Description
Object description
British NCO served as teleprinter operator with Women's Auxiliary Air Force in GB, 1939-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Weymouth, GB, 1915-1939: family; education; employment. Recollections of enlistment in Women's Royal Naval Service, Portland, GB, 1939: organisation of recruitment by navy wives; question of whether naval connections aided her in joining Women's Royal Naval Service; relatins between naval officer's wives; interview for Women's Royal Naval Service; drilling and other training; lack of uniform; inactivity, summer 1939; decision to leave Women's Royal Naval Service; outbreak of Second World War and her family's reaction, 9/1939. Recollections of enlistment in Women's Auxiliary Air Force in GB, 9/1939: learning of Women's Auxiliary Air Force; travelling to RAF Old Sarum for interview.
REEL 2 Continues: memories of Women's Auxiliary Air Force administrator, Miss Virtue; interview; reaction of work colleagues to her joining Women's Auxiliary Air Force. Recollections of period teleprinter operatior with Women's Auxiliary Air Force at RAF Old Sarum, GB, 1939-1943: first impressions, 9/1939; accommodation; opinion of Miss Virtue; teleprinter training; further information about recruitment; medical; recruitment of girls from Godolphin School and how most of them were commissioned; discipline; protective attitude of Royal Air Force personnel towards Women's Auxiliary Air Force personnel; expectations of war; lack of uniform or kit in early days of war.
REEL 3 Continues: wearing own clothing until 5/1940; state of cookhouse; food; attitude towards transfer of Women's Auxiliary Air Force personnel to Royal Air Force canteen; spending spare money on food; attitude of National Navy Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) girls towards Women's Auxiliary Air Force; wages; story of burning worn out shoes in order to get them replaced; arrival of uniform, 5/1940; hair regulations and styles worn; opinion of uniform; provision of comforts including sanitary towels by Nuffield Trust; attending signals course at No 7 Signals School, RAF at Science Museum, South Kensington, London; story of how she was stopped by Women's Auxiliary Air Force police on underground whilst in London.
REEL 4 Continues: more memories of Miss Virtue; training; description of Signals office and personnel; daily routines and duties; presence of Army Co-operation Command, RAF at RAF Old Sarum and officers she met including Richard Hillary; type of messages received; receiving and re-transmitting message on bombing of Mohne and Eder dams, 5/1943; security; growth of teleprinter section.
REEL 5 Continues: discipline problems whilst working on B Watch; relations between Royal Air Force and Women's Auxiliary Air Force; bad reputation of Sergeant's mess; question of welfare for Women's Auxiliary Air Force personnel; attitudes towards sex amongst Women's Auxiliary Air Force personnel; relations between sexes; differences of pay between men and women; difficulties experienced by Women's Auxiliary Air Force officers; opinion of training.
REEL 6 Continues: knowledge of Bletchley Park and secrecy surrounding it; unsuccessful interview for commission in London; bombing of London; attitude towards Women's Auxiliary Air Force officers and type of women that coped with this job best; attitude towards rules and discipline; attitude towards types of girls entering Women's Auxiliary Air Force once conscription began; Women's Auxiliary Air Force personnel discharged from service; accompanying pregnant friend to ante-natal clinic.
REEL 7 Continues: opinion of Women's Auxiliary Air Force publicity; story of visit by Air Vice-Marshal Arthur Barratt; living conditions as war progressed; arrival of first Canadians at RAF Old Sarum, 1/1940; social life; story of wearing civilian clothes against the rules; rules regarding civilian clothes; leave; role of Education Officer Flight Lieutenant Murray at RAF Oban.
REEL 8 Continues: health care; lack of information about venereal disease; news of wars progress and it's impact on life at RAF Old Sarum; arrival of troops who had been evacuated from Dunkirk, France, 6/1940; story of seeing parachutes dropping on RAF Boscombe Down; reaction to Winston Churchill's appointment as Prime Minister; attitude towards Battle of Britain, 1940.
REEL 9 Continues: invasion alert; knowledge of Bruneval Raid, 2/1942; impact of arrival of Canadian and American troops and relations with Royal Air Force and Women's Auxiliary Air Force; seeing General Joseph 'Vinegar Joe' Stilwell in White Hart Public House; story of how she was saluted by General Bernard Montgomery; drill; friendship with Enid 'Cherry' Cherrington; occasion when crew of German Air Force Heinkel He 111 waved at her and her friend; decision to transfer to RAF Oban. Recollections of period with Women's Auxiliary Air Force at RAF Oban, GB, 1943: journey; working at Dungallan House Headquarters.
REEL 10 Continues: Royal Air Force activity in Oban area and role of Women's Auxiliary Air Force; relations between Royal Air Force and Women's Auxiliary Air Force personnel and local population; social life; role of Dungallan House; lack of activity at RAF Oban; strained relations among Women's Auxiliary Air Force personnel; billets and living conditions; news of D-Day landings, 6/1944. Aspects of period as NCO with Women's Auxiliary Air Force at RAF Holmesley South in GB, 1944-1945: compassionate transfer from Oban due to father's health; celebrating VE Day with family, 8/5/1945; demobilisation, 8/9/1945. Recollections of civilian life in GB 1945: returning to old pre-war job at Boots Library; applying for job with Control Commission, Germany and reasons for backing out; training courses provided for ex-service personnel; contrast in attitude to women participants in First and Second World Wars.
REEL 11 Continues: story of attending administration course whilst at RAF Oban; reaction to dropping of atomic bombs on Japan, 8/1945; political climate at end of war and Labour Party election victory; compulsory discussion groups held during war; reaction to news about concentration camps; impact of war on her life and personality; impact of war on society; joining Auxiliary Coast Guard and Royal Naval Auxiliary.
