January 2006 - Wartime Secretary

‘No computers, no email – only typewriters and telegrams’ were the reminiscences of Andover Women in Business Club’s speaker for its January meeting.  Susan Hibbert, the wartime secretary responsible for typing the surrender document in May 1945, proved a fascinating speaker.

Meeting at The White Hart Hotel, members heard Susan recount her memories of her wartime work and her involvement in such an historic occasion.  A local girl who studied at Godolphin School before training at secretarial college, she was a chosen because of her knowledge of French.  During the early war years, she worked at Wilton House with around 20 other secretaries and lived with them in Cathedral Close in Salisbury.  Recounting some of the early times, Susan talked of the time she and her colleagues spent residing at Eisenhower’s home, sharing with Glenn Miller and his Band!

But life was certainly not all glamour and she soon became involved in work in Normandy and Paris (where she spent her 21st birthday) and finally Reims, travelling there uncomfortably in the back of a wartime lorry.  Susan was a young British sergeant based at General Eisenhower's temporary HQ in Reims, France. 

"In the days leading up to the surrender, we knew something was happening - there was a real feeling of excitement in the air," Susan said.  "For five days we were typing documents. We started early in the morning and finished late at night. I typed the English documents; three other secretaries typed the French, Russian and German versions."

Susan was selected to help with the task of preparing for the declaration of surrender, becoming one of the first people to know World War 2 was over.  Forbidden to talk to colleagues, she was confined to a room for 20 hours, during which the surrender document was typed – and retyped when necessary.  With constant changes and amendments and with no word processing available 60 years ago, any typing error or change meant a complete retype.  Although the main document was relatively short, there were many appendices which also had to be produced to the same very high standard. 

The documents were finally taken to the "war room" and after waiting for many hours, the secretarial staff were allowed to watch the solemn signing of the Act of Military Surrender.  Very tired, and even before victory cheers were heard around the globe, Susan and her colleagues celebrated quietly with champagne, served in a mess tin.  Susan had one more task to perform – she had to type the signal informing the War Office in London that the war in Europe was over.  “I was so tired when it was over,” said Susan.  “While millions celebrated, I went to bed and didn’t get up for two days!”

Susan, who now lives in Abbotts Ann, relived many of her memories in 2005 during the 60th Anniversary celebrations in France.  Responding to a plea from the local BBC for people to recount where they were on that historic day, Susan found herself in a media frenzy interested in hearing her stories.  “It as all quite unexpected!  I was taken to France by the BBC, had lunch with the Mayor of Reims and returned for lunch with the French Prime Minister and was treated like royalty,” she recounted, smiling.  “I was even presented with a medal!” 
Members were enthralled by her story and were able to view items of memorabilia Susan had brought with her, including a copy of the surrender document and photographs of the staff waiting on the stairs to witness the signing.

Following the talk, Tessa Makepeace, President, presented Susan with an ‘Enham Star’ clematis as a thank you.  A further presentation was made to long-standing member and former President, Karen Hopwood, who is moving from the area and leaving the Club after many years of hard work on its committee.

left to right, Susan Hibbert, Tessa Makepeace and Karen Hopwood