Memoir notes

Memoir notes

Describes posting to, journey to and arrival at Bawtry Hall. Goes on to describe accommodation and living conditions. Continues with description of duties including cleaning ablutions and lecture rooms. Goes on with description of life and activities. Mentions her friend escaping duties to become a secretary and herself by training as a telephonist.

Two page handwritten document

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When the lists went on display to inform us of where we were being posted – me not by Mail! Dot & I were posted to Bawtry Hall – No 1 Group Headquarters. After travelling north by way of London to meet her brother (a volunteer from Canada) it was very nice too – we arrived at Bawtry Hall about 9 PM & [inserted] were [/inserted] dumped at the gates – the rain was coming down in stair rods & the drive to the Hall was long. We dragged our Kit Bags & made it to the Guard Room & then were housed in a hut occupied by the cooks. The language from some of them was very ripe – this upset Dot to tears 'Oh Katie what have we come to” she plaintively asked. By the next morning we knew. Reporting to the Senior Waaf Officer she remarked 'How [indecipherable word] of the Air Ministry to send [underlined] two [/underlined] General Duty ‘gels’ to clean my Station' [deleted] So our fate was sealed [/deleted] After 3 months we did just that Our fate was sealed

The Ablutions – [indecipherable word], lecture rooms – outside steps to the Hall – "Are you on [indecipherable words] we were asked which rather rubbed in the hurt of the loathsome tasks – bombing with bombers as big as [indecipherable word] to make the lecture room floors shine brightly gave Dot [deleted word] [inserted] migraine [/inserted] so that task usually fell to me – I was [underlined] once [/underlined] used as a Batwoman to a woman officer – Oh what [indecipherable word] she seemed to be surrounded with compared to our hut – also complete with large Teddy Bear. But I think my failure to successfully leave a glowing fire for her instead of cold coal – (I never was much good at this task) resulted in my never again being asked to be a batwoman – I took my bat home / The Bathroom area was not divided from the toiletry department – all was open so we enhanced our social lives by getting to know the other Waafs 'enhancing' the Hall – also gossip enlightened our megear [sic] [inserted] meager [/inserted] Tasks. I suppose it was good for exercising – especially when told to sweep overhead wires & [indecipherable word] the officers [deleted] once [/deleted] one met everytime we moved around the grounds of the Hall. Eventually tiring of this we dodged behind trees when we saw [deleted words] officers approaching – [deleted] Later learnt it was not an offence [/deleted] feeling guilty at not showing respect but it [deleted] was a bit [/deleted][inserted] did become a bit [/inserted] much with a camp full of [deleted] officers [/deleted] them.

Dot & I escaped on our days leave by visiting her kindly Mother in Sheffield – we enjoyed the lovely meals she provided with fruits & vegetables from her garden – even the cream from the milk she collected in a jam jar to enrich the trifles – Then [deleted] after 3 months she gave us. She made [/deleted]

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[deleted] we did escape Dot first – she really was a very good typist – her civilian work was in a Bank so she was given this same task in the main office of Bawtry Headquarters eventually becoming Secretary to the Head man there – & receiving in the same citation as the WAAF Officer who had given her the [/deleted] made us clean another station! Dot escaped from the menial tasks [inserted] first [/inserted] & became a Secretary – in the main office – stayed there throughout the rest of the War as Secretary to the [deleted] highest officer [/deleted][inserted] most important [/inserted] officer in Bawtry Hall – She received for her services & her name was on the same citation as the Waaf officer who had tried to sentence us to cleaning her station!

Left alone to carry on cleaning the Station – though not for too long I was rescued by the beautiful Corporal Spud – her name – It wasn't befitting such a lovely & kind girl – She trained me as a Telephonist at the large PBX switchboard we had at the Headquarters – I went to Hemswell to take the Exam & passed – noted in my Diary my disappointment at not seeing any planes there! Alas, my ambition to be an RT Operator was temporarily postponed because the trade had been closed.

W L K