Article about: Hello folks. This is another grouping of items very close to my heart. Not bought, but handed down through the family to me. Like my great grandfather's medal ribbons and insignia, I shall c
This is another grouping of items very close to my heart. Not bought, but handed down through the family to me. Like my great grandfather's medal ribbons and insignia, I shall cherish these always at the expense of all else. This group is actually much larger than the items belonging to my great grandfather. The reason being a lot of it was hidden away for a very long time, and was only discovered quite recently by my grandmother as she did some clearing out.
My great grandmother, Doreen Carey -- later Kelly, when she married my great grandad -- was a cook in the Welsh Border Group ATS, stationed in Park Hall camp in Oswestry, Shropshire. She enlisted on the 31st of August 1944, at the age of eighteen. I was told she would have enlisted earlier in the war, but was too young. She worked as a cook, presumably in the mess hall at the camp. Her original Army cookbook is a part of this grouping.
Unfortunately, I didn't see her all that often. Enough for her not to be distant, and enough that I have memories of what she was like. I was not as fortunate as this when it came to my great grandfather, who died some time before I was born. On one of my last visits to her before she became ill, I was given a well-polished 20mm shell case. It now stands next to the display dedicated to my great grandad, with a poppy placed on top.
The items I'm showing here are not on open display. I keep them in a safe, away from both natural and artificial light, to keep them in the condition they are in presently. This is actually the first time I have taken them out for a while, and I enjoyed photographing it all again.
All in all, I have here: Her service and paybook, release book, application certificate, cookbook, permanent pass, St. John's Gospel, brass insignia, shoulder flashes, dog tag and her War Medal in its original box. I'm particularly lucky to have the War Medal and not just the ribbon, as it didn't suffer the same fate as my great grandfather's medals.
Some family history. worth more to me than anything else in the collection. I hope you enjoy viewing these things as much as I enjoy being their custodian.
Wonderful set of memorabilia from your Grandmother. Great to have it in the family where it belongs and thanks for sharing these most personal possessions.
Wonderful set of memorabilia from your Grandmother. Great to have it in the family where it belongs and thanks for sharing these most personal possessions.
I appreciate the kind words. Family items should be the highlight of any collection.
Also part of the group is this; her Civilian Duty Respirator, in its original issue box. There's no concrete proving that it was actually hers, but these respirators were issued to the ATS, and the postwar date on the facepiece lines up with her time spent in Oswestry.
This was actually the first piece of militaria I ever acquired, being given to me by my great uncle (her brother, still with us. The man who inspired my interest in this part of history) for a school show and tell project. I wore it around the playground a few times, unaware of the filter's contents.
My Great Grandmother: An ATS Girl
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by MSlusa
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