I was 15 years old the day Poland was invaded. I had a job at the kiosk at the entrance to the ordnance factory in Bridgend, which is now the entrance to the South Wales Police headquarters.

My dad forbid me to work at the Arsenal on the day war broke out because it was an obvious target.

As the war progressed I found myself a job as a portress on Bridgend railway station. They were good times and I made some lifelong friends (pictured above).

I remember being given the job of opening the carriage door for General Eisenhower when he came to inspect the American troops stationed around the Bridgend area. He said to me, "are all the girls as pretty as you around here?" I was young and full of life. All the American boys would ask us out on dates. I remember one young boy,his name was Vern Hall - I still have his camera.

They were gentlemen and very respecting not like the youngsters today. I learned many years after the war's end that he and his entire unit were killed on D Day.

I met my husband Jim who was a Royal Navy Sailor on the station at Bridgend.

I was sweeping up at the ticket booth as the station was closing. I would look for the bank notes and change that the Yanks dropped as they fumbled to buy a ticket to get back to base on time. Jim (pictured left) came up to me and cheekily asked what I was doing tomorrow night. I told him I was going out with an American Officer and it would be as far as possible away from him!

The next night as I was being escorted down Station Hill by the officer, Jim came right in between us taking my arm and saying "where are we going."

The officer thought Jim was my brother - he wasn't very happy when he found out the contrary as I left the local Tennis Courts pub with Jim, leaving the American behind!

I carried on my duties at the railway station in Bridgend after marrying Jim. He went back to war and I continued to do my bit.

I remember the transports of German prisoners arriving at Bridgend as the war progressed and victory seemed assured.

They were very arrogant. They would line up smartly after disembarking the train and begin the walk to the camp at Island Farm singing marching songs as they walked through the town.

I was on duty the night of the biggest escape of prisoners of war on the British mainland. I didn't know what had happened as my friend and I went to investigate noises in the goods yard.

We went back to our little tea room where the fire was burning in the grate. The station master came running in panic saying "all the Germans have escaped from the camp!" My friend promptly fainted!

I remember Field Marshal Gerd Von Runsted arriving at Bridgend with a large entourage. They had a trolley loaded with cases.

One of the group approached me and said in perfect English, "the Field Marshal requires his cases to be taken to his transport."

I replied: "P**s off and push your own bags, my husband has fought a war against you lot, it's not for me to push your bags!"

I remember them laughing as they pushed the trolley along the station. Some years before they had been the masters of Europe, now they were being told off by a lowly Welsh woman!

The years after the war were hard and I had to give up my job at the station because a man required it! Times are very different for women now.

Gwen Burke nee Thomas - September 2006