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Barbara Weathrill contributed to the war effort for World War Two. She describes the feelings she felt from the crowds celebrating VE day in Sunderland city centre.

鈥淚t was absolutely like a football match; there were people everywhere singing and dancing and waving flags鈥� the main street of Sunderland was jammed with people鈥�

Barbara was asked to deliver officer鈥檚 rations from her camp in Ryhope to another camp in Sunderland. She was accompanied by an armed gunner 鈥� something which she had never had before.

Upon arriving in Sunderland celebrations were well underway with crowds of people lining the main high street in Sunderland.

To get through the huge crowds she required the aid of two police constables who parted the crowds to allow the truck to pass through.

Whilst waiting in the crowd, the enthusiasm of the crowd was something she had never seen before as crowds reached into the open truck, grabbing the armed gunner and bouncing him down the high street.

鈥淭he crowd had just lifted him and bounced him鈥� he just disappeared clutching his rifle鈥� and I thought 鈥榳ell that鈥檚 no help to me鈥欌�� he came back to camp about five hours later running as far as he could before walking, still clutching his rifle鈥�.

When Barbara finally got back to her camp in Ryhope she was asked to drive back into Sunderland to pick up a civilian band that were booked to play an arranged dance at the camp.

After getting back to her camp with the band she was allowed to attend the dance where spirits were high amongst her friends and colleagues.

At around 2 o鈥檆lock festivities ceased and she was ordered to drive the band back to Sunderland, before driving back to the camp, eventually finishing the day at 3 o鈥檆lock.

Barbara was one of the many women who served the war effort during the war. By the end of the war there were more women working in the war effort than men.

Image: Barbara and other members of the war effort stationed at her camp

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