Interview with Vera Willis

Interview with Vera Willis

Vera Willis volunteered for the Women's Auxiliary Air Force because she wanted to be a driver. Her driving career in the RAF involved driving driving aircrew to dispersal. 

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2015-08-28

00:35:41 video recording

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AWillisV150828

VW: Well, I have to start at the beginning actually don’t I? When I first sort of wondered what I was going to do when I left school and I tried nursing for a little while but it really wasn’t my forte. So I decided to ask the family if they minded if I joined the Air Force and they agreed and then I went to Lincoln and joined up. My first port of call was Lincoln, the aerodrome in Lincoln and I was there for, well I learned to join the Air Force you know it was very strange. You lived quite a different life. The eating habits and everything were all very different but I loved every moment of it and from there I went to Dunholme. That’s part of Lincoln. It’s the other side of Lincoln. Dunholme and Fiskerton.
[pause]
VW: This is not going to be good. Scrub that please.
Other: Mum —
HH: That’s fine. Dunholme is fine.
Other: Yeah. Don’t get all —
VW: No. No, darling just leave me alone please. Just leave me alone. Just leave me alone. I’ve got it all in the back of my mind and it’s all —
HH: Of course you have.
VW: Let’s say I really enjoyed from the time when I joined up and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a lovely experience and I met some awfully nice girls and some awfully nice people and I did some marvellous driving because I loved driving and I could drive anything and it was absolutely super. Then after a while it took quite a bit of getting used to I’ll have to admit. But I thoroughly enjoyed it and I enjoyed driving the big vehicles. I used to take the COs dog for a ride and he was a darling. He really was. But eventually bless his heart he got killed and he was a sweety. Now, after a few, I think months getting used to the Air Force I was posted and I was posted to Dunholme. Taking the boys to the aircraft and the whole of the life was marvellous and the food was very good. It was really most enjoyable. In fact, I loved the breakfast of kidneys.
Other: Very nice.
VW: And I met an awful lot of nice people but as time went on things got rather more difficult. You know it was a little bit more dangerous than it was when I first joined up. Lots of funny things happened to me. The first winter I got lost in the fog on the aerodrome and that was absolutely scary. It really was and I was sort of wandering around in a mass of grey mist for about an hour and a half and everybody was looking for me shouting, ‘Tommy.’ For goodness sake [laughs] my name was Tomlinson. I was christened Tommy from the moment I joined up to the moment I finished. Eventually they found me and I was rather scared actually. It was very funny. But they gave me a torch of some sort for the next time. If there was any fog they gave us all something to help us sort of find home and [pause] yeah. And then my first, my first going home was rather nice when I first went. I think we got a week’s holiday. I got really very used to the Air Force then. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I drove for hundreds of miles. We used to have to go out sometimes and take the officers down south and drive long distances at night and that was quite interesting. I was never sorry that I joined and I had a wonderful time and everybody was so [pause] It was a life that you would never find anywhere else. It was. All sorts of funny things happened to me.
[pause]
VW: Why does one’s mind go blank when I can think of so many things. I’d be much better writing you a whole thingy. I could, I could really write you something really most interesting.
HH: That’s fine. We would love to see it. But you, you were, you loved driving.
VW: I loved driving. Yes, I did.
HH: And you did mostly and you were a driver in the WAAF. Yes.
VW: And then I was at Fiskerton. Now, at Fiskerton there’s a river that you have to cross if you want to go to Lincoln shopping or go in the evening. Now this particular day my friend and I we decided we would go shopping but at nighttime and we got over. I never wore a great coat. I always had mine. I couldn’t bear the weight of a great coat thank goodness because coming back so many people got on the ferry that it turned over and two or three of the airmen were drowned and I was, I’m afraid I could swim quite well but I did yell and say help. Somebody picked me out thank goodness and took me down to the hospital. I had a bath and the WAAF officer rang mum because it wasn’t very far away because we lived at Little Steeping at the rectory near Spilsby. That was my first experience. It was quite interesting really. I survived very well thank you. And then all sorts of strange things happened. You had mini accidents and unhappy times when you took the boys to the aircraft and bless their hearts they didn’t come back again. They used to say, ‘Tommy, will you write to my wife and just tell her —’ And I used to send cards and all sorts of things. And there was one particular airman that I was really was very very fond of. It was miserable nights when they went out because you worried until they came home. You really did and this particular night I used to wash my slacks every other night and iron them because we had a nice laundry and in the laundry there was a lace curtain in the window and it was wafting in the breeze. I remember thinking and hoping that he was alright and the rest of them were and all of a sudden this terrific wind blew up and blew the curtains up and I thought, oh no. Oh no. That’s him. And it was. It was so sad. All sorts of things like that used to happen to me but they were, the life was a very interesting life. I mean, I drove tractors and pulled aircraft. I mean thundering great aircraft at the back of you about that length and you sort of carted them around the peritrack and we used to take the Cookies to the aircraft with a tractor and that was a bit scary too. You’d have a load of Cookies and everything in but you get used to all these sort of things. And all sorts of interesting things used to happen to me. It’s [pause] what else? Oh yes. The bomb dump went up. Oh, now that was a pretty grim moment of time. That was around about just after lunch I should think. I was taking some drink. We used to have to take buckets of tea or whatever around to the [pause] it’s at the end of the runway there was this caravan and there was usually somebody, a sergeant or someone in it and we had to take them a drink around you know about twice a day. Somebody would be in. And we were going past the aerodrome at the top past the [pause] where they do the [pause] and one of the bods turned the, on the bomb, they turned the screw around the wrong way and the whole thing blew up. I was just sailing back from taking the drink to the sergeant back to the office and I picked some of them up and took them to the hospital and I stayed in the hospital for quite a long time helping. Helping out. But about three or four of the airmen were killed. I can’t remember how many but it was a terrific explosion. All sorts of strange things used to happen you know. But I wish I wasn’t so old. I’d be able to give you a better sort of [pause] I’m forgetful. At ninety two you do rather tend to forget don’t you?
