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Yolanda
Ellison (nee Turton) Born in Newton le Willows.
Yolanda was 18 when this picture was taken. |
"I
worked on the base from l942, as a typist, working on maintenance
documents - based at the Mary Ann site.
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Bing
Crosby was amongst the many famous people who came to Burtonwood.
This
picture was taken on 1st september 1944 at the Burtonwood
Repair Depot.
It
shows Bing Crosby with Lt. Col. Arnold from the Maint. Div.
B.A.D. No 1
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It
was the RAF when it started. American civilians came first, they
were called "tinkers", they wore cowboy boots.
They came to sort out the base and get it ready for the servicemen.
I think they were also called "metal merchants".
The
Americans were lovely to work for, they had a great sense of humour,
we used to kid each other all the time.
Someone on the base wrote this poem about that relationship, you
can see there is no harm in it.
Dear
old England is not the same,
We dreaded invasion - well it came,
But no it's not the beastly Hun,
The G.......Dm Yanks have come |
They
moan about our luke-warm beer,
Drink beer like water over here.
But after drinking two or more
You'll find them lying on the floor |
We
speak to them, they just look lazy,
They think we're nuts, they think we're crazy,
Yet they're our Allies, we must be nice,
They love us, yes - like cats love mice. |
The
Office workers, canteen and px staff were mainly locals, from Newton,
Warrington, St Helens - all around.
I went
out with quite a few Americans, but mostly as friends, not as "boy
friends". "Tex" was a huge guy, from Texas, obviously, and he’d
come home to my mum’s and have a meal, one night he asked me to
go out with him (I said "no") but later found out he’d already asked
quite a few others!
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There
was another Yank - called Irving - my sister in law used to
do his washing...
Lots
of them used to send their laundry off base to have it washed
and iron.
This
is picture of Irving (who was a PRC Forman in the USAAF) taken
in 1944.
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There
used to be dances in the lunch hour, and Glen Miller played for
us once. That’s when the photograph was taken.
The picture shows Captain Glenn Miller and 'Love Dust' U.S.A.A.F.
on the 27th July 1944 at Burtonwood Repairs Depot.
I have
happy memories of Burtonwood."
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