My War Memories

1941 - Birmingham. Night after night as dusk fell the wailing air raid sirens sounded. Mother and I hurried out to the Anderson shelter in the garden, joined by our two elderly neighbours. My father, who served in the trenches in 1914-18, winning the Military Medal for bravery, refused to leave his nice warm bed on those few nights when he was not in the city on Home Guard duty. Sleep was impossible as we heard the tremendous noise of bombs falling nearby. Next morning we discovered a huge bomb crater outside our house. The windows and doors never fitted properly after that, but no repairs were done until the war was over.
I was a clerk at Cadbury's, and after a horrendous night of heavy bombing I had to walk nearly three miles to work, stepping over the debris from bombed houses, because there were no buses running. When I arrived I was reprimanded for being 15 minutes late and told that I was playing into the hands of the enemy! Feeling dissatisfied with civilian life I decided to volunteer for the A.T.S. and was interviewed at a recruiting office in Birmingham. Having read that women were needed as theodolite operators on the gun sites, I decided that was for me. Asked what my previous employment was I confessed to clerical duties. 'Good' was the reply, 'we need clerks - you report to the Training Centre in Pontefract. I arrived on Friday February 13th.1942 for two months hard physical training! Yorkshire was having a really hard winter, with the kind of deep snow we never see these days. The daily route marches were hard, but I ended up feeling extremely fit. I was posted to 4th.Anti-Aircraft Division at Bamber Bridge in Lancashire for two years, then Chester, and finally Colchester. A male Red Cap warned me that the South East of England was a hive of activity, with raids from V1 'buzz-bombs', 'but don't worry' he said,'just dive for it when the engine stops!' Fortunately I never came to such close quarters.
In 1945, the war in Europe ended, and a victory parade was planned in London. I was fortunate to be chosen to march past the Queen and was sent to Epping Forest for two weeks. We were transported daily to various army barracks (Chelsea, Wellington etc) where we were drilled for hours by male Sergeant Majors who really put us through our paces. Then we were free for the rest of the day to explore London. The city was terribly worn and battered, with bomb sites everywhere, but much of the damage was transformed by clumps of tall pink willow-herb weeds. Several evenings were spent at London theatres. I especially remember 'Watch on the Rhine'. Members of the forces were usually given free tickets! There were dances at 'The Stage Door Canteen', where crowds of American and Canadian forces lent a touch of glamour,and dancing to the superb music of Ted Heath at the Hammersmith Palais.
I was demobbed in 1946, and at first found civilian life in Birmingham rather dull. Then I discovered the Forces Club at the West End Dance Hall, where Colonel 'Rusty' Scorer organised dances for members and ex-members of the forces, supported by an excellent orchestra in those wonderful days of big band music.
W 119319 Corporal Irene Ashfield.

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