Oswestry Woman Ruby recalls war days before 105th birthday

Ruby Jones was a sergeant. She served during the war in the WAAF. She joined at 21 after leaving her home in Bexhill, which had become a military zone. She left with her mom and brother.

Ruby said that after France fell, they had to leave, which led them to Somerset. She felt women had to do their part, so she joined the Air Force in 1941.

Ruby remembers her time fondly, serving from 1941 to 1946. She said she feared cows, so the Land Army wasn’t for her.

You did what they asked, using your skills. You couldn’t have big ideas; you just did your job.

Ruby met her husband, Stan, who was from Oswestry. Stan worked as a wireless operator in India, and they wrote to each other during this time when everyone was moving around a lot.

Ruby saw huge changes for women, although some men in the military had reactions and didn’t want women there. Before, women stayed home; now they were becoming more equal.

One friend was quiet, but she worked at a gun site in London. Women entered a new world then, where they used to focus on domestic life. The women were patriotic and focused, and their country mattered.

Ruby was at different bases in England, and one was by an American base. They had dances there, offering coffee, a rare treat.

She later worked at Bletchley Park, sharing a bed in the stables. She didn’t know its importance then, only later understanding its significance. Even without knowing why, it was important.

After the war, she settled in Oswestry. Ruby had two sons, Rona and Alan, and three grandchildren. One grandchild is in the RAF now.

Ruby feels lucky to be 104, saying there’s no real secret; she believes God gave her time.