Freda's memories

When war broke out I was living in Cardiff with my cousin, her mother had died and her father was away all week because he was a commercial traveller. One night we were out when there was an air raid and had to dash for a shelter. Another night or two we spent several hours under the stairs in a cupboard. One night we went to visit our aunt and there was another raid. We spent several hours underneath her dining room table.
After that I joined the Air Force and went back home to Llangorse, Breconshire to wait for my calling up papers etc. My father was in the ARP unit (Air Raid Precaution) guarding a Railway tunnel at Tallyn, Brecon, in case some Germans came over and hid there, I also had two brothers farming at Vowchurch, Herefordshire who were in the Home Guard. Everything was rationed in those days, and farmers were lucky because they had their own eggs, poultry, milk, butter etc.
I caught the train to Wolverhampton from Brecon, changing at Hereford. When we arrived at Wolverhampton there were lorries waiting to take us to Bridgnorth where we had to do our square bashing — learning to march and to salute officers, this took about a fortnight. We were issued with our uniform — our kit. We had to have medical exams and injections. After all that we had to state what we wanted to do in the WAAF and I chose signals but later changed to being a teleprinter.
I was then transferred to Birmingham, we were stationed in a convent where the nuns looked after us. After that I went to a place called Hednesford.
In the WAAF, food was very grim at times. We didn't know what we were eating half the time, dried eggs etc. As for meat, goodness knows what it was. I had some friends who worked in the cookhouse and when I had been on night duty, they would bring me a mug of tea and some bread with marg., also at night they would bring me a mug of cocoa and a piece of cake, it saved me from queuing at the cook house and I could go to bed, it was lovely after being on duty at signals section. When you joined the forces you were known by your surname followed by a number, I was Davies 2077053. You were issued with a disc with your name and number on and this had to be worn at all times. When you went to the admin offices for anything including your money every week, you had to state your surname and the last three numbers. You had to carry your very heavy gas mask all the time except when on duty. Every so often we had gas drill, when you put the mask on it made some of us feel very sick and we had to sit down and take it off as you couldn't breathe. On going in and out of the camp you were told to report your name and number at the office and then when you came back in. When off duty you were allowed out till 23.59hrs
After a while I and a few others decided to try our hand at teleprinters operators and we were sent to Cranwell for training. We were billeted in small houses but went to the cookhouse for our meals. Most of us passed our test which was 12 weeks, then I was posted to Yorkshire, a place called Riccall, near Selby. We had to do night duties as well as days in turn. We were issued with SOPs (Sleeping out pass) so on those days off we would either go to York or Leeds and spend a night in the YWCA for one shilling and sixpence bed and breakfast. On night duty we were issued with long trousers. In turn we had to man a very isolated station on your own and see to the teleprinting operating, answer the phone and you were in charge of the sealed envelopes for the flying crew which they collected when going out on duty. I saw such a lot of young fellows going and not coming back.
We were issued with a pass and railway fare to go home twice a year. My pay was £3 a week, I also had an extra £1 for good behaviour after 3 years. I did reach the LACW.
I joined the WRAF in June 1940 and came out in September 1945. The day the war was declared over I was back at Riccall, so several of us went to York to celebrate. Two of us stayed in a house for the night, a lady and her husband gave us a key to come in when we were ready. She also put a flask of cocoa in our room and some cake. They were so kind. They gave us our breakfast in the morning and this was all for one shilling each.
When we came out of the Air Force we were given enough money to buy a civilians outfit and we kept our great coat.

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