Lily and Margaret Younger - Munitions Workers

Lily and Margaret Younger were aged 20 and 18; they lived at 344 Stanhope Road, South Shields.

When the war started, Lily wanted to join the Wrens (WRNS), but unfortunately she was too small. During the war, she was conscripted to work in a munitions factory in Birmingham, but was so small that "she had to stand on a box to operate the machines”. She was rather proud of her small stature and often quoted her dad's expression that "there is good stuff in little bundles!" She rather enjoyed her new independence and the flattering attention of American soldiers who had lots of money and more glamorous uniforms than the English soldiers.

Margaret and Lily stayed in Birmingham in a normal working class house with a "landlady". Due to the shortage of nylon stockings, Margaret remembered "we used to colour our legs with gravy browning and draw a seam on our legs with an eyeliner pencil", it was called "Liquid Stockings".

At the end of the war, parties were held everywhere to celebrate victory; there are several photos attached showing parties inside the munitions factories including a "Victory 1945" cake.

Margaret carried on working after the war, but Lily like a lot of women went home to look after her father and never worked again after the war.

Audio and transcription attached.