I went to Swansea and they gave me tests of different colour wool, red, green and so forth which I passed. I also passed my eye test, and my health examination. I had the job. I was the youngest GWR worker at the time. I was fitted for a uniform and I had the job in Aberdulais station. There were two of us. Myself and a gentleman who was more or less going on retirement age; he used to do the morning shift and I used to go afternoons and vice versa.

I also had to go now and again to what was called Low Level station just outside of Neath and there I had to walk from my home all the way to Neath which was very, very dark. We weren't allowed to smoke or to have a torch and from there on my walk took me pass Pendre, and it's cemetery on both sides. It was dark and dreadful.

I had to catch a train at 3 o'clock in the morning and that train used to go up to the Brecon Beacons and used to come back at eleven. Then I'd go back to my own station. I had to do morse code, our telephones were morse code.I had a call one particular afternoon to lock myself in because down in Bridgend we had a Prisoners of War Camp, and of course when they escaped they naturally went for the railways. I was only a young girl and I was told to lock myself in. The station in Aberdulais was built on what you called stilts and they used to keep the ladders against the wall. I was there and I could hear these ladders going and they did they catch a prisoner of war between my station and the signal box.

On another time I was there again on the platform when I was nearly caught by a prisoner, but I managed to get back into my office so it was twice it happened there. You can understand how my mother felt when it was all on the wireless saying for us to lock all the doors and I was a young girl alone at the station.

Resolven was the next station from me, and we always used to ring one another. It was a very happy time, and we helped one another. Then the time came when we had to give up our work for the boys to come back...

Beryl Johnson