Cestria Life

A life remembered

 You would never guess from looking, that Mildred Titshall was at the forefront of the Battle of Britain and through the skills she developed during the Second World War, she played no small part in the defeat of the Nazis and the liberation of Europe from the iron fist of Hitler’s Armed forces.

Mildred has a remarkable memory and recalls events from the war as though they were yesterday. She was called up at the age of 18yrs and at the time really wanted to be in the Navy (the uniform was much nicer in particular the hats!) however, it was to the Air Force that Mildred was sent. So it was four weeks of hard physical training and mental and psychological tests to best decide which area she would work in. Now as a result of Mildreds keen intellect, (she became an Industrial Chemist after the war) the RAF decided that she should become a RDF operator. Now Mildred had no idea what this meant, but as it turned out she was to be an operator of a hush hush system called...Radar?

Mildred had no idea that what she was to embark upon would have such a profound affect on the outcome of the war, but realised the seriousness of her role by the allegiance she had to pledge to the king and the signing of Official Secrets Act for her new role. After training at various places throughout the UK she had her first posting to Aberdeen, where she ended up lodging near a place called School Hill. It was whilst here that Mildred had her first taste of “Clootie Pudding”. It was obviously designed to put meat on your bones and Mildred recalls having it fried the next day! In fact she said “most of the food I had at this time was either fried or boiled, I think they were trying to fatten me up!”

After a few months at Aberdeen, she was moved to Otterburn for a short while, where she met an Argentinean girl, who had volunteered to fight for Britain. Mildred recalls lots of Argentine people volunteering to serve in the British forces. Funny how things can change...

From Otterburn she was posted to RAF West Beckham in Norfolk. The commanding officer there was a famous Big Band leader from London called Marius B Winter. Mildred recalls that he always had a pipe in his mouth whether it was lit or not! (You can still see him on You Tube)

Mildred was to spend the rest of the War as a radar operator working from Norfolk, and she recalls being on night shift on “D Day” and seeing the whole radar screen filled up with planes and aircraft “it was a spectacular sight” she recalls. Mildred married her husband Cyril who was also in the army, just before the D day landings in 1944.

Her husband took part in the landings, and they were apart for two years, during which time Cyril was missing for 4 months. He had been seriously wounded and had been taken prisoner by the Germans, who cared for him in hospital. As the Germans were retreating to Germany towards the end of the war, they took Cyril with them until finally leaving him in a field hospital as they crossed the Rhine back into Germany, where he was found by the Allied Forces and brought back to England.

When we look back at the Second World War, we look back into history and can only wonder what it was like. Mildred was part of history, and recalls it with a breath taking clarity. This unassuming lady accepts her role in one of the biggest events in modern history with an equanimity born out of her acceptance of duty for King and country. Mildred Titshall is a remarkable lady.

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