The Navy and London Transport

It was a Sunday in 1943 and I was in the Navy aboard the HMS Berwick based at Scappa Flow. I was told with many others that anyone who had done 4 years service would be discharged so we could go and work in the gas industry. We all went down to the Lieutenants room to get our papers. I asked for mine only to be told tht I was the only one being discharged. I went back to the Mess deck and my mate Waller was there and I said "Im going next Sunday". On that day a Drifter came along side and took me to North Scotland. I can't remember the name of the place but I do remember the massive 10 feet snow drifts, I had never seen anything like it before. I travelled down to London on the train and arrived back on the Monday. I had a daughter Gillian (Jill) and hadn't seen her much, by the time I was discharged and got back home, she was 2 years old. My wages while is was in the Navy was 18 schillings every 2 weeks.

My name is Joan Dredge and married Frank on the 19 December 1941 at St Pancras Registry Office. I used to work for London transport cleaning the outside windows of the trains. Me and my sister, Gwen started work at about 5am and would go to Neasden station to pick up our trolleys which had all our cleaning bits on. We would get to work and climb on board the trains with our trolleys and have a sleep. One day the train left the station with us on it and we ended up at the next stop. We had to climb out with all our stuff, go to the opposite platform and get the train back to Neasden. We had a staff canteen that had the most delicious food, cakes and sandwiches. We collected our wages on a Friday, I got about £3 per week which was very good. We had such good times in those days and always looked after each other.

I can also remember going to the pictures one night with my twin sister Betty. It was really dark inside in pictures and outside and we hadn't realised that while we where in there, outside had been bombed. When we left the pictures me and Betty walked out and fell down a hole.

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