Working in England during WWII

My mother, Elsie, came from Belfast in Northern Ireland when she was eighteen years old to work in England. At the time for someone, particularly a young girl to leave home to find work, was quite a radical thing to do. When she travelled to England she was in the company of some other girls, two whose names were rMay Hart and Francis Devine. I don't know if they were just travelling companions or whether she had known before she made her journey.

One of the first places that she worked at was the Raleigh, I believe that it was in or near Mansfield, Notts. The girls were subject to labour control via the DEpartment of Labour and usually had to liase with them if they wanted to relocate or change their jobs. My mother has always spoken fondly of her time in Mansfield and of the fact that it was a mining community there.

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