It was May 8, 1945. I was on Orderly Room duty at CSRDE and that morning the Colonel asked me to take charge and be responsible should calls come in. This depot was in a remote area, all fenced and guarded. The buildings also had security locks to get in and out.

Suddenly the word came through that the war was over. Before you knew it, there wasn't a person left in the building, and only one guard outside had remained. Now there was no transportation and I had no idea how I was going to get back to Ottawa. Fortunately a mail truck came in so I locked up the place and had a ride back with the mailman in his truck. He let me off at the Parliament Buildings. Ottawa was going mad!

There were no buses or taxis or any mode of transportation. The streets by now were full of paper emptied out of the offices and it was difficult to walk. It took me four hours to walk home. When someone mentions VE Day, I remember it well.

Another time I remember was when I was returning from leave. I was crossing the main train station in Ottawa when suddenly a side button popped off my frilly blue panties! I thought "Ohhh gosh it had better not be what I think it is". The next instant they were around my ankles. My first thought was shall I step out and keep walking and then in a flash I remembered how hard it was to buy any kind of panties, so I did not take another step without quickly bending down, picking them up and whipping them into the pocket of my greatcoat. I did not look left or right but continued on my way, a little drafty now but who was I to worry- I had saved a precious pair of blue frilly panties.

Oh who can EVER forget those war days when elastic was virtually unattainable and one's dignity rested on a button?