Joyce received the news that she was being transferred to Swinnerton Royal Ordnance Factory at Stoke on Trent in Staffordshire.

 

Fortunately Joyce went to Stoke with her friend Dot. Unfortunately on arrival the two were separated. They were assigned to different lodgings, put in different work-groups, and even placed on different shifts!

 

Joyce was living in a strange place, carrying out very dangerous work, and away from family and friends.

 

Joyce’s mother would queue up at Sparks shop on the High Street to buy Chocolate Raspberry Wafers. She would then wrap these in newspaper and post them to Joyce !

 

In September 1943, a medical examination revealed a spot on Joyce’s lungs.  She had tuberculosis.

 

Tuberculosis is a disease caused by an infection with the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

 

During the 19th century, up to 25 per cent of deaths in Europe were caused by this disease. The death toll began to fall as living standards improved at the start of the 20th century, and from the 1940s, effective medicines were developed.

 

First and foremost, tuberculosis is a disease of the lungs. However, the infection can spread via blood from the lungs to all organs in the body. This means that you can develop tuberculosis in the pleura (the covering of the lungs), in the bones, the urinary tract and sexual organs, the intestines and even in the skin.

 

Lymph nodes in the lung root and on the throat can also get infected.

 

Tuberculous meningitis is sometimes seen in newly infected children. This form of the disease is a life-threatening condition.

The bacteria that cause the disease are inhaled in the form of microscopic droplets that come from a person with tuberculosis. When coughing, speaking or sneezing, the small droplets are expelled into the air. They dry out quickly, but the bacteria itself can remain airborne for hours. However, the tuberculosis bacteria are killed when exposed to ultraviolet light, including sunlight.

 

Joyce was sent home from Aycliffe to wait for a vacancy at Seaham Sanitorium.

 

The wait lasted nine months.

 

Living with her parents at 2 Walter Street, Joyce was not lazy during this time. Despite her condition she was out almost every evening at the Maison, dancing with the young Canadian, American and English airmen based at Middleton St George and Thornaby!

 

It was at the Maison that Joyce met her future husband, Frank Peagam, who was based with Coastal Command 281 Squadron at Thornaby aerodrome.

 

In May 1944 a place became available for Joyce at Seaham Hall Sanatorium.

 

Seaham Hall has had an interesting history, which you can read about here.

 

But in 1944 it was a sanatorium.

 

By this time Frank, of whom Joyce had become very fond, had left Thornaby. He was on operational duties in Tiree, in the Hebridees, from March 1944 until April 1945.

 

However whenever he could get leave Frank would travel to Stockton, stay with Joyce’s parents, then cycle to Seaham, a round trip of over 50 miles, to sit with Joyce. It was clear that the initial romance was developing into something more serious and long lasting.

 

Joyce travelled to London with Frank to meet his family, who lived in Tooting.

 

The journey to London meant travelling by steam train. The carriages windows were blacked-out and the carriages themselves were mucky and very crowded, full of service personnel travelling about the country.

 

In London life was dangerous. Although the worst of The Blitz – when the capital suffered nightly bombing raids by the Luftwaffe - was over, there was now the danger of flying-rockets, initially the V1s then the more-sophisticated V2s. The ‘doodle-bugs’ were fired across the channel to the south coast and were terrifying as once over the target their engines cut out and the drone of the engine was replaced by silence: no one knew just when and where they would explode.

 

However London also had compensations. They would go to the Dominion Theatre to see the stars of the day.Joyce can recall on one occasion the management put notices on the stage warning of an air-raid and inviting the audience to take shelter. No one took up the invitation and show went on!

 

Joyce’s mother and father soon followed her to London and it was on one of these occasions that relations between the families could have been damaged forever by a chance remark by Jim Hadley.

 

Having enjoyed a big dinner he announced that he was ‘starved’.

Frank’s mother was horrified that he was still hungry after the feast that she had served, and took some persuading that he was simply chilled by a cold wind!

 

In September 1944, just nine months after they had met, Frank proposed to Joyce. Joyce’s father gave his consent to the marriage.

After nine months of treatment Joyce was discharged from Seaham in January 1945, although she continued to attend as an out-patient for a number of years after she was discharged.

 

Joyce was happy to be back home, and even happier to return to her beloved Maison, and to dancing with Frank whenever he was on leave.

 

Sadly it was at one of the dances that Joyce’s handbag was stolen and she lost a diary that contained a record of her time at Seaham.

 

The war in Europe ended in May 1945.

 

Tuesday 8 May 1945 was 'Victory in Europe' (VE) Day, and it marked the formal end of Hitler's war. With it came the end of six years of misery, suffering, courage and endurance across the world.

 

Individuals reacted in very different ways to the end of the nightmare: some celebrated by partying; others spent the day in quiet reflection; and there were those too busy carrying out tasks to do either.

 

Frank and Joyce were in London, joining in the celebrations in Trafalger Square, although they did not end up in the fountains like some.

 

They then moved on to stand outside Buckingham Palace and wave to King George VI, the Princess Elizabeth and the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill