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

My name is Mrs. Elsie May Atkin (nee Bettison) born 7/5/1924. I worked in a munitions engineering factory from 1942 to the end of the war. The type of work was cutting off steel in a large warehouse and in other sections of the factory. Work included milling, drilling, reamering small components and went on to coremaking and point grinding (for which I received a certificate for the fitting of a grinding wheel). During the war I worked a fortnightly rota, on the first week I worked 6am to 2pm and on the second 2pm to 10pm. Before being called up at the age of 18 by the government, I and another worker did fire spotting at the factory. We were on the look out for incendiary bombs that may have been dropped. While at work we always had to have our identity cards and also our gas masks in case of an emergency.

My Husband Mr. Kenneth Atkin was born in 18/2/1923. He worked work as an apprentice engineer in 1938, manufacturing fluting drills during the war. One evening a week he had to work on the anti-aircraft guns and searchlights whilst the air-raids were on. Another night in the week he would go fire spotting incase of incendiary bombs dropping. After the war he furthered his education in engineering and qualified as an Associate Member of the Institute of Engineering Technology (A.M.I.E.T.). In later years he went on to become a foreman.

Mr. K. Atkin (Deceased 2004, aged 81)

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