Interview with Barbara Hammond

British driver and NCO served with First Aid Nursing Yeomanry in GB, 1940; NCO served with Auxiliary Territorial Service in GB, 1940-1942; officer served with Auxiliary Territorial Service attached to Royal Army Medical Corps in GB and Egypt, 1943-1946

REEL 1 Background in St Leonards-on-Sea, GB, 1919-1940: family; reaction to Munich Agreement, 9/1938; employment; joining of First Aid Nursing Yeomanry at King's College; medical; wait for call-up including buying of uniform and service with Air Raid Precautions; training; journey to Shorncliffe. Aspects of period as driver and NCO with First Aid Nursing Yeomanry in GB, 1940: camp used by No 20 Motor Transport Coy; duties; story of first day driving an ambulance; posting to South Heighton; accommodation; memories of company sergeant-major; background of and relations with colleagues; recreational activities; maintenance of vehicles; aiding wounded troops returning from Dunkirk Evacuation, 5/1940-6/1940; story of cousin's evacuation; news of posting; overnight guard; weapons training; concerns about German invasion. REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period as NCO with Auxiliary Territorial Service in GB, 1940-1942: nature of camp and sleeping arrangements; memories of commanding officer Stella Dixon; duties on farm in Edenbridge; leisure activities; contact with plastic surgery patients in East Grinstead; accommodation in Woolwich; German Air Force raid; impressions of civilians; duties in company office; background to transfer to Auxiliary Territorial Service; uniform issued; pattern of training; details of promotions; attending Pre-Officer Cadet Training Unit, Auxiliary Territorial Service at Dalkeith; officer cadet training at No 3 Officer Cadet Training Unit, Auxiliary Territorial Service at Windsor; story of passing out from officer cadet training unit. Aspects of period as officer with Auxiliary Territorial Service attached to Royal Army Medical Corps in GB, 1943-1945: posting to Clare Hospital, South Mimms. REEL 3 Continues: duties and details of patients; treatment of venereal disease cases; hospital population and problems faced by patients; involvement with adoption and law; venereal disease patients and question of sex education; patients keeping babies; attendance on junior commander's course at Egham; refusal of postings in Ceylon and Germany; health problems and posting to Egypt; activities with holding unit at Bristol including problems with tropical uniform; accommodation in Egypt; journey to port. Aspects of voyage from GB to Egypt via Malta, 1945: duties; recreational activities; sleeping arrangements; route taken; arrival in Valletta Harbour, Malta; arrival at Port Said, Egypt and disembarkation; train from Port Said journey to Cairo, Egypt. REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of period as officer with Auxiliary Territorial Service attached to Royal Army Medical Corps in Egypt, 1945-1946: night in hotel; posting to Tel-el-Kebir Camp; accommodation; memories of Italian batman; recreational activities; climate and malaria precautions; latrines; washing facilities; health; incident of bugs in hotel in Cairo; patients; relations with European Jewish colleagues; VE and VJ Day celebrations, 1945; story of brother-in-law's internment in Hong Kong. REEL 5 Continues: warnings given about taking taxis; story of abduction by taxi drivers and escape; subsequent interview with intelligence; story of raid on hospital; death and funeral of female Auxiliary Territorial Service; contact with sister, Nancy; return to GB and demobilisation; leave in Palestine. Post-war life and employment: settling into civilian life; process of demobilisation; application for training in care work; civilian employment, including at Britain Can Make It Exhibition at Victoria and Albert Museum in London and in various hospitals; post-war contact with venereal disease patients and their families; contact with American military personnel in Europe, early 1950s; opinion of what makes a good officer.