Description
Violet (Teddy) was born in 1925. She was able to choose between the Women’s Land Army, the Auxiliary Territorial Service and the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. She chose the WAAF because all her friends joined the WAAF.
Teddy used to stand on the steps of her front door in Thornton Heath and watch the dogfights. The sky over Croydon was full of fighter planes. She thought it was rather exciting; and did not really know what was happening.
It was while stationed at Brize Norton that she was given the nickname of ‘Teddy’. All the WAAF girls slept in married quarters and a girl called Tilley Cortier, who had five brothers, felt lonely, so she would get in her bunk and cuddle up with her, and she would tell her she was like a teddy bear. She has been known as Teddy ever since.
Teddy was on general duties, working in the Met Office and as a Wireless Operator in Cramwell. She was then posted to RAF Sculthorpe in Norfolk, which had one American airplane! She used to sit in the watchtower all day doing nothing apart from reading books and doing crosswords. The plane only went up about once a month!
Teddy married during the war and left the WAAF in 1944 to give birth to her daughter. She then went back to work after the war in the Employment Bureau. Teddy then married again and went into business with her husband who had two motorcycle shops in Croydon but both were unfortunately burnt down in 2011 during the Croydon riots.
