WRAC

I can't see this topic anywhere, so am creating it, but please forgive me if it already exists and I've missed it!
Both my parents served in the BAOR in Germany, my father from 1947-1951 (Royal Signals) and my mother in the WRAC from 1950-1951. They were both in Berlin 1950-51, which is where they met. They've given me a fair amount of information (although my mother unfortunately has dementia now so can remember almost nothing), as I want to write a fictionalised account of their time in Berlin.

I titled this post WRAC because I want to write in particular about my mother's experiences, so would be especially grateful for any information from or about WRAC members who were in the BAOR at around that time.

I recall both my parents telling me that they would give whatever commodities they could spare to German staff they worked with (e.g. housemaids) as the Berliners were almost on starvation rations and had nothing. I would like to know if cigarettes were issued automatically to British servicemen, and also to the women. I realise everything could be bought from the NAAFI stores too.

Really, if anyone was in the BAOR at that time, I'd be very grateful for any info--either of army daily life, or the life of the city and the Berliners. I'd be interested for example, to know how long the "rubble women" continued to work clearing the bombed buildings. Some accounts still have them doing this in about 1947.

Thank you.
Ruth

Ruth

Sadly I don't think any of our current contributors have first hand knowledge of life in Berlin in the early Fifties.

Have you tried contacting the Berlin Branch of the Royal British Legion? They may be able to help

Good luck with your project

Signalsdaughter wrote:

I can't see this topic anywhere, so am creating it, but please forgive me if it already exists and I've missed it!
Both my parents served in the BAOR in Germany, my father from 1947-1951 (Royal Signals) and my mother in the WRAC from 1950-1951. They were both in Berlin 1950-51, which is where they met. They've given me a fair amount of information (although my mother unfortunately has dementia now so can remember almost nothing), as I want to write a fictionalised account of their time in Berlin.

I titled this post WRAC because I want to write in particular about my mother's experiences, so would be especially grateful for any information from or about WRAC members who were in the BAOR at around that time.

I recall both my parents telling me that they would give whatever commodities they could spare to German staff they worked with (e.g. housemaids) as the Berliners were almost on starvation rations and had nothing. I would like to know if cigarettes were issued automatically to British servicemen, and also to the women. I realise everything could be bought from the NAAFI stores too.

Really, if anyone was in the BAOR at that time, I'd be very grateful for any info--either of army daily life, or the life of the city and the Berliners. I'd be interested for example, to know how long the "rubble women" continued to work clearing the bombed buildings. Some accounts still have them doing this in about 1947.

Thank you.
Ruth

Ruth,

I was mainly in Osnabruck 1951 & 1952, but never got a chance to get to Berlin

I cant remember seeing any WRAC anywhere
Cigarettes, I think allowed 100 per week, cost very cheap, and had a "black market" value of about 20 times our cost

By my time almost all rubble had been cleared, but one I remember had been an officers club, direct hit, only wood had been salvaged, but a large pile of rubble still remained, many people crossed over the other side of the road to pass

Sorry cant help anymore, just hope you can get more to your story, as it is so essential to record our past, especially with the big interest in family history now.
Your parents would have had a wonderful experience, such a different life to those living in UK at the time, with rationing still for some things

And yes, not many of us left now, out of the many thousands who served in BAOR

Regards
Sapper