HH: You’re doing very well.
VW: What else? All sorts of strange things happened. Oh yes. The bomb. Take off. Oh dear. It was bombed from top to bottom and had about four different bombs on the —
HH: Was that the landing strip? The runway.
VW: Yes. The runway. Yes. That’s what I wanted. Yes. That happened I think twice. It used to happen in the middle of the day. They used to come and start off and off to the [pause] and it was grim because he didn’t really know where to fly to. But the, we used to have [pause] we used to have lots of interesting things happen. There were so many. It was dreadful when they came back from a bombing night. It really was dreadful because there were so many missing. We lost an awful lot one night and it was so [pause] it seemed so unnecessary really. It was very sad making. A lot of the girls they were very silly really because they got married and that was absolutely the dreaded end because I mean you were asking for trouble weren’t you? Really. But on the whole it was a very interesting life. There were lots more things that will come to mind as soon as you are gone. What else did I do? All sorts of amazing. Oh yes. I was going to Lincoln one day and I was in the office, in the you know, and one of the boys came in and said, ‘Oh Tommy,’ because my name was Tomlinson but I was always Tommy. ‘Tommy, I’m going to Lincoln on the motorbike but if you’d like to come you can. I’ll bring you back, you know in about a couple of hours’ time.’ So I said, ‘Well, that’s jolly good. I’d love to.’ I’d never been on a motorbike before. So off we started. Yes, and we were doing very nicely thank you. Then we went around a corner and I leaned one way and he leaned the other and I finished up in the [laughs] in the dyke. Oh dear. It wasn’t funny [laughs] Oh, poor man. I felt so sorry for him. He said, ‘Tommy, that’s the last time I’ll ever take you on a motorbike.’ I said, ‘You never told me what to do.’ So I don’t remember going back to camp but I do remember my legs from here to here were black. I sat like a fool in the dyke. Oh dear that was rather grim. I daren’t go to the hospital and ask them to do something. I had to keep it quiet and keep trousers on all the time. What had I been doing. I haven’t been on a motorbike since. Yes. But life was full of interesting things. It was full of meeting interesting people. I lived at home for a long time. I lived, because mother was very ill and I got a compassionate posting to Spilsby. It was, we were lucky really because we had, I had a horse and we had at home [pause] Oh dear. A rectory at Little Steeping and I had [pause] What else did I have? We used to share with the boys and mother was very good. She used to, some of the boys who were flying at night she’d give them a nice meal the next day when they came home. And father put a thing up in the Officer’s Mess that they could come and play tennis whenever they wanted to and the officers had their bit of their week playing tennis. He worked it very nicely and [laughs] mummy used to do all sorts of strange things. She could play the violin most beautifully and she used to go out on a lovely sunny afternoon and stand near a hedge and there was a big tree in the middle of the lawn. She would stand there like that leaning on the tree playing the violin and the cows would come with their heads over the hedges. Honestly, they were so funny. There were about ten cows in the field and along the hedge there they were all of them absolutely enjoying the music. We had some lovely times then and people used to come and the boys used to come and play tennis and father was ever so good you know. He sort of helped them. Mum was very good. They used to come for meals and the officers used to come at night and play Bridge and we were quite a happy little household actually. And one night, they were all sitting, the CO used to come because he used to go shooting with daddy occasionally. We all sat there. They sat there playing Bridge in the room and I was in the sitting room with one of the girls I think and there was suddenly the most awful crash. A terrific bang. The whole house shook. Well, you didn’t see the officers. They’d gone. They were away. Oh, my goodness. Exit. There was a great big door in the Rectory and you could hear it opening and banged back and they came in the [pause] ambulance because it was quick and easy. But that was the night when daddy went upstairs, mummy and I went in the room under the stairs and daddy went off into the bedroom into his wardrobe and shut the door. [unclear] the cat used to have its kittens in that room under the stairs. There was always lots of straw in there. When it was all quiet and everything had gone and everyone was still alive there was a voice saying, ‘Help.’ Daddy had locked himself in the wardrobe. It sounds so silly now but goodness me but the silliest things used to happen. They really did.
