General   (General discussion, talk about anything.)

When I first started to work for the Ministry of Defence back in 1972. I'd just started working at the now defunct San Sebastian Barracks in Soest, West Germany, and was visited by someone who swore me to the Official Secrets Act up to Secrecy, following checks on my family members who may have been in involved in politics, or had been involved in any criminal acts.

However, when I went to work at Ebrington Barracks in Londonderry in 1974, I was re-graded up to Top Secret because of the work I had to do which sometimes involved working alone in what was called the "War Rom" where I was locked in and there were no windows, plus I had access to the Operations Room where a lot of "stuff" went on and where I watched some of the riots on the streets, including covert operations.

At one point, a Captain asked me if I could remember what the Top Secret documents referred to and I answered truthfully with an absolute no.

This was a long time ago now, and I thought swearing to the OSA lasted for 25 years as a lot could change in that time; but I never breathed a word of what I did to anyone, including my husband, as he knew better than to ask so, even if I did remember any of it, I certainly wouldn't say a word, even almost 50 years later.