Axillary Territorial Service
Born: 14.03.1922.
Story
Nancy is the mother of Beverley Todd, who lives in Kippax. As the UK encouraged women to enlist with the recruitment posters below, Nancy signed up as soon as War broke out, but did so against her parents’ wishes. Her mother’s father served in the trenches during the First World, which may have explained her parents’ reluctance to let their daughter sign up. Nancy was only aged 17 at the time, but was so determined to do her bit, she got one of her brothers to sign the recruitment papers.
Nancy was stationed all over the country and was based in London throughout the blitz. Nancy came from a mining community in Durham so most of her family were deployed as mine workers during the Second World War, but one brother, who was already in the forces when war broke out, was captured and held in a Japanese Prisoner of War camp. Fortunately, he was one of the lucky ones who survived. Nancy passed away in 2000.
Below, the ATS working on a Churchill Tank, 10th October 1942:
Kippax Roll of Honour 