bombing, compared with some towns. However, one summer evening,...

Northamptonshire to Shropshire

My war years were spent at Sywell, Northamptonshire, an RAF, station taken over by the Government as a...

exposing a saboteur

During World War II I was employed as a draughtsman working on full scale layouts followed by jig and tool...

What my husband and I did for the war effort by Elsie May Atkin

My name is Mrs. Elsie May Atkin born 7/5/1924....

Weighing Machines

George Edwards, my father worked in Swindon Railway Works for over twenty years... George Edwards was...

Brotherton Wing Bomber

On the night of the 14/15th of March 1941, a bomb fell through the entrance of the Brotherton Wing, which...

Yes there were carrier pigeons — highly trained

During the night- Private Membry removed her headset and came to the “table” and told me...

Unappreciated Women

I was already working at Simms Motor Units before the war - I was called up to join the Air Force, but...

Shift Work

My father had been in the 1914 war and because of that I wasn't allowed to go into the forces; I was...

My war work

I ran away from home to get employed in the mills at Keighley and then on to work in the munitions factory...

Teenager's Story - Brighton

May used to dance with her friend Jenny at Brighton Girls Club and also boys from Brighton boys Club......

"Lincolnshire Fire Service"

I moved to a fire station in Lincoln and looked after the girls in the control room... I had to march the...

Feeding England

As a farmer you had to work under the direction of the Wartime Agricultural Committee... Later we had...

I worked at the tank factory

We had to go up in the top sand bay and back sand was poured out of hoppers into moulds below. The...

Vicker Armstrong Aircraft Factory

During the War I used to cycle 16 miles a day to work at the Vicker Armstrong Aircraft Factory where the...

Working on a Centre Lathe in Coventry

Towards the end of the war, in Coventry, I was 18 and working about nine hours a day in a munitions...

The Need for Money. By Donald Greaves

One of his friends said, "How would you get to Wellington on the Midland Red without any money?.. I...

Working at the Copper Works

I went to work at the Yorkshire Copper Works, doing war work... Then I ended up doing office work, and I...

Butter, marrying and volunteering

The marine officer's response was to say “Okay, we'll put you in the Navy”, which...

Tractors in Cornwall

The Cornwall Agricultural Committee had control over any new tractor leaving the factory and could decide...

Making Bombs

Of course, when it started I got a job in Adams Hydraulics, which made 10 pound mortar bombs. They used to...

Returning home from Canada at the start of war

We had gone to visit my dad's sisters and brothers who lived in Ontario, Canada... In New York we had...

Work and a Bad War- Marriage in Southampton

He went abroad and they put me in Percy Hendy's, and they were repairing army Lorries. Hendy Lennox...

A young winner

I was 16 and I went to the Army Recruitment Centre opposite the Midland Station, They said I was too young...