HH: Did you ever discover what had caused, did you ever discover what had caused the explosion? The noise.
VW: Oh they were bombing the ‘drome.
HH: Ok.
VW: Yeah. They used to come out of the blue. This terrific crash. And it wasn’t far. [unclear] wasn’t very far from the aircraft. From the aerodrome. Only a hop, skip and a jump so we were all a bit scared but the exit was amazing. I’ve never seen people go so fast in all my life [laughs] What else did we used to do? We used to all sorts of things. Daddy used to take some of the officers shooting now and again. He was a bit shooting man. If they were on holiday or if they didn’t go away. Some of them didn’t go away or they would stay around and daddy would take them shooting and take them out and about. We tried to do our best. Mum and dad were wonderful. What else did I do? Oh yes. Yes. Yes. When I was stationed at Dunholme the baker had a horse and I used to go and buy cakes and all sorts of things from the baker and we were talking one day and he said, ‘Do you ride? ’ So I said, ‘Yes. I’ve got my horse at home. I don’t see it very often now.’ He said, ‘Would you like a ride? ’ I said, ‘I’d love a ride.’ He said, ‘Right. When you’re on the airfield if you have a day off or anything,’ he said, ‘Come around and I’ll help. He’s in a field just down the road and the gate is easy to open if you get on before you go out into the road.’ He said, ‘Come and collect the saddle and [unclear] all the bits and pieces.’ And I used to go for a lovely ride on my day off. It used to be absolutely marvellous. I often wonder how long he stayed there and I did go back and thank him once when I was on leave because it was jolly nice to be able to go out for a ride [unclear] and we were so lucky that way. I met some awfully nice people and I did all sorts of very strange things. What else did I do? I shall think of some more. Oh yes. I was stationed up in Northumberland wasn’t I? Of course I was. Yes. I had a wonderful time up there. Yeah, and we used to travel. Oh. You had a girl, two of you together and usually in a big Vauxhall and you could go for the day as long as you went somewhere that was interesting. We used to travel all over the place in Northumberland and we’d have, oh and I used to love to go to the, every Monday they had the motorbike racing. Now, what did they call it? Something or other. Every Monday. Yeah. I used to take the CO’s wife and her little girl to school every morning and I knew the CO quite well. He was very nice and we used to have, when I used to go and fetch her we used to have a cup of coffee with them and everything, you know. I had quite a nice Monday morning and this particular Monday morning I went into the office, the what do you call it? I’ve forgotten now. I said to the sergeant, ‘Can I have a pass please because I’m going to the motor racing thing tonight.’ We had to go at night. So, he said, ‘No. I’m afraid you can’t.’ He said, ‘I want you for something else.’ So, I said, ‘Well, you can’t do that because the CO has given me permission to go every night.’ ‘Oh yes I can.’ he said. I said, ‘Ok. Fair enough.’ I went around to the house and I said, ‘Can I speak to his master please,’ because she was ever so sweet. They said, ‘Vera, what’s the matter? ’ I said, ‘I can’t go to the, to the motorbike racing tonight.’ ‘Well, you always go.’ I said, ‘Well, yes I do but the sergeant said I mustn’t go tonight and I don’t know why.’ ‘Oh, does he really? ’ He picked up the telephone. He said, ‘Is that you —’ so and so and so and so he said, ‘Yeah.’ So he said, ‘Why isn’t Tommy going tonight? ’ So he said, ‘Well, sir I’ve got something else for her.’ He said, ‘Yes, so have I and she goes tonight.’ Because I looked after his little girl and took his wife safely to wherever she was going. I felt a bit mean but I thought, no. I’m not having that. No. I’m not. And he was so kind and when I left the Air Force because I left from there I wrote to them and thanked them for being so nice to me and they really were and I didn’t take advantage of that. But I was just cross because he didn’t really want me because he didn’t like me very much because I got around. I knew everyone and I wasn’t pushy you know and he didn’t like the idea of me taking the child to school and Mrs thingy because he thought it was an officer’s job. But the CO said, ‘No. Tommy does it.’ He called me Tommy as well. Oh. They were so nice. They really were and I didn’t take advantage of it. That was why I was so cross because that would have been unkind. I used to take, I used to just go in as a matter of course to ask him for a pass like everybody else did and he was just cross I suppose. He didn’t have anything for me to do. He just wasn’t going to let me go. Well, I was going. Wasn’t that naughty really? I wasn’t like that really. I didn’t take advantage. I was very lucky. I got on with everyone touch wood little bird. I did. One or two jolly things happened while we were up there. We had some parties. RAF parties and dances. I had a boyfriend. And then I was posted from there home. It was nice to get home though. I could ride my horse then and from then on I just moseyed through life. I had a wonderful life really. I had a wonderful friend. Well, it sounds a bit, doesn’t it but my father took us to a Hunt Ball about a fortnight later and I met Lady Beryl. Lived at Revesby Abbey and I’d known, I’d known her, she’s there with my mum shopping. And her son Michael he was abroad. I’d known Michael for a long time. She rang mum and said, ‘Could Vera come with me to Ireland because I have a friend in [pause] —’That was vague. I had to ring George and get him to take us down to the [pause] yes we went to Ireland for about a week because she had a stud in Ireland and it was [unclear] races and I went to [unclear] races and then we went, this is nothing to do with the Air Force so you won’t want to know.
