A moving and personal account of a young woman’s experiences of the Second World War from the mother of Sir Tim Rice.Joan Rice had the same ambitions as many young women of her generation: she wanted to write; wanted to travel; wanted to be famous. With the outbreak of World War II she hurried to enlist – aged 20 – in the Women's Auxillary Air Force, hoping for change, for adventure, and for the chance to 'swank around in uniform'.Throughout the early years of the conflict she kept a regular diary of her life as a WAAF. Working first at RAF Hendon, she soon moved to a job in British Intelligence, and ultimately to postings in Egypt and Palestine. She witnessed the 'phoney war' explode into the Battle of Britain, lived through the London Blitz and was forced by Rommell's advance to flee Cairo. But her diary also tells the story of everyday war life, of the social whirl of service society and of her very first encounter with the man who would become her husband.‘Sand in my Shoes’ is a compelling first-hand account of life and love in a defeated Europe. Written with flair and exuberance, Joan's story has lain untouched for some fifty years. Incorporating additional material from her husband's own notes, her diary is a testament to the many women who kept the RAF in the air.
Оглавление
Joan Rice. Sand In My Shoes: Coming of Age in the Second World War: A WAAF’s Diary
Table of Contents
FOREWORD
INTRODUCTION
PART I Hendon, The Phoney War
1939
8 October 1939
9 October 1939
15 October 1939
16 October 1939
19 October 1939
20 October 1939 (early in the morning before reporting for duty)
23 October 1939
29 October 1939
31 October 1939
7 November 1939
8 November 1939
9 November 1939
13 November 1939
15 November 1939
20 November 1939
25 November 1939
29 November 1939
5 December 1939
8 December 1939
11 December 1939
14 December 1939
21 December 1939
25 December 1939
Events of 1939
1940. 7 January 1940
13 January 1940
17 January 1940
29 January 1940
I February 1940
8 February 1940
28 February 1940
8 March 1940
9 March 1940
11 March 1940
15 March 1940
20 March 1940
21 March 1940
24 March 1940
28 March 1940
1 April 1940
4 April 1940
6 April 1940
10 April 1940
13 April 1940
16 April 1940
22 April 1940
25 April 1940
28 April 1940
7 May 1940
9 May 1940
11 May 1940
15 May 1940
18 May 1940
19 May 1940
22 May 1940
3 May 1940
6 June 1940
9 June 1940
11 June 1940
17 June 1940
21 June 1940
28 June 1940
5 July 1940
10 July 1940
11 July 1940
19 July 1940
30 July 1940
7 August 1940
14 August 1940
16 August 1940
23 August 1940
27 August 1940
2 September 1940
5 September 1940
7 September 1940
15 September 1940
16 September 1940
17 September 1940
19 September 1940
24 September 1940
26 September 1940
28 September 1940
30 September 1940
3 October 1940
6 October 1940
7 October 1940
9 October 1940
13 October 1940
18 October 1940
22 October 1940
23 October 1940
24 October 1940
Events of 1940
1941. 2 February 1941
9 February 1941
12 February 1941
27 February 1941
1 March 1941
6 March 1941
31 March 1941
17 April 1941
30 April 1941
PART II Medmenham
1941. 12 May 1941
15 May 1941
18 May 1941
19 May 1941
23 May 1941
5 June 1941
6 June 1941
8 June 1941
15 June 1941
20 June 1941
21 June 1941
22 June 1941
24 June 1941
29 June 1941
2 July 1941
11 July 1941
16 July 1941
20 July 1941
23 July 1941
30 July 1941
2 August 1941
11 August 1941
28 August 1941
2 September 1941
3 September 1941
16 September 1941
29 September 1941
2 October 1941
16 October 1941
4 December 1941
8 December 1941
20 December 1941
22 December 1941
2 January 1942
6 January 1942
Events of 1941
PART III Egypt
1942. 7 January 1942
8 January 1942
10 January 1942
12 January 1942
13 January 1942
15 January 1942
16 January 1942
17 January 1942
20 January 1942
23 January 1942
26 January 1942
27 January 1942
30 January 1942
1 February 1942
4 February 1942
7 February 1942
12 February 1942
25 February 1942
28 February 1942
3 March 1942
11 March 1942
21 March 1942
25 March 1942
4 April 1942
10 April 1942
13 April 1942
19 April 1942
22 April 1942
25 April 1942
29 April 1942
5 May 1942
27 May 1942
1 June 1942
8 June 1942
14 June 1942
26 June 1942
23 June 1942
28 June 1942
1 July 1942
4 July 1942
7 July 1942
9 July 1942
11 July 1942
18 July 1942
20 July 1942
24 July 1942
29 July 1942
30 July 1942
19 August 1942
26 August 1942
15 December 1942
Events of 1942
AFTERWORD
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
About the Author
Copyright
About the Publisher
Отрывок из книги
JOAN RICE
Sand in My Shoes Coming of Age in the Second World War: A WAAF's Diary
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Having heard me say that I was going visit-making up the road, our beastly little fire is burning with wildest abandon, intent obvious – to be out before my return. Incidentally, how does it manage to burn a whole evening and not heat the room a single degree?
I went out with Eric after all on Tuesday. He hadn't been able to phone because of our telephone being out of order. Bunty and Bernie came too and it was quite enjoyable, but I saw him without the glamour of the rain and the wind and my own laughing abandon, and he's a very ordinary boy.
