Recorded interview of Phyliss Smales née King by Peter Foulsham, part 2 of 2 (side B of cassette) (MC 376/509a/2)
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Recorded interview of Phyliss Smales née King by Peter Foulsham, part 2 of 2 (side B of cassette)
1
MC 376/509a/2
1 side of audio cassette
nd [1998]
2nd Air Division Memorial Library/Oral History Project
Peter Foulsham, Phyliss Smales née King
Glen Miller music at start and end of recording (00mn 02s to 00mn 28s and 37mn 09s to 37mn 33s) has been redacted for rights reasons.
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Starts and finishes with Glenn Miller's 'String of Pearls'. Phyliss Smales recalls witnessing an act of violence against Dick [surname not given], a driver, who was attacked in the coal yard by three American servicemen. Recalls gift of a radio by Jim Buchanan, a driver. Eplains her nickname, 'Flossie Roughstuff'. Story of poker game in local pub. Mentions various parties. Story about Lucy (who later won a Miss Wells contest) washing hair in washrooms and passing out after taking too hot a bath and describes her stay in hospital. Describes regular medicals, blood tests and chest -rays including GI brides having blood tests before they were allowed into the US. Recalls trip to Great Yarmouth with Tabner Bird, Cpl Raymond West (the Colonel's driver) and Lucy. Mentions her husband's leave from the RAF. Mentions Lillian Kirby, from Malta, at Rackheath who married Wilbert Ritchett from Louisiana, who worked in the base theatre. Recalls meals with American servicemen at the Castle Hotel and Bell Hotel. Recalls work-related injuries. Recalls an ATS girl getting left behind after a dance (Ona Ready) and having to stay overnight, and Helen [surname not given] who arranged a 'hay ride' (cites a related article in the 'Eastern Daily Press' in 1975). Mentions Cyril Hood (RAF) who asked Phyllis to get horses from her father's farm and went to Salhouse Broads. Recalls seeing airbase surveyors before it opened. Recalls first sight of American servicemen driving past in truck with a white star on it. Recalls horse riding on the farm and inviting Americans to the local farms. Recalls an air display at end of war during which a fighter aircraft crashed. Also recalls the mid-air collision of two bombers (including [?] Coolidge, a rear-gunner, near Salhouse. Recalls the end of the war, preparing food for three missions a day and seeing injured personnel return. For tape insert, see MC 376/509b. For administrative records relating to interview, see MC 376/512. For the preceding recording, see MC 376/509a/1.