Life at Ambulance Station 126
Life at Ambulance Station 126, page 1. 
Life at Ambulance Station 126, page 2. 
Life at Ambulance Station 126, page 3.
Diary written by a 26 year-old female ambulance driver stationed in London, January 1940.
"Situated in an elementary school, infants building. The A.F.S are in the boy's, the other side of the playground. 5 lorries, 2 real ambulances + 5 cars (2 Packard, 2 Austin 12, 1 Austin 10) are kept in the yard fro now. In the school we have two large classrooms, (one for men, one for women), old staff-room fitted with wash basin + gas-cooker (kitchen) + small office-room. The rest of the school is cut off for children's classes.
In the men's room is a ping-pong table (very popular), darts (seldom used) + wireless set, which is a cause of constant discussion. Haw-haw + dance-music both popular, but the noise puts off the ping-pong players. In the women's room is another unusual darts' board + an extension speaker to the wireless which is old + faulty + necessitates the thing being at full blast in the men's room to be heard at all here. More discussion."
“Afternoon shift 25.1.40.
Coming on at 3.30 we sign on in the office, find out what cars we’re on for the day, drivers warm the engines, check oil, water and petrol, attendants see that equipment is ready (blankets, gas clothes, first-aid kit). Then we relax. I go up to kitchen and put on kettles for tea. Dorky is there heating a tin of baked beans, his first meal today. Come down again and play ping-pong with Deafy who is my pet rival. Ioan brings in tea. ‘Where’s Nobby?’ ‘He’s gone in the ladies room for quiet, very interested reading the Citadel’. Mabel is also in there altering a dress.
About 5pm bell jangles. Turn Out. We drop bats and run, start cars, collect tin hat, gas-mask, coats and gloves. I can’t find my attendant. ‘She’s in the office, you’ve got to go out, get your hat on.’ Attendant comes out with orders. ‘Quick, we’re being timed.’ We drive out followed by another van. The casualties aren’t ready when we arrive: two of them: we take them to a stretcher-party depot, come back and report to the office which reports to Control.”
