Diary Entry: José posted to Harpenden. Diary notes: José, KPD’s friend from the A.T.S., posted away – something KPD notices as regards her friends from time to time in her diaries.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Diary Date: 26th April [1944]
Diary Entry: Windsor am. Afternoon off. Nan came over Saw [The] ‘Demi-Paradise’. Met Jean Gander & Burt in Y.W.C.A. Diary notes: Again KPD met up with her friend Nan and they saw ‘The Demi-Paradise’, a British comedy film starring Laurence Oliver, Margaret Rutherford and Felix Aylmer, and directed by Anthony Asquith (son of GB’s Prime …
Diary Date: 25th April [1944]
Diary Entry: Night driving. Farnham & Fleet. Diary notes: Driving at night during the Second World War must have been challenging due to the blackout (no street or other lights allowed, vehicle headlights reduced significantly as well). This 1939 article from the Guardian archive illustrates some of the problems: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/12/blackout-second-world-war-traffic-deaths-1939
Diary Date: 24th April [1944]
Diary Entry: Aldershot am. Blocks pm. Went to see José after supper. Diary notes: A trip out and more instruction on instructing soldiers with vehicles on ‘blocks’. ‘José’ was a friend KPD met in the A./T.S. and with whom she spent quite a lot of time with. her full name seems to have been ‘José …
Diary Date: 22nd April [1944]
Diary Entry: Taught on blocks. Went Hindhead for night. Hitched to Farnham. Diary notes: ‘Taught on blocks’ may refer to a vehicle with no wheels supported on blocks so the underneath could be worked on for routine maintenance etc.
Diary Date: 21st April [1944]
Diary Entry: Wokingham & Reading am. Diary notes: A short entry today – KPD clearly working in the Berkshire area.
Diary Date: 20th April [1944]
Diary Entry: Chobham dist. am. Fleet cove pm. Met Nan supper N.A.A.F.I. Diary notes: A busy day for KPD, but she also found time to eat with a colleague and friend (‘Nan’ – another nickname – is frequently mentioned in KPD’s diary). The initials ‘N.A.A.F.I.’ stand for ‘Navy, Army, and Air Force Institutes’. It is …
Diary Date: 19th April [1944]
Diary Entry: Instructed Windsor & Datchet. Diary notes: Although KPD didn’t enjoy the teaching aspects of her military service, there is no doubt her civilian experience in boarding schools must have given her some skills that she could call upon to ensure that she was listened to! Many years later she told me she had …
Diary Date: 17th April [1944]
Diary Entry: Went to Cardwalles. Saw Bonsey & several Horsley people. Slept Collingwood. Diary notes: ‘Bonsey’ was one of KPD’s A.T.S. collegaues and friends (but as for her real name…?) ‘Cardwalles’ and ‘Collingwood’ were probably military bases in use at the time.
Diary Date: 16th April [1944]
Diary Entry: Went to Aunt Annette for tea – Ashley Lodge. Saw remains of Brook Grange. Diary notes: ‘Aunt Annette’ – Annette Braithwaite, née Evershed, was KPD’s aunt, an elder sister of her mother. Married to Cecil Braithwaite in 1886 when she was 20, Annette was mother to four children. Her husband was a stockbroker, …
Aunt Pamela's War 