Memoir notes - Bawtry and Grimsby

Memoir notes - Bawtry and Grimsby

Describes farewell concert at undisclosed location and closure of chapter of authors introduction to service life. Goes on to write of arrival at Bawtry Hall with friend Dorothy at new location with description of accommodation and cleaning activities. Comments on escape from mundane duties after three months and attempts to get training as a radio operator. Describes detachment to RAF Grimsby Waltham and falling in love with Lancasters. Goes on to describe duty in telephone exchange including having to listen in to calls made by aircrew to their girl friends on operational nights and pull the plug on them. However this was circumvented by crews cycling to use local village phone. Concludes with account of her Squadron Leader moving her to flying control so she would be proficient before her Cranwell RT/DF course.

Two page handwritten document

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Compton Bassett

We did have a farewell Concert - the Corporal producer of this, fancied himself as a theatrical Agent and chose the girls on a show of legs! – We the chosen ones had to send home for our most glamourous [sic] gowns – mine was backless but had a fancy jacket to wear over it – he insisted I didn't wear this [inserted] jacket [/inserted] but I overruled him & didn't – I was too shy to wear a backless dress in front of an audience of Airmen! – now times [deleted] have [/deleted] changed – [deleted] we were [/deleted] our efforts were noisily greeted – talk about audience participation but [deleted] but [/deleted] all light hearted banter to close a chapter of our introduction to Service life.

Bawtry Hall the next Chapter – [deleted two words] Dorothy & I arrived there in rain – & were housed in the cooks hut – the language upset Dorothy so much she said in tears 'Oh Katie what have we come to – by the next morning we knew! – The WAAF Officer put us to cleaning the ablutions! “How good of the Air Ministry to send 2 girls to clean the Station!” – After 3 months Dorothy escaped to be the Secretary to one of the top Brass in 1 Group & I escaped by the kindness of [deleted] Cpl [/deleted] Sgt Spud – not a fitting name for a very beautiful & kind girl – She took me into the telephone exchange – a very large one – & I took the exam for this work & passed – on night duty by myself one night Sqdn Leader Sharp called in for a chat – I told him I hadn't joined the Force to be a Switchboard Operator I wanted to be a Radio Operator with the planes where the Action was – he promised he would help me – & [deleted] 2 weeks & a [/deleted] & soon after sent me for just 2 weeks to R.A.F. Grimsby Waltham we always called the Station – [inserted] Waltham [/inserted] I arrived there to see emerging from the mist, the beautiful Lancasters & I fell in love with them – still am! After 2 weeks in the Telephone exchange I asked [deleted word] Flt LT Reece if he would let me stay – he said he'd be delighted to keep me – then followed the happiest time spent on the happiest Station P.T.O.

[inserted] PTO [/inserted]

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where tragically Death had dominion but so had happiness laughter romance & humour & [underlined] youth [/underlined].

The Telephone Exchange was small, just a hut & [deleted] the [/deleted] also of course the Switchboard [deleted word] could be manned by one Operator at night & 2 by day. Our Corporal Vera was lovely & really Mothered us. She was also in charge of our Nissen hut! hut 13 – belying the number it was a happy one, lying cheek by jowl with the wonderful windmill – round the base of this I practised learning to cycle – a bike was a necessity to get up to the Operational Station. I was a long time balancing getting on & off my bike & when the large vehicles bringing up fuel & bombs passed me by a hair breath I used to throw myself & my bike into the ditch & then wait for a kindly passer by to hold the bike while I jumped back on –

When I was first on duty in the telephone Exchange lots of Aircrew came in to 'look me over' but as they thought I only looked 14 they soon ceased calling (sad to report)

One duty I didn't enjoy – we had orders on Operational nights, to listen in to Aircrews calls when ringing their girlfriends to sadly inform them their date was off & why – we had to pull out the plug on these calls – I knew why there was a necessity for doing this but I always felt guilty & sad about it. However I learnt later I needn't have been, because the Aircrews knew of this also that the village phone box was wrapped up with coils of thick ropes guarded by a policeman so they borrowed [deleted] by [/deleted] bicycles & cycled down to the next village to ring from the phone box there – no ropes, no policeman. Foolish perhaps putting their lives & the rest of the aircrews in danger – but love always finds [deleted] away [/deleted] a way!

The Group Captain used to call in to see us – he was kindly & friendly as were all the pre war officers. When Sqd Leader Sharp knew I was waiting for the RT/DF Course at Cranwell he said "Half pint" – my nickname being the smallest Waaf on the Station. "After keeping you here from Bawtry Hall you break my heart but I'm sending you up into Flying Control so you will be proficient before the Cranwell Course" I was but thats another story.