Maureen Hibbert’s Story

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Maureen Hibbert was born in 1920. She was living in Shopshire when war broke out. She and her family were originally form Kent. After spending time in the Land Army she got fed up with hoeing between sugar beet and looked around for something different to do. She and her friend decided to come to Shrewsbury to sign up for the Wrens, but when they arrived they couldn’t find the recruiting office. So, instead of the Wrens they signed up for the Field Ambulance Nursing Yeomanry. They trained at Camberley, then at Sandhurst . Training involved some first aid but was mostly centred around driving and vehicle maintenance. There was also some map reading, and Maureen said that wasn’t really her forte. She was initially posted to Shrewsbury to work for the hospital then later moved to Anglesey. Their hospital there was actually a bungalow. After this she was posted to Denbigh and drove the staff car for Colonel Wynn Edwards. Finally, Maureen was sent overseas to Brussels. She drove the ambulances to collect the troops that had been flown in. She said she felt for them being driven over the bumpy cobbled streets. On VE Day, Maureen was on leave staying in Brussels. She said there was a tremendous feeling of euphoria. The streets were full of people hugging and congratulating each other on the end of the war in Europe. Image: Maureen