August 1940

August 1940, London

Tuesday 13th, '40 Dolphin Square

I'm not doing this any more! One bump or a wobble and Perkins sits there like an old turnip. Yesterday the ambulance stalled. She couldn't get the motor going again and got out, ordering me to drive back to Dolphin. Got herself into a right old snit and wouldn't talk to me for the rest of the day.

Friday 16th, Stn 44, 1940 Dolphin Square

Wilfred Pickles on the wireless says Croydon Aerodrome hit yesterday. People killed but few details. Sirens are going day and night, but still no raiders over Pimlico. Is this Blitzkrieg?


Saturday 17th, 1940

Another motor crash last night. Man drove straight up a lamp post and gave himself a concussion. Couldn't blame the blackout because there was a lovely full moon and the streets were bright.
Perkins may never be a driver but is proving a rock solid attendant. Navigates a dream in blackout. Many street signs are gone or hidden, but she always knows the way. Maybe we should give up the driving lessons and keep her as an attendant.

Sunday 18th,1940 Denbigh Place

Spent afternoon sunning in back garden until Mrs. P came out with bucket and scrub brush and ordered me to wash the step. Not sure I like her. Treats me like Mrs. Tickle the office char on ITMA.
Later
Heard Wilfred Pickles on wireless talking about bombings in South Wimbledon. Houses destroyed but nothing about deaths. Wonder if ambulance auxiliaries stationed in Wimbledon?

Monday 19th,1940 Dolphin Square

Signed up for anti-gas training this morning in the Dolphin decontamination unit. The instructor didn't introduce himself and mumbled on about attendance and punctuality. Lectures start next week.

Tuesday 20th,1940

Heard Himself on eleven o'clock news talking about heroics of our boys. Something about so much owed by so many to so few. Everyone loves hearing him on the wireless. I wonder if he knows when Blitzkrieg will start?

Wednesday 21st, 1940

Had encounter with a London sewer rat last night. It was running along the wall in the garage near the ambulances. Thought it was a cat and went chasing after calling "kitty kitty" until it got to the corner and looked at me with little yellow eyes. I yelped and Pickering came running. He laughed and said a country girl like me shouldn't be frightened of rats. I told him country rats don't live in sewers!



Thursday 22, 1940 Denbigh Place

Took a good old pasting from Stn 28 in Paddington today. Fourth straight loss. We started off well but the balls started flying all over the place and we couldn't get it back. Sad thing is we are the better team and should have won. Pickering's an excellent ping ponger but when he makes a few mistakes he starts to run himself down. LCC regulars. They'll destroy us. Auxiliaries should play auxiliaries, and regulars should play amongst themselves.
Smoked a Spanish Shawl with Pickering on the way home. Don't usually smoke cigarettes, but thought I should try, now that I'm an ambulance driver. Choked on the first puff and made P laugh. Kept going right to end and asked for another to prove I could manage it. Felt sick when we got back. Spanish Shawls are vile things.

Thurs 22, 1940
Dolphin Square Depot

Did stretcher drills all morning. SO Harvey was our casualty. She's small but we had trouble loading her into back of ambulance. The LCC instructor says it's technique not strength and with practice we'll learn. There won't be time to think in raid. Afterwards we slipped the canvas off the poles and washed them down. We put them outside to dry.
Took some photographs of Dolphin auxiliaries lounging on deck chairs. My, we do live the life of leisure with our books and knitting. What a war! Long may it last.

Sat 24 Aug '40
Stn 44 Dolphin

Perkins almost drove us into back of Oxford Street tram this aft. All I could see were big eyes and open mouths of the people in back window. I was trying to teach her double-declutching when the tram stopped suddenly and Perkins hit the clutch rather than the brake and we jerked forward. Came within an inch. I drove back to Dolphin with Perkins in right old huff.

Sunday 25 August, 1940
Denbigh Pl, Pimlico

Bombs down on East End last night but nothing from Wilfred Pickles or Picture Post on deaths. They said bombs dropped by wayward Jerry bomber who got lost and we shouldn't worry. It's not yet Blitzkrieg. Not sure that matters to the people bombed. Pickering heard from a friend they came down Stepney and Bethnal Green.
Moaning Minnies on more than they're off these days and nights. People just ignore them and go about their business. Nothing ever happens. There are plenty of rumours though. Man across street thinks Blitzkrieg will start 15 September and Nazi invasion will follow from south with parachutes, ships and submarines. You have to listen to him because he was in France in the Great War and he knows everything there is to know about war, Germans and Mustard Gas! Yesterday he ran over and banged on the door to tell us we should to leave immediately to save our souls. He's convinced Hitler will gas London.

Monday 26 Aug 1940
Dolphin Sq.

New girl arrived today from FANYs. Hutchinson. Used to drive ambulances for the Guards in Tower of London. Not sure why she left glamorous FANYs for dull LAAS but SO Harvey says she can drive anything and is a whiz on London topography. Likes to laugh.

Later
Started anti-gas training. Instructor drones on and reminds me of man across street with all his talk about gas. Says Mustard Gas smells like mustard seed. We took a proper tour of the decontamination unit and talked about cleansing protocols. Showers look lovely. Must try one.

Tuesday 27th Aug, 1940
Dolphin

Called to another motor vehicle incident last night. A family this time. Father OK but mother and two children were hurt, one child seriously. Head injuries. Blackout was the cause. Again. Blackouts more trouble than they're worth.
Pickering left two packets of Spanish Shawls for me. Must be a dare. I will practise and next time won't be sick.


Thursday 29 Aug 1940
Dolphin

New girl Hutch is good fun. Plays darts, drinks beer and smokes anything going, even Spanish Shawls. She's loud too. Livens the place up. She's teaching me darts. Trick is in the elbow. We've been playing two Dolphin Heavy Rescue men, Rankin and I forget the other chap's name. Dartboard is in the decontamination unit. Hutch wants to start a LAAS darts league. Thinks Dolphin would go in with a strong team. Better than table tennis I hope.

Saturday 31 Aug 1940
Denbigh

Jerries getting close. Belgravia hit last night with firebombs. Heard fire service clanging and smelt smoke. Someone said Taylor Depository took a direct hit. Wonder if Shift A called out?
Getting fed up with all this waiting. We've had a war on for a year with sirens, anti-gas precautions, first aid training, topography, but still no bombs and no real work for ambulance auxiliaries. I don't wish for it, but I'm bored. Perhaps I should get job in factory and make spark plugs or something.
Papers say air battles going well with our boys making lots of German kills but we can't see it and even if we could we couldn't be much help. I want to do something! Help!