As the UK celebrates VE Day 80, one 105-year-old resident of Millway House care home in Andover reminisced about her wartime service.
When Mary left school, she wanted to work in a children’s nursery but was told she was too young. Instead, on the advice of a close friend, she applied to join the British Army’s Territorial Service (ATS).
Mary started her basic training in Winchester in 1939, after which she was transferred to Bournemouth. Her work eventually took her all over the UK, with postings at Southbourne in Dorset, then on to Scotland and finally Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire.
“I found the work really interesting,” said Mary. “I was dealing with all the Army records in the War Office. Long before any computers, there were piles and piles of paperwork to go through.”
Some of her work reflected the harsher realities of war: when a life was lost, it was one of Mary’s tasks to write letters to notify the families. “I knew some of the families I was writing to had children, and I knew the ages of the soldiers who were lost, which made it even more difficult,” she said.
Mary took pride in her war work and was always professional in her approach. She served in the ATS for six years and during that time she was promoted to the rank of sergeant.
One of the operations Mary supported was Pegasus Bridge – one of the most famous D-Day sites in Normandy. The capture of Pegasus Bridge by glider-borne troops was vital for securing the left flank of the Allied landings and preventing German counterattacks.
“I was very proud to have been part of Pegasus Bridge from afar,” said Mary. “The capture of Pegasus Bridge symbolises the British Army’s airborne capabilities and the Pegasus emblem was adopted by the 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, which was formed in 1999, as a reminder of the brigade’s airborne heritage and mission.”
When the war ended, Mary and her colleagues were excited to find out what was going on in London: “We all stood on the steps of Hardwick Hall, cheering,” she said. “We were so happy to hear the war was over.”
