Archive Title

RECORDINGS – Mrs Christine Irvine – Tracer, The War Years

Ref No:A/AAO/22/1
Description

Mrs Christine Irvine was born and brought up in East Cowes on the Isle of Wight. She recounts her childhood and schooldays growing up on the island . Christine’s father was a great influence and aroused her interest in flying machines. She would spend her pocket money on balsa wood model kits then spent many hours constructing intricate model aeroplanes for her collection. When Christine left school her father instigated an apprenticeship for her with Saunders Row, a local boatmakers. Her work involved training to be a ‘Tracer’ designing plans for ‘flying boats’. During the Second World War tracing was considered a ‘woman’s trade’. Christine took photographs of the first British, propelled, sea planes and aeroplanes and she described the designs and tracings produced. For all the years Christine spent designing and making sea planes an opportunity never arose for her to fly in one. “In those days, it wasn’t considered the right thing for young ladies to do….”The Project is ongoing, charting Christine’s life story and experiences as a career woman, wife and later as a ‘ young, single’ mother and her time working for (?) on the island of ? before returning to the Isle of Wight to live and work.Stories and accounts of new inventions to help the war effort – Anecdote ‘WINSTON CHURCHILL’s capsule’

Start Date2004-01-01
End Date2004-01-01
Extent4 Tapes
LevelSeries
Original Date Data2004
StatusOpen
Title No StrokesA