Description
Object description
British civilian civil servant with Civil Service in London, GB, 1939-1942; private served with Auxiliary Territorial Service in GB, 1942; trained as officer with No 1 Auxiliary Territorial Service Officer Cadet Training Unit, Edinburgh, 1942; officer served with Auxiliary Territorial Service attached to Army Educational Corps, North Midland District, Northern Command in GB, 1942-1944; served with Auxiliary Territorial Service in GB, 1945-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB, 1920-1939: family; education. Recollections of period as civil servant with Civil Service in London, GB, 1939-1942: employment as civil servant; status of job as Reserved Occupation; procedure during German Air Force raids; transport problems; air raid shelters; German Air Force raids; duties with street fire patrol; members of fire patrol; training; equipment; morale; coping with families bombed out of homes; registration of animals in area; locating owners of lost pets.
REEL 2 Continues: work with animal shelter; clothing and food rations; impact of war on social life; blackout; question of looting after air raids; daylight air raids; fear of gas attack. Recollections of enlistment and training as private with Auxiliary Territorial Service in GB, 1942: obtaining release from Civil Service; reasons for joining Auxiliary Territorial Service; uniform; vaccinations; inspections; aptitude tests; selection for radar training; attitude towards training; opinion of officers; weeding out of unsuitable recruits.
REEL 3 Continues: question of homesickness; selection to train recruits as part of Army Educational Corps; applying for commission. Aspects period training as officer with Auxiliary Territorial Service in GB, 1942: basic training at Pre-Officer Cadet Training Unit; move to No 1 Auxiliary Territorial Service Officer Training Unit in Edinburgh; uniform; adapting to life as officer; question of etiquette; passing out; psychological strain of training; welfare; question of moral code; procedure in rape cases; dealing with rape case.
REEL 4 Continues: Recollections of period as officer with Auxiliary Territorial Service attached to Army Educational Corps in North Midlands District, Northern Command in GB, 1942-1944: duties in Leicester; desire to move back into education; posting to North Midlands District; organising army education in area; organising retraining/education for women leaving forces; attitude of some women towards the opportunity for better jobs post-war; giving lectures; providing courses for the illiterate; further details of giving lectures; encouraging women to think about career opportunities post-war; training in lecturing techniques; training.
REEL: 5 Continues: Aspects of period as officer with Auxiliary Territorial Service in GB, 1944-1946: move to Auxiliary Territorial Service staffed rehabilitation centre; types of people staying at centre; numbers of people at centre; programme of physical training; Very Important Persons (VIPs) visiting centre; refugees from Europe that attended centre; story of helping women to read and write so she could communicate with twin brother; story of Polish girl named Wanda who attended centre; guest lecturers; staff; policy regarding visitors; role of medical officers; rules and regulations; discipline.
REEL 6 Continues: reasons for working at rehabilitation centre; daily routine; leave periods; VJ Day celebrations, 15/8/1945; attitude towards end of Second World War; demobilisation; desire to stay in British Army; adapting to civilian life;. Aspects of post-war period with Territorial Army in GB: joining Territorial Army, 9/1946; duties; attending various training courses; enthusiasm of recruits; conflict between work with Territorial Army and civilian work.