Interview with Joyce Exton Wallace. Four

Interview with Joyce Exton Wallace. Four

Joyce Exton Wallace recalls being put on a charge for insolence to a non commissioned officer. Joyce and her colleagues had missed the last train back to camp at Stanmore after attending a dance. She was reprimanded for reacting inappropriately to the sergeant when told she was wearing her respirator incorrectly.

00:01:31 audio recording

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AExtonWallaceJ[Date]-04

We’d gone out one night for [pause] from the camp. Some friends, colleagues and I went down. Up into Stanmore where we were stationed at Stanmore and we went into the dance. We had a lovely time but we missed the last train home. So we managed to scrounge a lift but of course we got back to camp late and there was a sergeant, I think it was Sergeant Naismith. We called her Irma Grese because she was just like that German camp command, camp woman and she stopped all of us course going through because we were late. I think we were about a half an hour late and we said we’d accidentally missed the train. Had a mouth full off her about no such thing as accidents and she said, ‘And look at you.’ She said, ‘Put your hat on straight. Do your jacket up. Put your gloves on and respirators aren’t worn over the one shoulder.’ She said, ‘You sling them over your shoulder.’ And I just picked up my respirator and slung it over my shoulder out the door [laughs] because I got put on a charge. Insolence to a non-commissioned officer.