My War Memories

I was on a train travelling from Paddington to Windsor. Looking out of the window on my right, I saw a flying bomb travelling beside us at a slightly faster speed than the train. It was within my view for several minutes when I saw ahead, two of our planes obviously looking for the bomb. They flew past each other and the bomb slipped through between their tails and exploded in the distance.

On another occasion I saw a flotilla of small boats, launches and pleasure boats coming downstream and passing under Windsor Bridge on their way to rescue our men from the beaches of Dunkirk.

And finally... I joined the A.T.S. on the morning we declared that a "State of War" existed now between Germany and ourselves. This was 2nd September 1939. It was bitterly cold and heavy snow fell in January 1940. When the siren sounded we had to leave our beds, throw on a few clothes and assemble within minutes in a snow covered trench where we stayed until the "all clear" sounded. Many of us became ill so a parade to sick bay was ordered. Here little trained V.A.D's gave us a spoonful of permangamate of potash in water to gargle. The strength of this solution produced hoarse, dry and very uncomfortable throats.

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