HH: It’s interesting. Carry on.
VW: And then after the races the next day we had horse sales and I’ll never forget this lovely lovely horse and he had ears that went like that. They just flapped and I had to go and give him a hug. Oh and I would have loved to have had him. I would have loved to have been able to afford him. I didn’t taken any money. But I couldn’t have got him home. It’s such an effort to get them home. And I’ll never forget him. He was lovely and his ears just hung. There wasn’t any strength holding them up. And then we came home and it was in 1947. When we got home and the train came in the station we put a foot out and the snow was up to there and George had to go and fetch us some wellington boots. That was the chauffeur and he had to go and fetch us some wellington boots and the park was absolutely up to there and the poor little deer [pause] oh gosh. Oh they were. Oh dear. That was a lovely well it was quite nice because we lived in the snow more or less.
HH: Pretty.
VW: Oh yeah. I’ve been very lucky. I’ve have a very nice life really.
HH: And you did actually marry somebody from Bomber Command didn’t you?
VW: I married Bill. Yes. Yes. Yeah. I had lots of boyfriends. But yes. But Bill died after. It’s thirty years I’ve been without him and I didn’t marry again. I seem to be too busy. I don’t know why I didn’t. I had lots of friends but I have anyone I loved like I loved Bill. No. Anna said why didn’t you marry again but then she would have had a [unclear] off me would she then?
HH: I’m sure she doesn’t mind.
VW: Where have those two gone?
HH: Where are you two? Because I think it’s time for your lunch now. You’ve really earned it. Thank you Vera very much for all of these wonderful stories.
VW: Well, they’re not. I could think of ever so many more when you’ve gone.
HH: Well, I could come back. We’ll come back.
VW: I could honestly. I’ve done all sorts of amazing things.
HH: Yeah. I’m sure.
VW: I really have.
HH: They just come flooding back don’t they?
VW: I wish I could, when you’ve gone I shall think of funny things that happened in the Air Force. I got a bit nervous to start with because I couldn’t remember. It all went. It left me.
HH: Yeah. But then it all came back.
VW: And then it all came back. I’ve got lots of books and things here. Oh dear dear dear yes. What else can I tell you? When I used to drive. I had a car. Daddy bought me a car when I was seventeen and I drove for seventy two years and then I had to give it up because I was too old. Fancy I’m ninety two. Isn’t it disgusting?
HH: I think that’s very admirable.
HH: Do you? I think it’s tragic. Never mind. As long as you keep a sense of humour. I mean I’ve been staggering around for years now. For at least nine years. And I never never never thought I would ever need, fancy me in a wheelchair. I’ve done so many interesting things. I’ve ridden and I’ve walked for hours with daddy shooting. He taught me to shoot. I’ve been on the [laughs] we used to go goose, duck shooting at 5 o’clock in the morning. He’d say, ‘How do you feel about tomorrow morning, V? ’ I said, ‘I don’t know dad. Why? What do you want to do? ’ He said, ‘Let’s go shooting shall we? ’ ‘Alright. How, what and where? ’ He said, ‘Well, we’ll go down to the, to the — ’ [pause] Oh dear. We went down to Anderby Creek and sat there like stupid idiots at 5 o’clock in the morning shooting ducks. Honestly. And then we lived in a rectory when we first got married. We lived in a lovely rectory at Thorpe St Peter and oh dear we used to do the most amazing things there. We had donkeys for Anna when she was little. She was a terror. She really was. Oh dear. And we entertained and I gardened madly and I used to go fishing in the pond. We had a jolly nice pond. I don’t know. I filled in my life quite reasonably well.