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Mrs Hilda Violet Cave

24 December 2014

Hilda Violet Cave (nee Hoyte) was born in London, her childhood was spent moving around with her mother Iza who was a live-in cook and housekeeper. They settled in Cobham, Surrey, where Hilda went to school, and from where she joined the Army Territorial Service aged 19, training as a driver at Horsley Hall near Wrexham. She then served mainly in London, being billeted with others in a requisitioned council house in Kidbrooke, also for a short time in Scotland.

After the war Hilda met and married Charles and they lived in Cobham, sadly Charles died in 1977. Hilda loved dancing, painting, and worked after retirement from the civil service as a relief carer for Alzheimer sufferers.

Hilda’s time in the ATS was very important to her as a young woman – a time of opportunity, learning to drive, mixing and meeting many friends, one of whom – Eve, from Kidbrooke days – she kept in touch with until the end of her life. Hilda was outside Buckingham Palace on VE Day and remembered it was a terrifying occasion – so many people “far worse than the bombing”.

Hilda was a much-loved mother, daughter, wife, carer, and friend to many.

~ Wendy Wright