Fall, Gwendolen Margaret: my Air Force recollections (September 10, 1983)
Interviewee: Fall, Gwendolen Margaret, b. 1910
ABSTRACT: Mrs. Gwendolen Margaret Fall Royal Air Force Wife Fall_G_0059_01.mp3 "Jane" Fall was born on Feb. 16, 1920 in Folkestone, Kent, the daughter of Arthur Coode, the senior partner of a major engineering firm, Coode and Partners. A self-styled 1920s "flapper" by her own admission, a lucky and privileged upper-class life. (11:00) Comments on the circumstances of her marriage and the social customs of the thirties in England. (22:00) Describes life as a service wife in the pre-war Royal Air Force. Posted to Malta where Joe Fall commanded an air station. Moved to Alexandria, Egypt when the war started. (35:00) From there service families were sent to Jerusalem for safety. Later they were moved to South Africa where Mrs. Fall and her children lived in a ramshackle old house with another service family. "Good school, wonderful beach, very little rationing": a much better life than in wartime England, despite the housing inconveniences. (45:00) Fall_G_0059_02.mp3 In Oct. 1943, at G/C Fall's request, they were moved to a Commonwealth Air Training Plan base in Carberry, Man. A full year on the prairies was a shock: poor housing, many unaccustomed household chores due to a general lack of facilities. However, the family took things in stride and had a certain philosophical attitude toward coping. Decided to retire in Canada in 1945. (10:00) Discusses newspaper article about G/C Capt. Fall and his rejuvenation of the family property at Hillbank. Refers to the wartime score of her husband and some personalities. (22:00)
Interviewer: Bell, Chris
An interview/narrative of Gwendolen Margaret Fall's experiences during World War II. Mrs. Fall was a Royal Air Force wife. Interview took place on September 10, 1983.
- In Collection:
- Housing--South Africa
- Fall, Gwendolen Margaret, 1910-2008--Interviews
- Air Force spouses--Great Britain
- England--Social life and customs--20th cent.
- World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Canadian
- Malta
- Canada--RCAF Station (Carberry, Man.)--Service Flying Training School, 33
- Fall, Joseph Stewart Temple, 1895-1988
- Housing--Canada--Manitoba
- Military dependents
- World War, 1914-1918--Personal narratives, Canadian
- British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
- Great Britain--Royal Air Force--Military life
- 2 sound recordings (MP3)
- 54.75844, -2.69531
- 60.10867, -113.64258
- One original sound tape reel (ca. 70 in.) : 1 7/8 ips, 2 track, mono. ; 1 sound cassette copy : standard, mono. in Special Collections.
- Canadian Military Oral History Collection
- FGM_059
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/reginald-herbert-roy-fonds
- May 13, 2010
- Digital sound recording in .wav format at 16 bits and 44 kHz. In .mp3 format at 56 kbps and 24 kHz. Digitized by JF and SC, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Transferred from audio reel to audio cassette between 1987-1997. Interview migrated to digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2010. Migration metadata by KD and MT.
- Rights
- This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca
- DOI
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