A WAAF'S view of VE night

A WAAF’S VIEW OF VE DAY CELEBRATIONS
8th May 1945

2170063 — LACW Dickens B

I was serving as a 19 years old teleprinter operator in the WAAF. We worked 20hr shifts and when the news came through that the war had ended, I was working on the 1700hrs - midnight shift. Permission came through for 2 personnel to be given the rest of the evening off. A ballot was set up and I was one of the lucky ones! A few minutes later my close friend, on duty in another teleprinter section, came rushing in to say she too had drawn lucky in their ballot, so together we hastily decided to set off for London, being stationed on the outskirts well served be the tube/underground. I cannot remember at which station we alighted but I do recall running in a huge crowd trying to keep up with Winston Churchill’s car as he drove to Buckingham Palace. Eventually we stood outside the Palace gates along with countless thousands of others, and in due course saw the Royal family appear on the famous balcony along with Mr Churchill everyone was in jubilant mood, cheering just about anyone and everyone, people climbing lamp-posts and dancing in the streets with total strangers just hugging each other. Around midnight we had to catch the tube train back to camp but what a night to remember and now at nearly 80 years of age, to recount to my two granddaughters a part of history I shall never forget.

A WAAF’S VIEW OF VE DAY CELEBRATIONS
8th May 1945

2170063 — LACW Dickens B

I was serving as a 19 years old teleprinter operator in the WAAF. We worked 20hr shifts and when the news came through that the war had ended, I was working on the 1700hrs - midnight shift. Permission came through for 2 personnel to be given the rest of the evening off. A ballot was set up and I was one of the lucky ones! A few minutes later my close friend, on duty in another teleprinter section, came rushing in to say she too had drawn lucky in their ballot, so together we hastily decided to set off for London, being stationed on the outskirts well served be the tube/underground. I cannot remember at which station we alighted but I do recall running in a huge crowd trying to keep up with Winston Churchill’s car as he drove to Buckingham Palace. Eventually we stood outside the Palace gates along with countless thousands of others, and in due course saw the Royal family appear on the famous balcony along with Mr Churchill everyone was in jubilant mood, cheering just about anyone and everyone, people climbing lamp-posts and dancing in the streets with total strangers just hugging each other. Around midnight we had to catch the tube train back to camp but what a night to remember and now at nearly 80 years of age, to recount to my two granddaughters a part of history I shall never forget.

A WAAF’S VIEW OF VE DAY CELEBRATIONS
8th May 1945

2170063 — LACW Dickens B

I was serving as a 19 years old teleprinter operator in the WAAF. We worked 20hr shifts and when the news came through that the war had ended, I was working on the 1700hrs - midnight shift. Permission came through for 2 personnel to be given the rest of the evening off. A ballot was set up and I was one of the lucky ones! A few minutes later my close friend, on duty in another teleprinter section, came rushing in to say she too had drawn lucky in their ballot, so together we hastily decided to set off for London, being stationed on the outskirts well served be the tube/underground. I cannot remember at which station we alighted but I do recall running in a huge crowd trying to keep up with Winston Churchill’s car as he drove to Buckingham Palace. Eventually we stood outside the Palace gates along with countless thousands of others, and in due course saw the Royal family appear on the famous balcony along with Mr Churchill everyone was in jubilant mood, cheering just about anyone and everyone, people climbing lamp-posts and dancing in the streets with total strangers just hugging each other. Around midnight we had to catch the tube train back to camp but what a night to remember and now at nearly 80 years of age, to recount to my two granddaughters a part of history I shall never forget.

A WAAF’S VIEW OF VE DAY CELEBRATIONS
8th May 1945

2170063 — LACW Dickens B

I was serving as a 19 years old teleprinter operator in the WAAF. We worked 20hr shifts and when the news came through that the war had ended, I was working on the 1700hrs - midnight shift. Permission came through for 2 personnel to be given the rest of the evening off. A ballot was set up and I was one of the lucky ones! A few minutes later my close friend, on duty in another teleprinter section, came rushing in to say she too had drawn lucky in their ballot, so together we hastily decided to set off for London, being stationed on the outskirts well served be the tube/underground. I cannot remember at which station we alighted but I do recall running in a huge crowd trying to keep up with Winston Churchill’s car as he drove to Buckingham Palace. Eventually we stood outside the Palace gates along with countless thousands of others, and in due course saw the Royal family appear on the famous balcony along with Mr Churchill everyone was in jubilant mood, cheering just about anyone and everyone, people climbing lamp-posts and dancing in the streets with total strangers just hugging each other. Around midnight we had to catch the tube train back to camp but what a night to remember and now at nearly 80 years of age, to recount to my two granddaughters a part of history I shall never forget.

A WAAF’S VIEW OF VE DAY CELEBRATIONS
8th May 1945

2170063 — LACW Dickens B

I was serving as a 19 years old teleprinter operator in the WAAF. We worked 20hr shifts and when the news came through that the war had ended, I was working on the 1700hrs - midnight shift. Permission came through for 2 personnel to be given the rest of the evening off. A ballot was set up and I was one of the lucky ones! A few minutes later my close friend, on duty in another teleprinter section, came rushing in to say she too had drawn lucky in their ballot, so together we hastily decided to set off for London, being stationed on the outskirts well served be the tube/underground. I cannot remember at which station we alighted but I do recall running in a huge crowd trying to keep up with Winston Churchill’s car as he drove to Buckingham Palace. Eventually we stood outside the Palace gates along with countless thousands of others, and in due course saw the Royal family appear on the famous balcony along with Mr Churchill everyone was in jubilant mood, cheering just about anyone and everyone, people climbing lamp-posts and dancing in the streets with total strangers just hugging each other. Around midnight we had to catch the tube train back to camp but what a night to remember and now at nearly 80 years of age, to recount to my two granddaughters a part of history I shall never forget.

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