So I looked out her diary that she wrote when she was stationed in Jerusalem, with 512 Company, ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service – the women’s branch of the British Army), between September 1944 and June 1945. I was keen to see her familiar handwriting and read the relevant account of the double celebrations. She did not disappoint.

Her entry for 9 May 1945 was indeed momentous. 

Wednesday 9/5/45

My birthday. In my wildest dreams I never realised I would have my 21st birthday in Jerusalem, and then for the war with Germany to be over just before it. Opened my parcel from home and it was such a lovely one. I was just thrilled with the charm bracelet, it’s something I have always wanted. Also received the wool for Ray’s pullover – such nice wool too. Had four cards altogether and a big silver key from Mother and Dad.

Went shopping with Priscilla in the morning. Bought myself a pair of white shoes. Priscilla tried to get a frock – all so expensive and not particularly nice.

Lazed around in the afternoon. Able to leave barracks in civvies, today and tomorrow, so did so to meet Ron. Wore the bracelet and Ray’s brooch. We had dinner at the Café ‘Raman’ and then went to see ‘Song of Russia’ – with Robert Taylor and Susan Peters – the music in it was lovely. But the cinema was so hot – no air at all.

Afterwards had ice cream and a drink in a garden cafe and then walked back to camp. It was a lovely warm night and we had plenty of time to walk back at our ease.

Here is some context and explanation: Mum was newly married to Dad (Ernest Raymond Cockrill known as Ray) who she’d first met on the troop ship HMS Alcantara in September 1944 sailing from Liverpool to Alexandria. He was with the Royal Air Force heading for RAF Heliopolis east of Cairo. Following a whirlwind romance they were married at Christ Church in Jerusalem’s Old City on 4 February 1945. She hadn’t seen Dad since their brief honeymoon in Cairo and would not see him again until he returned to the UK in October 1945.

Priscilla was one of her best friends in the ATS who she had known in Northampton where they had first been posted following training in Watford after joining up in 1942. They were both shorthand typists providing admin support to the British Army based at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. During the British Mandate, the southern wing of the hotel was turned into a British administrative and military headquarters.  

The day before, on 8 May (officially Victory in Europe or VE day) Priscilla and Mum had tea at St Andrew’s Scots Memorial Church (the local Scottish Presbyterian church built to commemorate the Scottish soldiers who fought in Palestine during WW1 and which had a popular social club). Mum then recalls going with Priscilla to watch the Beating of the Retreat (the traditional British Army ceremony that signifies the end of the work day) by the Pipes of the Gordon Highlanders outside King David Hotel before going to have her ‘first drink to celebrate’ in Priscilla’s office. They then got a taxi ‘back to camp’. This was the British Army’s Allenby Barracks. Mum noted that ‘Everywhere is decorated – flags and Vs on all the buildings.’

Ron was a male army friend she often talked about who was part of their regular group of friends. ‘Civvies’ were civilian clothes as opposed to uniform.  Mum’s uniform consisted of a khaki skirt and belted tunic of wool serge over a lighter khaki shirt, khaki lace-up brown service shoes and somewhat unflattering thick beige lisle stockings.  However, it appears from photos that they were sometimes allowed to wear short socks and not wear the tunic jacket, due to the stifling heat (to which Mum often referred).

Mum seemed to spend her down time going to films or dances, as well as cafes and clubs for tea, dinner or just drinks or icecream. She and her friends walked, hitched lifts or took buses, taxis or gharries (horse drawn vehicles). I can imagine she would have loved Song of Russia that she saw on her birthday as it heavily featured the music of Tchaikovsky, one of her favourite composers.

Song of Russia was a 1944 American war film made and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It told the story of American conductor John Meredith who embarked on a journey to Russia with his manager for a country-wide tour. He falls for a beautiful Soviet pianist Nadya and the couple end up in the middle of the Nazi invasion. It was in fact a pro-Soviet propaganda film, designed to raise the awareness of the American public regarding Russia’s fight against Nazi Germany.You can see and hear the original trailer here.

‘Mother and Dad’ were my grandparents Annie and Sydney Betts, then living above the railway station in Chelmsford, Essex where Sydney had been appointed stationmaster, following a promotion in March 1944. Prior to that, since 1940, he had been at Whittlesey, the then small Cambridgeshire market town near Peterborough. A barometer, one of our family heirlooms, had been the leaving gift presented to him at his sendoff at Whittlesey.

Mum was a keen knitter as was my grandmother. She bought some steel knitting needles in Jerusalem and was aghast that they cost 3/9d (about 3 times the price in the UK at the time). ‘What a price! she wrote and I can hear her saying it!  She notes in a diary entry later in May that she ’knitted most of the afternoon – want to finish Ray’s pullover before I leave here … Got into bed directly after supper and continued knitting – felt quite a grandmother!’

Little did she know then that she would later become both a grandmother and great grandmother … and carry on knitting.

Victory celebrations had actually started in Jerusalem on the 7^th.  But Mum was unable to join in. She was in bed with a very sore throat that had been painted with iodine. ‘This has been a day of days’, she wrote. ‘Fancy being in Sick Bay when the war with Germany is declared over! I don’t think everyone is showed how they felt – I suppose we English are like that, but I know underneath we were rejoicing. It hardly seems true at the moment, but I think everyone feels as I do that we would rejoice all the more if we were at home with our own people. I just long to be with Ray’. And added later, ‘It was maddening to lie in bed that night and to hear everyone celebrating while we could not take part.’ She was in the Sick Bay with one other person – a new girl from the UK who was suffering from a ‘gippy tummy’.

More surprises came within the next few days. She received birthday telegrams from home, from her new mother-in-law (Florence – Florrie – Cockrill) in London, and brother-in-law, (Leslie Cockrill – Les) who was in the Navy (neither of whom she had met); as well as a letter from her mother. And best of all she learnt from those in command that she was going home. She also got a chance to really celebrate. On the day after her birthday, she went with her friends to the barracks’ Victory dance held in the recreational area known as the NAAFI. This stood for the Navy, Army and Airforce Institute, which provided a range of services, including canteens, shops, and other facilities, for military personnel stationed both at home and abroad. It was humorously also said to mean “Never ‘Ave Any Fags In’, due to the frequent shortage of cigarettes.

All the military personnel were allowed to wear civvies for the dance. Mum wrote that she wore ‘my flowered frock and new shoes [the ones she bought on her birthday]. Enjoyed myself very much and everyone was quieter than we expected. Had plenty of dances and cooled off on the verandah where the tables and chairs were set out. About 11 o’clock a bonfire was lit in the Barrack Square and we all danced round it!’

Hope you are dancing up there today, happy heavenly birthday Mum!

Always in my thoughts but especially today. Joan Dorothy Cockrill (née Betts) 1924-2024

You can find our family tree here