Lancaster Bomber mechanic takes trip down memory lane at aero club

Sunday 17 September 2017

The air display is always enjoyed by islanders of all ages, but few will have enjoyed it more than 98-year-old Nellie Brooks this year. She made parts for the Lancaster Bombers during WWII, and memories rushed back when she saw one of the last remaining examples fly over the Jersey sky.

Born in Leeds, Mrs Brooks moved to Jersey with her husband in the early 1970s and worked in the kitchens at St George's School.

She made parts for Lancaster bombers in a factory on the outskirts of Leeds for about four years. She had to go, "at the break of dawn, when it was still dark outside" and take two different buses to get to the factory. Every day, she would have to wear working clothes or overalls - "I looked like a man all day and was a lady in the evening," Nelly explained. One of her tasks was to fill capsules with cordite, a replacement for gun powder. 

Mrs Brooks was in her early 20s when she had to first work in the factory. She was recruited following a dexterity test that proved she was skilled with her hands. "You wouldn't have believed all the little bits you need to put it together. Oh all the work to get it off the ground!" she recalled.

Pictured: There are only two airworthy Lancaster bombers in the world.

Nellie's youngest daughter, Cynthia, only realised what her mum did during the war many years after. She explained: "Mum has been talking about it a lot more over the past 10 years than she ever did. She used to talk about going to the factory and wearing protective suits, but we only realised the connection later on. There was so much secrecy surrounding it that she never really said what she was working on. But it was a huge feature in her life, she always had a great interest in planes and used to write letters. She was very pleased to meet one of the last Lancaster bomber pilots when he visited Jersey." 

Nellie's face lit up on Thursday when she saw one of the last bombers in the Jersey sky during the air display. "It was fantastic! It was a wonderful display," she said. "I would have loved to be in the plane."

Pictured: Nellie enjoyed a tour of the aeroclub following the air display.

On Friday, Nellie was taken on a tour of the aeroclub by the staff at the Hermitage Care Home where she now lives. She and four other residents were driven around to see the planes. Sadly, the bomber had already flown back, but Nellie was able to look at the other aircraft - a trip down memory lane that she really enjoyed. "It brings back a lot of memories," she confessed, "I could almost cry seeing all of it."

While she was happy to see a bomber again, she explained that her memories weren't entirely pleasant. She was never given a choice to take part in the war effort. "People make it as a joy, but it wasn't always like that," Nellie explained. "You didn't do it out of your own free will. You were picked and had to do what you were told. I could cry and weep for hours whilst all of this was going on. We had to hide while we were working on the planes. When all of this was going on at ground level, you didn't have time to be silly."

Pictured: The Lancaster bomber had already flown back but Nellie Brooks got to see other planes at the aeroclub ... and wave at the pilots.

In 1944, Nellie had her first daughter. By that time, the war was coming to an end and construction was ending. Nellie dedicated herself to raising her daughter, who was soon joined by a little sister, Cynthia. When her daughters got older, Nellie then opened her own grocery shop and found great pleasure in being a member of the community. In 1971, Nellie and her husband moved to Jersey to be closer to Cynthia and her two children.

Cynthia explained: "I came to Jersey as a student and met my husband here. My parents would come on holidays but we always thought it was sad they weren't able to see the children very often. By sheer coincidence, we saw an ad in the paper for a job at St George's School with a cottage. It was a spur of the moment decision and it completely changed their lives." 

A grandmother of six, Nellie lived in her cottage until two months ago when she had to move into the Hermitage - a move that doesn't seem to have affected her. Cynthia says that she enjoys receiving visits and a lot of the activities offered in the home, especially the singing lessons. Nellie is known among the staff of residents for breaking into song every now and then. As Gracie Fields, one of Nellie's favourite singers would sing: "A song and a smile make life worthwhile."