Four Year In A Lifetime A Lifetime in Four Years Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Now we are in 1942…
It was such an easy life in Records Office, the work was very routine, not exactly a challenge, the billets were comfortable, the countryside beautiful. Gloucester a nice little town, the river banks were conveniently close and even with no money anyone could walk and with a sedentary lifestyle. Sonia, Joy and I (the terrible 3) could walk along the banks for miles. Cheltenham the next town was very easy to get to and with a late pass or a 24 hour pass we could come back late etc. We often h itched a lift in too, there was a place there I keep thinking Y.M.C.A but it certainly was not just for men, soft drinks only but a place to sit and talk and meet, all service people but most nationalities, maybe that’s why we always called there. Relationships were pretty fluid, none of us had regular boyfriends as in “serious interest”. I met and airman who came from Northumberland and he was around quite a lot we talked a lot, walked by the river etc. Joy had a boyfriend somewhere but she did not seem committed. Sonia was pretty unconcerned about the opposite sex. Budgie and Snowy did not go out much at all, they like each others company and were quite a bit older than us. The three of us had bikes and when the weather was good we’d get out into the country, Cotswold country, pretty stone houses, rivers and hills, wild flowers everywhere and beautiful cottage gardens. We saw very little of the war that was where the Sqdn Officer recommended me for Officers School. I know that Sonia had either applied or had been recommended, but nothing seemed to come of it at that time. We did, well I did get the feeling that she came from a different level of society and after the war she and I met in London, and she wanted (she we went) to the Waldorf for tea, she arrived for our meeting in a very classy outfit looking very expensive and much older. She was married but didn’t tell me any more. The waiters knew her and were quite deferential. We didn’t have long together she said she had to go somewhere or other for dinner and the waiter came to the table to say that the car was outside and with Goodbyes and an air kiss and a fling of fur she was away, got into a posh looking car and never even looked back. Joy I heard from by letter (we had swapped home addresses). Sonia had a phone Joy and I didn’t. Joy married and wrote to say they were emigrating but I don’t remember where to.
I do remember that the war seemed very far away. I was posted to a place where they trained officers. I think that there were about fifty of us originally. I felt that it allowed for and elimination process. The house was old but solid, the kitchen was in the basement and there was a laundry room with boilers and racks and mangles, a shower room with cubicles no curtains or doors, toilets with doors and two bathrooms and two store rooms. The ground floor had a massive entrance hall very dark. There was a mess/dinning room and a communal sitting room with a bar, the rest were lecture rooms I think, I don’t remember any desks, just chairs and a large table or so. The bedrooms were on the second floor, there was another floor above which I think housed the staff, I didn’t see much really. The first two days were introductory talks to all of us, more talks in groups. After the first bewildering 48 hours I was very restless, it was like the war had gone away and nothing seemed real, so I went for a walk in the grounds. There were empty stables and grass and more grass and what was referred to as a lake but it looked more like a pond, with a copse of trees. There was a garden but no flowers growing only vegetables and that was when I decided that this was not for me. I went to see Squadron Officer; she was acting like a Welfare Officer or something. I told her my thoughts and that I didn’t want to be there etc gave every reason I could think of, she considered everyone including maturity, I was 18 they thought I was 19 however eventually she said it was my decision but if I was sure I would have to re-muster to another trade, and what did I want to do instead. I said the first thing that came into my mind Driver. It didn’t really solve my problem.

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