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A veteran interview with

Freddie Montgomery

After her military service with the Women’s Royal Auxiliary Service, Freddie Montgomery served as a Minister.

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About Freddie Montgomery

Freddie Montgomery recounts her experience in Germany during the Berlin airlift, from being assigned overseas when she was nineteen to the eventual lifting of the blockade during her tenure in the WRAC. Although she initially wanted to become a military policewoman, a position opened overseas, sending her to Germany and then, eventually, Berlin to help during the blockade.

Freddie recalls her time in Berlin, primarily working in administration, and her sympathy towards struggling elder Germans, fear of Russian soldiers, and the lack of food during the airlifts. Nevertheless, Freddie reminisces on her time in Berlin with fondness, and explains how the Germans largely welcomed British troops, socialising with other sectors, and enjoying cultural activities like visiting the cinema and playing sports when she wasn’t working.

Later in life, Freddie became a minister in the Church, which was a choice heavily inspired by her experiences working during the airlift. Despite loving her time in Berlin, Freddie remembers the poverty she saw, and the amount of loved ones she saw die. Freddie’s work as a minister still brings her in contact with the Berlin blockade today, as she recounts how she met some German people in the cathedral who expressed gratitude for British aid during the Berlin blockade, and Freddie is similarly aware of the impact of the airlift on her today.

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Reviewed by:
Megan Shaw

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Home | Veterans | Freddie Montgomery

A veteran interview with

Freddie Montgomery

BellaBailey-e1588499674293

After her military service with the Women’s Royal Auxiliary Service, Freddie Montgomery served as a Minister.

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https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/freddie-montgomery/

Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Montgomery, Freddie. A Veteran Interview with Freddie Montgomery. Interview by Unknown. Legasee, 13 May. 2013 https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/freddie-montgomery/. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
APA Style:
Montgomery, F. (2013, May 13). A Veteran Interview with Freddie Montgomery [Interview by Unknown]. Legasee. Retrieved April 20, 2025, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/freddie-montgomery/
Chicago Style:
Montgomery, Freddie. 2013. A Veteran Interview with Freddie Montgomery. Interview by Unknown. Legasee, May 13. Accessed April 20, 2025. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/freddie-montgomery/
Harvard Style:
Montgomery, F. (2013). A Veteran Interview with Freddie Montgomery. [Interviewed by Unknown]. Legasee, 13 May. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/freddie-montgomery/ (Accessed: 20 April 2025)
Vancouver Style:
Montgomery, F. A Veteran Interview with Freddie Montgomery [Internet]. Interview by Unknown. Legasee; 2013 May 13 [cited 2025 Apr 20]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/freddie-montgomery/
An interview with

Cheryl Woon

Cheryl Woon worked as a Stewardess in the WRAC.

Cheryl was twenty-four when she joined the WRAC and saw the army as a career opportunity. At Guildford she dedicated herself to training and felt a sense of achievement wearing her solider's uniform. Cheryl completed her trade training at Aldershot, and specialised in silver service techniques. She was then posted to the Royal Armament and Development Establishment where she worked in both the sergeant's mess and on guard duty. At the RARDE soldiers would test new vehicles and weapons under extremely classified conditions, therefore those working there, such as Cheryl, had to stand on high alert at all times. Cheryl remembers having basic weapon training during this period, yet she still was not given ammunition whilst on guard. In her interview she describes the horrific treatment of women in the army, one of the reasons for her leaving in 1989. Cheryl felt unsupported on her leave and disappointed by the army's attitude towards the female corps. She feels that although the WRAC is a huge part of her history, there were real issues of gender discrimination which should be documented in oral histories such as those held in Legasee's archive.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

John Aitken

An army serviceman’s memories of the Berlin Airlift amidst the rising tensions of the Cold War.

John Aitken’s military service began after WWII with the Gordon Highlanders in Aberdeen before he moved on to Sandhurst where, in addition to his officer training, he learnt French, Russian, meteorology, maths and physics. In 1949 John was sent to Wunstorf in Germany to work within air dispatch operations for the Berlin Airlift. In his interview, John shares memories of barrack life adjacent to the runway, recalling how the rooms used to shake every minute as another fully laden converted bomber took off, and gives an interesting insight into how supplies were coordinated and transported. He also talks about some of the loads he used to fly into Berlin, and the friendly competition between the Americans and the British to see who could load their Dakotas more quickly; but unfortunately, as the competition got more intense, so did the risks. John paints a vivid picture of the city of Berlin both during the Airlift and several years later when he returned after a stint serving in the Middle East, with clear memories of his horror at the devastation left by WWII and later the striking divide between east and west.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Audrey Smith

Audrey was a Colonel in the WRAC and is now a Life Vice President of the association.

At university, Audrey joined the Officer Training Corps which ultimately led her to join the army when she graduated. Due to her experience, Audrey never enrolled in basic training but was instead sent to the WRAC school of instruction. She was then posted to Shoeburyness as a Commander, then Singapore, and then to the new Duchess of Kent Barracks as Commanding Officer. Audrey also discusses growing IRA threats, and recalls the horror of experiencing the Aldershot bombing in 1972. Her career continued to flourish and she went to Army Staff College where she was the only woman out of one hundred men. Audrey proceeded to be posted at Shrewsbury as Senior Personnel Officer, then to the doctorate where she wrote employment papers for the WRAC, then the BAOR, and the NATO headquarters in Brussels. Audrey's work in the WRAC was fundamental to its evolution and she was involved in the crucial integration of weapons training into the female corps. She felt strongly that women should be given opportunities and went on to design the selection tests for officers admittance to Staff College. A true trailblazer, we thank Audrey for her inspiring interview and passionate words about the importance of women's roles in the WRAC.